Jot and Tittle - What Are They?

In the scriptures Jesus said that he was come to fulfill the law and that one jot nor tittle would pass away without being fulfilled (Matthew 5:18, 3 Nephi 12:18).  The words jot and tittle are somewhat strange to those of us who are unfamiliar with the context in which they are used.  For reference it is important to note that both the Jews and the Nephites were followers of the Law of Moses which the Lord had given to the Israelites by commandment in order that they might look forward to the coming of the Son of God into the world and of His great Atoning sacrifice for all mankind.  Moses, by all accounts, spoke and wrote Hebrew, which means that the Mosaic Law was originally written in Hebrew.  The words Jot and Tittle are basically transliterations of Hebrew words and they refer to the smallest parts of the Hebrew alphabet.  The following reference will help explain why they are significant in the fulfillment of the Mosaic Law by Jesus Christ.