What is the name of Christ?

Footnotes

Names and titles in God’s kingdom

We use names to refer to people and things. God uses names differently. To God, a name is not just a title describing who someone is, but a description of how they are or could be. While parents name their children based on trends, tradition, or hopes of how a child will turn out, God perfectly knows each person’s actual and potential qualities. Names given by God can refer to past, present, or future circumstances—whether promised or potential.

The way God names people is much closer to the way the world bestows titles than how people name their children. In the world, titles are bestowed by authoritative individuals or groups as a recognition of prior achievement or as a call to future performance. While God uses names and titles to recognize a person’s past achievements,¹ he also uses them to invite them to develop otherwise unseen potential qualities,² forewarn them of danger,³ and to promise outcomes that would otherwise seem impossible.⁴ God’s names can combine any or all of these purposes. For example, God renaming Abram as Abraham was an example of recognition of his past accomplishments and present properties as well as an invitation to further develop his potential with a promise of an otherwise unlikely outcome.⁵

Appellations given by God are a call to action. Every name or title is either an invitation to do something or a record of it having been done. They can remind the recipient or those who know them of past actions taken or charge them to achieve certain accomplishments in the future.

Names and titles provide examples of what is possible and demonstrations of how to obtain it

Some seek names and titles from God to inflate their ego or improve how others treat them. Authentic names and titles from God always come with an increased sense of one’s nothingness,⁶ and are more likely to result in others hating you⁷ rather than loving you.⁸ God’s names and titles aren’t a pathway to greater honor than you deserve. While worldly appellations are often given for reasons other than merit,⁹ those given by God are only ever given in truth and justice. God will never describe you as something you aren’t, suggest you could be something you can’t become, or promise you something you can’t obtain.

God’s names and titles aren’t a way to extract more from others. Those in the world seek names and titles to increase the honor and privileges they receive from other people, but those in the kingdom of God receive names and titles in relation to increases in how much they provide to others. Christians tend to pursue their faith as a way to increase what they receive from God, even though Jesus said that the way to do this was to increase what you give to others.¹⁰

Because they are rooted in present or potential reality, God-given appellations distinguish one person from another. They enumerate the differences between people who might otherwise be indistinguishable. In the world today, pointing out the differences between individuals is seen as exceedingly rude, if not a gross moral violation. However, intentional improvement is impossible without first identifying the

difference between how things are and how you would like them to be, and identifying the differences between two individuals is necessary in order for one to intentionally change to be more like the other. Names and titles describing past achievements call others to consider possibilities beyond their present achievements and to rise up to obtain the same.

The glory of God can never be received outside of actually becoming more like him, so every honor given by God reveals some additional aspect about him, both to the recipient and those who interact with him or her. Those who have lived up to the designations given by God provide an example of the character qualities and decisions needed for anyone else to do the same. Anyone fulfilling the role described by any name or title becomes worthy of it because God is impartial in how he treats us.¹¹ You seek and receive the God-given appellations possessed by others by seeking and living their character qualities and living your life the way they have.¹²

The Lord’s titles describe ways in which we can become like him

The Lord has well over one hundred known names and titles. These appellations, like all others given by the Father, both describe how he is different from us and how we can become more like him. You take upon yourself a name or title by adopting the character qualities that correspond to it, changing the choices you would otherwise make to match those someone with those qualities would make. You take upon yourself the names of Christ by adopting his character qualities and living as he would in your place.

Many of today’s professed Christians would consider the ability for any other person to obtain the same titles as Christ to be blasphemous in the same way and for the same reasons that the Jews crucified Christ.¹³ Here, two key distinctions might reduce the controversy.

First, there is a big difference between reducing God down to man by diminishing his character and raising man up to God by rising up to his character. It is not blasphemous to suggest that God gives men the capability, opportunities, and reasons to become more like him. Showing how man can be more like God is, in fact, the epitome of glorifying him. Like any good father, God’s greatest glory, principal purpose, and utmost joy is the advancement of his children beyond where they would be without his continual, consummate sacrifice on their behalf. Every individual improvement that brings any person closer to being like God increases the evidence of his goodness and power.

