“Until that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things. . .” Moroni 10:3–4
We invite others to receive the Book of Mormon; the missionary purpose points out that we help others “receive the restored gospel”. The first mandate after being confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to “receive the Holy Ghost”. We receive mission calls, patriarchal blessings, the sacrament, priesthood blessings, the priesthood, and our temple endowment and sealing.
In addition, the word “receive” shows up in 503 verses of our standard works. What does it mean?
You can come to Christ with confidence in His loving-kindness and receive all His gifts of joy, peace, hope, light, truth, revelation, knowledge, and wisdom — with your head held high, your arms outstretched, and your hands open, ready to receive.
Elder Patrick Kearon
Word Origin
Hebrew: The Hebrew words Laqach (לָקַח) and Qabal (קָבַל) both generally mean “to take” or “to receive,” but there are differences in their nuance, usage, and frequency in the Old Testament.
Laqach (לָקַח) is a primitive root primarily meaning “to take”. It occurs frequently in the Hebrew Bible, appearing 965 times overall. It can imply force, leading to ideas like “prisoner” or “tyranny.” This is used to describe acquiring something that isn’t yours. The term was also used for “taking a wife” or marrying, which historically involved a patriarchal arrangement. Laqach can also mean merely to accept what has been given. In Exodus 12:11, Israelites are instructed to “take” a lamb for the Passover sacrifice, showing the action of grabbing or taking for a purpose.
Qabal (קָבַל) means “to receive,” “to take,” or “to accept.” It is considered a late, Aramaic loan-word. It is far less common than Laqach, appearing only 13 times in the Old Testament. Qabal emphasizes the sense of accepting, taking upon oneself, or choosing. It implies a welcoming of what God provides, commands, or aligns. It also means to accept or assume an obligation or covenant. When referring to “receiving a covenant” in Hebrew, the most common biblical verb is קִבֵּל (qibel), from the root קבל, which specifically means “to receive” or “to accept”—especially in contexts where something (a covenant, law, or commandment) is bestowed, granted, or formally accepted by an individual or community. In Genesis 48:9, Joseph “received” his father’s blessing, emphasizing accepting or receiving something bestowed rather than actively taking it.
Greek: The Greek words lambano (λαμβάνω) and dechomai (δέχομαι) are translated as receive in the New Testament.
Lambanō (λαμβάνω) like laqach, suggests a more active process of “taking” or “seizing” something, such as taking authority or taking hold of a promise. This verb emphasizes the active, conscious effort to “take,” “seize,” or “obtain”. In John 1:12, those who lambano Jesus (take hold of him) are given the right to become children of God. This shows that a person must actively take hold of faith, not merely accept it passively. Another example of taking or seizing is Matthew 21:22, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive [lambanō].” This is also true when Jesus “took [lambanō] the bread” during the Lord’s Supper (Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22).
Dechomai (δέχομαι) like qabal, conveys the sense of welcoming or accepting a person, like welcoming a friend. It emphasizes the importance of a welcoming heart and mind for spiritual truth to enter. “He that receiveth [dechomai] you receiveth [dechomai] me…” (Matt 10:40). This implies welcoming a messenger. “They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive [dechomai] the word with joy”. (Luke 8:13).
English: The English word receive comes from the Latin verb recipere. The components of this word reveal its foundational meanings: Re-: A prefix meaning “back” or “again” and –cipere: The other half is the verb capere, which means “to take” or “to grasp”. Thus, the original Latin sense of recipere was “to take back” or “to bring back”. Over time, its meaning expanded to encompass broader ideas of gaining possession and accepting things, from objects to abstract concepts. There is an interesting definition in Webster’s 1828 dictionary: “to embrace” and “to take in or on; to hold”.
Making Sense of the Duality in Hebrew and Greek: In Hebrew, laqach frequently involves the active, physical, or forceful acquisition of an object or person, even when used figuratively (like taking a wife). Qabal, being a later word, often focuses more on acceptance, submission, or choosing (like accepting counsel or accepting both good and bad from God). The dual nature is seen in Matthew 10:41: receiving (dechomai / welcoming) a prophet leads to receiving (lambanō/ acquiring) the prophet’s reward. In the context of the gospel, you must first dechomai (receive inwardly/be born again) before you can lambanō acquire spiritual gifts.
One characteristic of ancient scripture is the apparent dichotomy between different words, that are translated with similar words in modern translations (for example, see Endow: Betrothing to the Bridegroom). Frequently, these apparently contradictory words describe distinct steps on a path. For example, Moroni’s promise in the Book of Mormon may be an excellent example of the dual nature of receiving, in that there is both the welcome receiving and the seizing by action. Both elements are vital in the ancient scriptural view that receiving isn’t complete by just welcoming, but there also is a taking.
