I had heard Ray preach and teach the purpose principle many times:

“What is in the Book of Mormon is there for a purpose.”

“Peter, James and John were taken to the mount of transfiguration because they asked many questions.”

“When you find something you don’t understand in the Book of Mormon, asked the Lord, ‘Why is that in the Book of Mormon’?”

One Sunday evening while teaching a Book of Mormon class, I used the reference in Jacob 1:4 to help explain the contents of the small plates of Nephi:

And if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great or prophesying,

That I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates,

And touch upon them as much as it were possible for Christ’s sake and for the sake of our people [emphasizing added].

As an aside, I commented to the class that many years previously. I had circled the word “heads” and penciled a large question mark in the margin of my Book of Mormon. I asked the class if anyone had any insight as to the meaning of the word “heads.” A few people offered suggestions, but none had any real answers. The context of the verse seemed to give the larger meaning without revealing exactly what “heads” meant.

I commented before continuing the lesson that here was an opportunity to make use of the purpose principle. Why was the word “heads” in the Book of Mormon?

The next day I had a phone call from Angela Crowell. She asked, “Would you like to know the meaning of the word ‘heads’?” She had my attention! Then she proceeded to share with me my comment the previous night had caused her to wonder if “heads” was a Hebraism. So in checking her Hebrew dictionaries and the Theological Wordbook by Harris, Archer, Waltke (1980:825), she found these definitions for the root word:

rosh—head; top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum.

The authors of the Theological Wordbook give this fuller explanation for the root from which “heads” is derived:

The root is widely used in the Old Testament with other terms in the sense of the superlative, since Hebrew does not have any simple form to express the third degree. There are many examples of this usage (Exodus 30:23) where the meaning is “best,” “foremost,” the uniquely finest, which alone was fit for the service of God.

In other words, Jacob could have said:

“And if there were preaching, which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying,

That I should engrave nth [best] of them . . .”

Or he could have said:

“That I should engraven the [foremost] of them . . .”

Or he even could have said:

“That I should engraven the [uniquely finest] of them . . .”

Understanding the Hebraism “heads” gives a much clearer understanding of Jacob’s words. Jacob was reiterating the commandment given to Nephi about the contents of the small plates, i.e., he should only engrave on the small plates the very best, or foremost or the uniquely finest of the preaching, revelation or prophecies during his lifetime.

Nephi’s own account of receiving this commandment found in First Nephi 5:233 confirms the meaning of the Hebraism “heads”:

And after that I made these [small plates by

way of commandment,

I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and

the prophecies,

The more plain and precious parts of them,

Should be written upon these plates [emphasis added].

Nephi’s words, “the more plain and precious parts,” equates to Jacob’s use of heads,” i.e., the best, foremost, uniquely finest.

No doubt you will want to mark your Book of Mormon as I have marked mine. Instead of a question mark in the margin I now have the words, “Hebraism: best, foremost, uniquely finest.”

Why then is the word “heads” in the Book of Mormon? The distinct Hebraism is another confirmation that the Book of Mormon is that it claims to be—an ancient, sacred record written by Hebrew speakers.

The purpose principle works!