Second, even when names and titles are the same, they can feature gradations. Appellations can have multiple levels of fulfillment, just as some military awards do.¹⁴ In the gospel, two people who have received the same name will overlap in at least some qualities, and yet can have notable differences as well. For example, consider the differences between the various men called Elijah/Elias. John the Baptist was an Elijah/Elias even if he wasn’t the Elijah/Elias who had come before him or would come after him.

The scriptures are replete with examples of titles popularly thought of as unique to the Lord being given by God to others. His shared titles include even the most seemingly exclusive. Consider just a few:

God. As offensive as it is for mainstream Christians to acknowledge, Christianity is unavoidably polytheistic even beyond the three individuals that form the godhead (or, more accurately, head of the gods)¹⁵. This should not come as a surprise to anyone who has bothered looking up the word God in Hebrew.¹⁶ Though the definition of what it means to be a god lies beyond the scope of this book, a sufficient argument that this is a title that God applies to some men exists in the story of Moses, whom God appointed to be a god over Israel,¹⁷ Aaron,¹⁸ and Pharaoh.¹⁹

Messiah. The title messiah literally means “one who has been anointed by God.” Many prophets, priests, and kings have been anointed by God, both literally and figuratively. For example, God commanded²⁰ that all priests²¹ in Israel were to be anointed with consecrated oil as part of their setting apart. God commanded his prophets to anoint at least some of Israel’s kings, including Saul, David, Solomon, and Joash. Elijah anointed Elisha figuratively by covering him in his robe after the Lord commanded Elijah to appoint Elisha to take his place. All of these actions were symbolic gestures pointing to the overflowing outpouring²² of God’s spirit upon the recipient. Not all people are kings and priests, but all people are called of God²³ to receive the anointing of his spirit²⁴ through learning about and living up to the example of Jesus Christ. As Moses said, “would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29) Why hasn’t he? Because those called prefer the honors of men and treasures of the world above the honor of God and the treasures of eternity (see D&C 121:34-36).

The Son of God. There is more than one son of God mentioned in the scriptures.²⁵ God specifically referred to Enoch,²⁶ Abraham,²⁷ Moses,²⁸ Solomon,²⁹ and others as his sons. The apostle John explained that God empowers everyone who receives God by believing on his name to become the sons of God.³⁰ The apostle Paul explained the process as becoming different from the world by rejecting what deviates from God.³¹

The Lamb of God. God’s many lambs include anyone who continuously obeys God’s voice.³² They “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth....” (Revelation 14:4)
Savior. A savior is someone who saves someone from something from which they could not save themselves. Examples of temporal saviors abound in the scriptures. They include Noah, who saved the entire human race, Joseph, who saved the known world from starvation, Moses, who saved Egypt from slavery, and Samson, who saved Israel from the Philistines. Human saviors are not limited to temporal circumstances. For example, Abraham obtained a covenant for the whole world, Moses obtained a covenant for Israel, and anyone who “converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20) Prophecy indicates that the Lord will continue to use people as saviors in his work.³³
King. Jesus is the King of Kings,³⁴ and therefore there are other kings in God’s kingdom besides him, over whom he rules and reigns.³⁵
Lord. Jesus is the Lord of Lords,³⁶ and therefore there are other lords in God’s kingdom besides him.
The Alpha and Omega. Besides Jesus Christ, at least one man—Adam—will fulfill the title of Alpha and Omega in this creation. He is the first man and the last man. He governed in the beginning, and he will govern in the end, receiving his kingdom from and returning it to the Alpha and Omega above him—Jesus Christ, who alone came down before Adam and will come down after Adam.

The Word. All who become like the Lord also become the Word (this topic is more fully expounded in the Chapter: What are the words of eternal life, and how are they obtained? ).

The Son of Man. The Lord called himself “Son of Man” to demonstrate the Father in fulfillment of the mission Adam failed to achieve. The title is no less applicable to anyone who strives to fulfill their potential as a human being created in the image of God, as we all are. For example, the Lord called Ezekiel “son of man” many times in the Old Testament.

Light of the World. The Lord said to his disciples: “Ye are the light of the world....” (Matthew 5:14) The Lord is the light in men³⁷ and was the light of this world while he was living here.³⁸ He calls all of us to be the light in the world until he returns.³⁹

If none of the aforementioned titles refer only to Jesus, by what name can he uniquely be described?

