Question
Gramps,
Is Gods real name Elohim?
Kori
Answer
Dear Kori,
Elohim is a word that we Latter-day Saints use to refer to God the Father. If that’s how one defines a name, then it can certainly be considered a name. But beyond that, we don’t really know.
Elohim is a word that means many things as well. According to Strong’s Concordance it means, rulers, judges, divine ones, angels, gods, god, goddess, godlike one, works or special possessions of God, the (true) God, and God. It is interesting to note that it may be used both as plural or “singular intensive” (i.e. a superlative–like “God of Gods” or “God Almighty”) as well.
In the scriptures God is given many, many names. However, in several cases it can be difficult to distinguish the difference between speaking of God the Father and God the Son by name. For the sake of clarity, we use Elohim to refer to the Father and Jehovah to refer to the Son. I don’t think it can be safely concluded that Elohim, pronounced exactly the way we do in English, is the exact and specific appellation that God has exclusively taken as His one and only name.
Gramps
