Genesis 31

Jehovah

And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. Genesis 31:3

The LORD (Jehovah, the premortal Jesus Christ) speaks to Jacob and promises His presence on the journey home, keeping the promise He made at Bethel.

How we know: Jehovah is the premortal Christ (Abraham 1:16; D&C 110:3–4) · the chapter heading names Him · a footnote points to Him · a traditional type, cited

• alludes to Genesis 28:15 — At Bethel the LORD promised, 'I am with thee... and will bring thee again into this land.'
• quoted by Genesis 32:9 — Jacob quotes this command back to the LORD in prayer.

Angel of the LORD

And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. Genesis 31:11–13

An angel speaks in the first person as 'the God of Bethel', the LORD who appeared to Jacob at the ladder. Whether the Lord Himself or a messenger speaking in His name, the voice is Jehovah's, and He says He has seen all that Laban did to Jacob.

How we know: the verse itself names Him · a footnote points to Him · a traditional type, cited

• alludes to Genesis 28:13 — At Bethel the LORD said, 'I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father.'
• alludes to Genesis 28:18-22 — Jacob anointed the pillar and vowed a vow there.
• alluded to by Genesis 48:16 — Jacob later blesses by 'The Angel which redeemed me from all evil', recalling the divine messenger who guided and protected him.

Jehovah

And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. Genesis 31:24

The God of Jacob's fathers speaks to Laban in a dream to protect Jacob. It is Jehovah, the premortal Christ, keeping His promise to be with Jacob on the way home (v3).

How we know: a traditional type, cited

• the same event in Genesis 31:29 — Laban reports it: 'the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.'

Jehovah, the Fear of Isaac

Fear of Isaac — the One Isaac revered and stood in awe of

Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight. Genesis 31:42

Jacob names the covenant God of his fathers with a rare title, 'the Fear of Isaac'. This God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is Jehovah, who sees the affliction and labor of His people.

How we know: another scripture interprets it of Him · a traditional type, cited

• the same title in Exodus 3:15 — The LORD names Himself 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'
• the same title in Genesis 31:53 — Jacob swears 'by the fear of his father Isaac.'

Jehovah

And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. Genesis 31:49

Laban calls on the LORD (Jehovah) to watch over the covenant between the two men when they are apart. Jehovah is the witness and keeper of covenants.

How we know: Jehovah is the premortal Christ (Abraham 1:16; D&C 110:3–4) · a traditional type, cited

Sacrifice as similitude

Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount. Genesis 31:54

Jacob seals the covenant with a sacrifice and a shared meal of bread on the mount. Latter-day Saint scripture teaches that the sacrifices of the patriarchs were a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten, which also brings people into covenant.

How we know: another scripture interprets it of Him · a traditional type, cited

• interpreted by Moses 5:7 — Sacrifice 'is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father.'