What is the name of the Lord?

It would seem that the easiest way to find out the name of the Lord would be to ask him. It turns out that it is not, in fact, that easy.

We have records of several people asking God⁴⁰ what his name is. When the father of Samson asked him, he replied: “Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?” (Judges 13:18) A better translation would be: “Why do you ask my name? You are incapable of comprehending it.” Moses, who was much more clever in persuading the Lord to divulge his name, was told:

...I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14)

There has been some argument over the meaning of the Hebrew words translated as “I Am That I Am,” but consider this rendition: “I am what I have done, what I do, and what I will do; I am why I have done it, why I do it, and why I will do it; I am how I did it, how I do it, and how I will do it.” These attributes form the character of an individual, and this is precisely what the Lord’s name is: It is what he does, how he does it, and why he does it. This should come as no surprise.

Though perhaps lost to most in modern times, the ancients understood that there exists a link between a person’s character and their name. In fact, the Greek noun translated as “name” in the New Testament (Strong’s 3686, onoma ) means the manifestation or revelation of someone’s character. In this sense, a name is an attempt to circumscribe the essence of a person’s attributes within a single term or short phrase.

The breadth and depth of the Lord’s character explains his apparent reluctance to tell others his name when asked: it isn’t that he won’t, but that he can’t.

God is extremely limited in his ability to convey to us more about how he is. On several occasions, the Lord introduced himself to others. Most notably, he came down from heaven and lived a mortal life among the Jews. He also vocally introduced himself to some,⁴¹ as well as face-to-face to others.⁴² He has introduced himself face-to-face to some individuals throughout history. In every case, he was immensely limited in what he could convey about himself to those he spoke to. For example, to the twelve best men he could find during his mortal life, with whom he had spent three years, he lamented: “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” (John 16:12)

The difficulty of conveying the name of God in words

Words are powerful tools. To those who know them, they provide ready handles to easily describe more ideas with greater clarity and less length than otherwise needed. To those who do not yet know them, words provide an invitation to improve their ability to think and communicate, while their definitions provide the means of coming to comprehend and, hopefully, use them. An interesting property of a dictionary is that all words are defined by other words. If there were a purely novel word, the dictionary would have no ability to define it. How would one define such a word? This is the challenge of defining the name of the Lord.

No textual description can sufficiently describe God. While the character of the Lord can be referred to with a name or title, it cannot be adequately described in words.⁴³ How would you describe everything that God does, how he does it, and why he does it in words? The apostle John said it couldn’t even be done if all the books in the world were dedicated to that purpose.⁴⁴

Every word we have at our disposal means something less than Jesus. To adopt any understandable adjective in attempting to describe him would be to describe him as less than he is,⁴⁵ and yet stringing together these inadequate adjectives is the best we can do. To one who knows him very little, these words provide an invaluable basis from which a more accurate understanding can grow, but there is an absolute limit in the ability of words to fully describe God. God must be experienced to be known.

It is not possible to come to know God through simply reading about or hearing about him. The more part of God’s character can only be discovered incrementally, through many interactions with him over time. However, his name gives us a convenient way to refer to him, providing a placeholder that can be extended and corrected as we progress in our understanding of how he is. More importantly, whatever details may be lacking or flawed, descriptions of the Lord serve the invaluable purpose of providing something we can emulate, opening the door to further revelation.

While there are many who get quite hung up on which single word they should use to address the Savior, it turns out that, whatever the merits of any of the several options, they are all so vastly inadequate that our effort would be much better spent learning how he is and living that way rather than arguing over what to call him.⁴⁶ The label you use to address the Lord matters much less to him than the description you attach to that label and how fully you follow it in your own life. What you call him matters less than whether you call on him, and the most important part of that tends to be your decision to change as a result of it. Rather than being partial to one title for the Lord over another, we ought to recognize that all names are equally insufficient for him. The only sufficient description of God is God himself.

The process of defining the name of God is one and the same as the process of becoming like him. You learn God’s name through assuming all his qualities as you understand them so far, which will result in him revealing more of himself to you as you become more like he is.

