The current text of D&C 95:17 reads as follows:
And let the higher
part of the inner court be dedicated unto me for the school of mine apostles,
saith Son Ahman; or, in other words, Alphus; or, in other words, Omegus;
even Jesus Christ your Lord. Amen.
The earliest texts of this verse does not
read “Alphus . . . Omegus.”
D&C 95:17—note on earliest text
reading Alpha and Omegas (then later Alphas and Omegas) before present “Alphus
and Omegus.”
In
Revelation Book 1, it reads:
. . . saith Son
awman, or in other words, Alpha, or in other words, Omegas, even
Jesus Christ your Lord: Amen.
In
Revelation Book 2 (AKA Kirtland Revelation Book) the verse reads as
follows:
saith Son Ah Man, or in otherwords Alphas,
or in other words Omegas even Jesus Christ your lord Amen.
It would get its final form beginning in the
1844 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants:
saith Son Ahman; or, in other words, Alphus;
or, in other words, Omegus; even Jesus Christ your Lord: Amen.
In a sermon dated February 18, 1855, George D. Watt recorded the following from Orson Pratt where these unusual titles for Jesus are explained:
There is one
revelation that this people are not generally acquainted with. I think it has
never been published, but probably it will be in the Church History. It is
given in questions and answers. The first question is, "What is the name
of God in the pure language?" The answer says, "Ahman."
"What is the name of the Son of God?" Answer, "Son Ahman—the
greatest of all the parts of God excepting Ahman." "What is the name
of men?" "Sons Ahman," is the answer. "What is the name of
angels in the pure language?" "Anglo-man."
This revelation goes
on to say that Sons Ahman are the greatest of all the parts of God excepting
Son Ahman and Ahman, and that Anglo-man arc the greatest of all the parts of
God excepting Sons Ahman, Son Ahman, and Ahman, showing that the angels are a
little lower than man. What is the conclusion to be drawn from this? It is,
that these intelligent beings are all parts of God, and that those who have the
most of the parts of God are the greatest, or next to God, and those who have
the next greatest portions of the parts of God, are the next greatest, or
nearest to the fulness of God; and so we might go on to trace the scale of
intelligences from the highest to the lowest, tracing the parts and
portions of God so far as we are made acquainted with them. Hence we see that
wherever a great amount of this intelligent Spirit exists, there is a great
amount or proportion of God, which may grow and increase until there is a
fulness of this Spirit, and then there is a fulness of God. (JOD 2:343)
