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Who is the captain of the Lord’s host mentioned in Joshua 5?

Dear Gramps-

I was reading in Joshua Chapter 5 and in the end it mentions an angel who was sent and is the Captain of the Lord’s host. He is mentioned in Genesis 18:2, and Exodus Chapter 23. Is there a name to this angel or is it one specific being in every situation? Thank you,

Kyle, from Springville, Utah

Dear Kyle,

The Captain of the Lord’s host is a title that the Savior gives himself as the chief caption of the army of the Lord. Bruce R. McConkie in Mormon Doctrine, p.111 descries the phrase as follows–

“Christ himself is the chief soldier in his own army; as Commander, he carries the title captain of the Lord’s Host. By this name he appeared to Joshua, who seeing “him with his sword drawn in his hand,” and hearing him say, “As captain of the host of the Lord am I now come, . . . Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, what saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy.” (Josh. 5:13-15.)

Gramps

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