Some people know the name of God more than others

Comprehension of the Lord’s name is incremental and subjective. The extent to which you learn God’s name depends on how well you know what he has done, is doing, and will do, and why. Your understanding of each point of God’s character will increase commensurate with your effort in learning more and your diligence in living up to what you know.⁴⁷ Because people exert different levels of heed and diligence in their acquisition of knowledge about God, they come to know him differently.

The most generally accessible repository for knowledge about God is the scriptures, where the testimonies of many people who knew him to a greater or lesser extent can be found.⁴⁸ While written words are invaluable and necessary resources in coming to know God, it is essential to remember that they are only valuable because they were written by those who know God better than you.

Our words are as incapable of demonstrating the glory of God as man-made temples are of housing it.⁴⁹ Human beings, made in his image, provide the best way of doing both. The Lord explained that he has built the only temple that can adequately demonstrate his glory by creating us in his image—or capable of learning and acquiring his character. No word can be made in God’s image, but a person made in his image can become the word. Only in mortality can a person demonstrate or learn substantially more about God’s character. Jesus came to earth to obtain and demonstrate the character of the Father.

He has sent and will send others to do the same⁵⁰ within their scope.⁵¹ The Lord told Moses:

Who, what, and how I am cannot be found in anything not like me, nor explained in anything less than me. However, I always have and always will make myself known through people who are more like me than those who seek me, until they come to know me directly. I send you to Israel as I sent Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. By coming to know you and obey your instructions, they will come to know and obey me. (Exodus 3:14-15, Author's Reflection)

As you study the character of God as revealed in the scriptures and reconcile yourself to it, you will be increasingly prepared in the event that you meet a living individual who knows him better than you do. Whether in print or in the flesh, sources of information about the character of God increase the quality of a person’s direct relationship with Christ.

What it means to take his name upon you

To take upon yourself the name of Christ is to reconcile yourself to your understanding of how he is.⁵² Taking upon you the name of Christ means learning more about what he is like and living what you learn. It is to think, feel, and act in complete and constant accordance with your understanding of God’s character. You take the Lord’s name upon yourself by reconciling your desires, beliefs, and actions to your sincere current understanding of his, and then doing all you can to learn more about him while instantaneously applying it.

The Lord commands us to be just as he and his Father are.⁵³ Just as Jesus “subjected the flesh to the will of the Father” (Mosiah 15:2) by assimilating the qualities his “name” described, we are called to subject our flesh to the will of the Father by taking upon us his name.

The scriptures are not ambiguous in defining “taking upon you the name of Christ” as the complete cessation of everything contrary to your understanding of God, the complete emulation of everything aligning with your understanding of God, and the totality and constancy of both:

That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you. (Alma 34:38)

There is a totality of expression in taking the name of Christ upon you that is so distant from common Christianity that it turns the idea of following the example of the Lord at all times, in all places, and in all things from being the most basic doctrine to something only an assumed extremist would consider. In reality, the idea of thinking, feeling, and doing as Jesus would in your place is so basic that it is the message of what many consider to be the very first ordinance received in the gospel: At baptism, you promise to follow Jesus’ example “at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death...that ye may have eternal life.” (Mosiah 18:9)

Jesus took upon himself the name of Christ

In tribes around the world, initiation rituals exist in which boys are instructed to take upon themselves the identity of the tribe’s mythical hero. The idea of a boy patterning his life on an exemplary figure of story—or prophecy—wasn’t as rare historically as it is today. At the time of Christ, all young Jewish boys would have been raised to live so that they could qualify to be the prophesied Messiah. Though most believe that Jesus was raised from birth by his knowing mother as the literal Messiah, there are significant lessons provided by the idea that he differed from his childhood peers only in the fact that he did not deviate from the pattern given.

Most assume that Jesus knew his identity and details of his mission as a child. They point to his comment when his parents found him teaching the elders in the temple: “How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49) Whether Jesus meant this as an assertion that he was the Son of God is not clear, as Jews in his time would have all referred to God as their Father.⁵⁴

What is clear is that Jesus followed the pattern all Jewish boys should have of living up to the calling their tribe bore to produce a boy worthy of being the Messiah. As a boy, Jesus had access to the scriptures that described how all people should be, just as everyone else in his nation could do. Young Jesus, hearing the scriptures that described the promised Messiah, did not think “this is who I am as the Son of God,” but rather, “this is how the Father wants us all to be.” His realization that he was different than others came as he noticed that the way he was living was different and better than what others had done, were doing, or would do.

