What’s In A Name?
In Mosiah, chapters 1-3, King Benjamin has his son Mosiah gather the people at the temple so that he may confer the kingdom to his son. Still, more importantly, he gives the people a name to distinguish them from all other people. He did it because “they have been a diligent people in keeping the commandments of the Lord”. (Mosiah 1:11-12) Of course, my mind shifted into high gear, and I began to think of all of the instances where important names are given of, to, and by God, Christ, characters in scripture, and us.
I asked, “What’s in a name?” on ChatGPT and got this response: “A name holds a lot of significance and meaning. It’s not just a word we use to identify someone or something; it often carries cultural, familial, and personal connections. Names can reflect our heritage, aspirations, values, and even the hopes our parents had for us. They can shape our identities and influence how others perceive us. In literature and philosophy, names have been explored as symbols of power, destiny, and individuality. So, in short, a name can encompass a lot—it’s a kind of shorthand for everything that makes us who we are.” Often, I wouldn’t say I like responses from AI, but this one is exactly what I wanted.
Pause for a moment and reflect on your name. In nearly all cultures, people have given names and surnames. Our given names may have little significance if our parents just liked the sound of them, or they may be tied to other great people such as ancestors or biblical or historical individuals. But what about you? What have you done with your name? Have you made it more significant, or have you tarnished it? The power is in your hands.
Our actions make our given names more or less revered. However, our surnames carry the weight of our ancestors. If our progenitors had outstanding accomplishments or made tremendous sacrifices to improve our lives, we have a responsibility, a duty, to live up to the names that we bear. In my case, many of my ancestors sacrificed family and fortune and suffered much hardship to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their name is a testament to their faith, and it is my duty to honor it.
Now, I want to discuss some more interesting and thought-provoking aspects of names. There are four instances in the Bible where individuals’ names were changed when they encountered Deity. Abram and Sarai became Abraham and Sarah when they made a covenant with God. Jacob became known as Israel after he wrestled with the angel of the Lord—again, a covenantal encounter. Simon became known as Peter when he received his calling to head the church.
Each of these names has associated meanings that indicate a calling, title, or status. In the case of Abraham and Sarah, who I believe each made the same covenants with God, their names mean “father of a multitude” and “princess,” respectively. The name Israel means “he who strives with God,” and Peter means “rock,” indicating that Simon would need to be solid and unshakable in his role as the leader of the church.
Jesus Christ means roughly “the one anointed to save or deliver.” When King Benjamin delivers his final sermon to his people, he states, “Moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.”
Chapter five in Mosiah describes the covenant made by Benjamin’s people, significantly at the temple, where he gives them a new name as a people. “And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God. And now, these are the words which king Benjamin desired of them; and therefore he said unto them: Ye have spoken the words that I desired; and the covenant which ye have made is a righteous covenant. And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.
This new name resulted from a spiritual rebirth. It is unique that the entire group experienced this phenomenon at the same time. The effect of this covenantal rebirth was societal righteousness for generations. Additionally, they had a name that both blessed and placed a responsibility on them to live up to the name of Christ. The prophet Alma referred to this experience when he asked the people if they felt this “mighty change of heart” in a sermon he delivered many years after. We can have the same experience when we are baptized and partake of the sacrament each week and are invited to remember and experience a continuing rebirth.
The God of the Old Testament was known by a Tetragrammaton. In Judaism, the Tetragrammaton refers to the four Hebrew letters YHWH (Yod, He, Waw, He), which represent the name of God. It is often considered too sacred to be pronounced aloud and is commonly rendered as “Yahweh” or “Jehovah” in English translations of the Bible. We know that Jesus Christ is that God.
Another name of God is I Am. This is the name given when Moses was on the mountain (symbolic of a temple) conversing with God. Jesus was labeled a blasphemer when he said, “Before Abraham was I am.” (John 8:58). On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the priest would say the name of God aloud, and the people would fall to the ground in profound reverence for the name. When Jesus was betrayed in John 18, there is this encounter, “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am (he). And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am (he), they went backward, and fell to the ground.” (In the scriptures, when a word is italicized, it means it was not in the original manuscript. In each case, when Jesus said, “I am he,” it should read simply as, “I am”.) Notice that the people’s response was to fall down upon hearing Jesus speak the name of God.
The scriptures talk of a new name that we can receive through covenants. Revelation 2:17, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” The Doctrine and Covenants elaborates further in section 130, “And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word.” For endowed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, this has sacred significance. I encourage you to attend the temple if you can see where and how names are used. It will broaden your understanding of yourself and your relationship with the Savior and God the Father.
In studying this matter, I learned that in Chinese funeral rites, the deceased person is given a new name. The new name is believed to carry spiritual significance and may be used to invoke blessings, offer prayers, or establish the deceased’s identity in the afterlife. (This is just an interesting factoid.)
It turns out that there is much more to a name than most of us think.