▁his ▁people ▁referred ▁to ▁themselves ▁as ▁" Ne ph ites " ▁– ▁a ▁name ▁that ▁would ▁follow ▁them ▁through ▁the ▁entire ▁ 1 0 0 0 - year ▁history ▁given ▁in ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁M orm on . ▁ ▁Ne phi ▁is ▁also ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁personal ▁name ▁amongst ▁contemporary ▁L atter - day ▁Sain ts . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁of ▁Ne phi ▁ ▁The ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁Ne phi ▁is ▁uncertain , ▁and ▁disput ed . ▁As ▁non - M orm on ▁sch ol ars ▁view ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁M orm on ▁as ▁a ▁work ▁of ▁fiction , ▁and ▁do ▁not ▁recognize ▁Ne phi ▁as ▁a ▁historical ▁figure , ▁the ▁pre domin ant ▁scholar ly ▁view ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁was ▁selected ▁or ▁co ined ▁by ▁Joseph ▁Smith . ▁Based ▁on ▁a ▁non - M orm on ▁or ▁sec ular ▁perspective , ▁hypoth eses ▁for ▁the ▁name ' s ▁origin ▁include : ▁▁ ▁its ▁appearance ▁as ▁a ▁ge ographic ▁name ▁in ▁ 2 ▁Mac c abe es ▁of ▁the ▁Ap oc ry pha ▁(" And ▁Ne em ias ▁called ▁this ▁thing ▁Nap h th ar , ▁which ▁is ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁to ▁say , ▁a ▁cle ans ing : ▁but ▁many ▁men ▁call ▁it ▁Ne phi .") ▁ ▁the ▁short ening ▁of ▁two ▁personal ▁names ▁Ne ph ish ▁and ▁Ne ph ishes im ▁in ▁the ▁Author ized ▁King ▁James ▁Version , ▁ ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁ne ph il im ▁( ▁ נ ְ פ ִ י ל ִ י