The Lord’s example is exceedingly valuable to all of us. In learning what the scriptures said about human potential and living his life as prescribed, he followed the path to eternal life available to all from the beginning.⁵⁵ Jesus did not create the name of the Father. Rather, he discovered and lived according to more of it than anything else in creation had, helping others to improve the extent and accuracy of their understanding of the character of the Father.

Jesus took upon himself the name of Christ just as all of us can and must. Jesus learned who he was by following the same commandments the Father gives to everyone. He looked and realized he was the only one who was doing what he was doing, in spite of the fact that everyone else had the same access he did. He learned who he was by reading the scriptures. Though he himself had given them, he had no way of remembering that. He relied on what others had written from and about him. Without them, he never could have assumed his mission.

All are called in the name of Christ, few respond, and very few respond valiantly

You are called by the name of Christ any time you are invited to live a greater share of his character in your life. The Lord “calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.” (John 10:3) The call of Jesus consists of an invitation to become more like him.

You do not need to believe in Jesus to be called by him, or to recognize or heed his call. The call of Jesus consists of the next manageable increment between your choices and his character, whether you know or believe anything about him or not. Most people who claim to believe in Jesus do not heed his call.⁵⁶

Answering the call of the name of Christ requires much more than simply claiming to believe in him. Answering God’s call requires you to become a disciple. A disciple doesn’t just profess to believe in Jesus, but actually follows him in feeling, thought, and action.⁵⁷ They know the name by which they are called, recognizing the Lord’s voice and following it wherever it leads, no matter the earthly consequences.⁵⁸ They have a model of how the Lord is, can confidently predict how he would think, feel, and act in their place, and proactively and intentionally consult that model before making any decision.

A popular reason why God’s voice is ignored or only partially followed is because what he says is not attractive to those who do not yet love him—including many of those who say they do.⁵⁹ A central purpose of our lives is not just to discover God’s ways, but to increase our desires for them. There is no promise that the call of the name of Christ will be attractive to you. In fact, the promise is quite the opposite. The natural man finds the ways of God repugnant,⁶⁰ and a person will only be attracted to God’s ways inasmuch as they have become like him.⁶¹ Answering the call of the name of Christ requires you to change what you value and by how much you value it. You will desire and think about what you value the most.⁶² By nature, people most value the maximization of their earthly comforts rather than prioritizing the purpose of God. As you choose to prioritize the purpose of God, you will increase in your understanding of why doing so is superior to all other alternatives.

God’s calling is not limited to a few select people from the scriptures. His calling is to all people.⁶³ You do not need to be spoken to by Jesus or his servants to be called by him. Every situation in life presents all people with the opportunity to choose to live up to the best they know or not.⁶⁴ Whether or not they respond is a different matter. While the call of Christ is universal, the response is extremely limited.⁶⁵ Among those few who acknowledge his voice, most answer it only temporarily or partially. God blesses those who respond valiantly to his call,⁶⁶ whether they say they believe in him or not,⁶⁷ and he punishes those who ignore or lethargically reply to his call,⁶⁸ whether they say they believe in him or not.⁶⁹

Missing the call due to not understanding that God’s voice is the voice of improvement

The most common reason that Christians fail to answer the call of Christ is that they fail to notice it. The more you believe that your religion spares you from the need for improvement, the less likely it will be that you notice and act appropriately in the situations that provide an opportunity to do so. Many who proclaim to be staunch atheists do more to improve themselves and others than many professed Christians. Those who artificially filter their actions in life by whether it falls under religion or not are doomed to an extremely limited relationship with God and far less joy here and hereafter than they would otherwise have. While the Lord’s invitations can come in the form of an established church teaching, or something you notice while reading your scriptures, or an idea you receive during prayer, most of them come in the form of a situation providing an opportunity for improvement.

Rather than see improvement as something different than or only a part of the calling of Christ, it is more correct to invert this— invitations to improve are precisely what show us how Jesus is. Jesus calls you in his name by providing you with an opportunity to change how you think, feel, or act after a better option is made known to you.

