In each of the four gospels, we have the story of the believing Jews welcoming Jesus, riding on a colt as Zechariah prophesied, into Jerusalem.
They wave palm branches and shout “Hosanna!”
This means “Save us!” It is a desperate plea for help. They had heard that this man is the Messiah and can do amazing things! Their hopes were high that he would deliver them from the Roman occupation.
Since the Maccabean revolt, Palm branches had been used to celebrate military victories. So we know with confidence this is what the word “Hosanna” was referring to — a wish and expectation for the upcoming military victory.
So now turn with me to 3 Nephi 11:16-17
“And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:
Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him.”
Now, why would the Nephites cry out Hosanna? They are not under Roman occupation. They have no military events happening.
And when you read this context, it seems the author of this story is treating the word “Hosanna” like a celebrationary term to praise Jesus.
The word “Hosanna” was a desperate plea at the time the Nephites left Jerusalem. That was the only context they would have known the word. Yes, by the time of Jesus, it had an additional layer of celebration, but the Nephites wouldn’t have known that.
In 600 BC Solomon’s temple still stood. The word “Hosanna” would not being used in a liturgical sense until much later, when the second temple was built.
We can see in Psalm 118:25 where the word has been translated to “Save me now, I plead with you!” how this word would have been used.
In 600 BC, it was a plea for deliverance. Period.
And at this point, the Nephites are 630+ years removed from the roots of their language, so it may be questionable that they are using that word at all.
An additional observation: all four gospels and the Book of Mormon were translated into English. When the Bible translators made the King James Bible, they left the word “Hosanna” untranslated.
And by some astronomical coincidence, Joseph Smith also chose to leave this word untranslated in 3 Nephi.
What are the odds??
I think, like me, he probably grew up thinking the word was just another English word meaning “Hooray!”
But now we know it isn’t.
All I Possess 