Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines cleave as “to stick; to adhere; to hold to.”
“In the Bible we read, ‘O Israel, return unto the Lord, thy God, for thou hast stumbled in thine iniquity.’ Likewise, Jacob implores his brethren to forsake their evil ways and hold fast to God’s commandments, ‘as he cleaveth unto you.’ This was a call to repentance, and if they would repent with full purpose of heart, that includes going before the Lord in humility, he would be merciful unto them, and would hold them close to his bosom” (Reynolds and Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 1:484–85).