“And when ye shall receive [qabal/dechomai – have a welcoming heart and mind] these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask [laqach/lambanō – taking hold of a promise] God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask [laqach/lambanō – taking hold of a promise] with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Moroni 10:4).
This understanding of “receiving” can help us when we take upon ourselves the name of God. The Old Testament writers use the word laqach for “taking upon you” the name of God. In the Greek Septuagint, the oldest translation of the Hebrew Bible, it is rendered as lambanō.
In Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life, the third group, which remains faithful, is continually holding fast to the rod of iron. They illustrate the laqach/lambanō nature of receiving. Elder Bednar posits that they consistently read and studied and searched the scriptures” (Lehi’s Dream: Holding Fast to the Rod, Ensign, Oct 2011).
Another example is when we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. We accept the gift, but it’s not complete, as Elder Bednar points out. “The ordinance of confirming a new member of the Church and bestowing the gift of the Holy Ghost is both simple and profound. Worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holders place their hands upon the head of an individual and call him or her by name. Then, by the authority of the holy priesthood and in the name of the Savior, the individual is confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and this important phrase is uttered: ‘Receive the Holy Ghost.’
“The simplicity of this ordinance may cause us to overlook its significance. These four words—’Receive the Holy Ghost’—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed ‘receive the Holy Ghost’ and its attendant spiritual gifts” (“Receive the Holy Ghost,” Ensign, Nov. 2010).
Parable of the Sower or the Soils
The parable of the sower illustrates distinct types of spiritual receptivity to God’s Word, with dechomai and lambano providing Greek nuance to the concept of receiving. Dechomai emphasizes a passive, willing reception, like accepting a guest, while Lambano signifies an active and forceful taking hold of something. In the parable, the seed represents God’s Word, and the varying soil types show the different ways people receive or reject it; while the parable doesn’t directly use dechomai or lambano, the parable is useful for understanding the different ways people can “receive” the Word.
The Soil: Different types of people and their hearts.
Hard Ground (by the wayside): The heart of someone who hears the word but doesn’t understand, and the devil takes it away. There is no receiving.
Stony Ground: Someone who hears the word with joy but lacks depth, falling away when tests arise. Those on the stony ground are described as those who, when they hear, receive [dechomai] the word with joy. It is a passive verb that denotes a joyful welcome acceptance.
Thorny Ground: Those who hear, but the worries, riches, and pleasures of life choke the word, preventing it from yielding fruit. Dechomai denotes very little action beyond being happy to take possession of something. In the context of the thorny ground, although they dechomai the word with joy, these individuals have no root, believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation”. This shows that inward reception alone is insufficient for endurance.
Good Soil: Those who hear, understand, and retain the word, producing an abundant harvest. Lambanō is an active, aggressive verb meaning “to take, lay hold of; to receive into action or use”. It stresses the active aspect of taking hold of.
Illustration – Receiving the Sacrament
“to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it” (Moroni 4:3)
The Hebrew phrase for “partaking” is laqach chelek (לִקַח חֵלֶק). This phrase directly translates to “seize [receive] a portion”. The following story illustrates both those who received it with an open heart and a brother who seized it.
“The sacrament never really meant much to me until the Sunday I was ordained a deacon. That afternoon I passed the sacrament for the first time. Prior to the meeting, one of the deacons warned me, ‘Look out for Brother Schmidt. You may have to wake him up!’ Finally the time came for me to participate in the passing of the sacrament. I handled the first six rows quite well. Children and adults partook of the bread with no noticeable thought or problem. Then I got to row seven, the row where Brother Schmidt always sat. But I was surprised. Instead of being asleep he was wide awake. Unlike many of the others I had served, he took the bread with what seemed to be great thought and reverence.
“A few minutes later I found myself again approaching row seven with the water. This time my friend was right. Brother Schmidt sat with his head bowed and his big German eyes shut. He was evidently sound asleep. What could I do or say? I looked for a moment at his brow, wrinkled and worn from years of toil and hardship. He had joined the Church as a teenager and had experienced much persecution in his small German town. I had heard the story many times in testimony meeting. I decided finally to gently nudge his shoulder in hopes of waking him. As I reached to do so, his head slowly lifted. There were tears streaming down his cheeks and as I looked into his eyes I saw love and joy. He quietly reached up and took the water. Even though I was only twelve then, I can still remember vividly the feeling I had as I watched this rugged old man partake of the sacrament. I knew without a doubt that he was feeling something about the sacrament that I had never felt. I determined then that I wanted to feel those same feelings.” Book of Mormon Student Manual (Church Educational System manual, 1979), 417.
