One recurring problem in the Book of Mormon is the failure to name key characters. A simple example is Nephi’s wife, who plays a role in the narrative but is never given a personal name.

The most notorious case is “the brother of Jared.” Despite being a central prophetic figure in the book of Ether, he remains unnamed throughout the text. Only later did Joseph Smith identify him—outside the Book of Mormon itself—with the cumbersome and peculiar name Mahonri Moriancumer.

Another overlooked example is “the king of the Lamanites.” This title appears repeatedly in Mosiah, yet the figure remains anonymous until Mosiah 24:3, where he is finally given the unsurprising name Laman. Such patterns underscore Joseph’s tendency toward narrative shortcuts and generic labeling, producing a cast of shadow characters whose identities are withheld until it becomes convenient—or never revealed at all.