The voice of the Lord is the voice of improvement. Because all good things come from and lead to God, all invitations to improve are a call in the name of Christ. All of God’s creation is designed to invite us to become better than we are.⁷⁰ All people are called by the name of Christ: in every problem they face, every question they have, every example of improvement they see, and every choice better than those they have hitherto made. The desires you have, the challenges you face as you fulfill them, every interaction you have with everyone else, and all things besides are all designed to lead you to recognize and make use of opportunities for improvement.

The church of Christ is called in his name

The primary purpose of the church of Christ is to help others become more like him.⁷¹ The church of Christ reveals more of what he is like⁷² and invites others to change to be more like him. The church has the responsibility to invite others to take upon themselves the name of the Lord by demonstrating more of how God is and providing persuasive reasons to follow his example.⁷³ The church of Christ consists of those who have taken his name upon themselves by living up to what they believe him to be.⁷⁴ They testify of how God is from their own personal experiences with him.⁷⁵

Modern churches have misappropriated, diluted, and adulterated the name of Christ through pretending their activities serve God’s intended purpose while watering down the truth and teaching false doctrine. Churches not of God do not demonstrate more of his name or persuade others to become more like him. Instead, they make people worse than they were before⁷⁶ by teaching false ideas about the character of Christ, insisting it is not necessary to be like him, or even arguing that it is impossible to follow his example. Most attendees of supposedly Christian churches are hell bound, having never taken upon them the name of Christ:

22 For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely <u>forgive.</u>
23 For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is I that hath created them; and it is I that granteth unto him that believeth unto the end a place at my right hand.
24 For behold, in my name are they called; and <u>if they know me they shall come forth, and shall have a place</u> eternally at my right hand.
28 Therefore I say unto you, that he that will not hear my <u>voice, the same shall ye not receive into my church, for</u> him I will not receive at the last day. (Mosiah 26)

There are only two churches.⁷⁷ The church of Christ is led by Jesus and contains the few⁷⁸ people who are “baptized in his name,”⁷⁹ or who actually follow him by living their lives at all times and in all situations as they sincerely believe he would in their place.⁸⁰ Everyone who isn’t in the church of Christ is in the church of the devil,⁸¹ whom they continue to serve by failing to live up to the example of Jesus.

The Lord defined his church as those who repent and follow his example.⁸² You cannot be in the Lord’s church without forsaking sin.⁸³ Those joining his church are required to obey God fully, demonstrated through their obedience to his commandments.⁸⁴ The Lord said that those who refuse to forsake sin are not to be allowed to join his church,⁸⁵ and that those who willfully sin after being admitted should either immediately repent or have their membership revoked.⁸⁶

All people can join the Lord’s church through learning something about what he is like⁸⁷ and making whatever changes necessary to follow that example.⁸⁸

Jesus will write his name upon you and seal you to himself

The challenge of learning the otherwise unknown⁸⁹ name of God is a central purpose of life. You learn more about God’s character line upon line as you live what you already know about him. Solving the mystery of God’s character by learning more about him, living what you have learned, and discovering why his character is better than any alternative is symbolically described as having his name written upon you. The Son has the name of the Father written on his forehead,⁹⁰ and has declared that he will write that name on the foreheads⁹¹ of all who pass the trials of life through learning and living as Christ would in their place at all times and in all places.⁹²

The Lord progressively engraves his name upon you as you continuously choose to learn more about and live by his example in each choice you face.⁹³ As you reconcile to how you understand him to be, the Lord leads you to and through situations that expose the differences between you and him beyond the prior limits of your understanding. Knowing Jesus is an iterative process⁹⁴ in which you continually receive new invitations to be more like him through recognizing and responding to those you already received.⁹⁵ As you seek his purpose completely in all things, you incrementally become more like him.⁹⁶ As you become more like him, you receive the incremental increase in the blessings that derive from how he is.⁹⁷

It is through being iteratively engraved into the image of God that you become sealed to him, or sealed up to eternal life.⁹⁸ Jesus became sealed by and to the Father through learning and living the character of the Father,⁹⁹ and it is through learning and living the character of the Son that we become sealed by and to him.¹⁰⁰ The high priest under the law of Moses was commanded to wear a golden plate “like a signet” (otherwise known as a seal) on his forehead to symbolically invite all to receive and live the name of the Lord in order to become holy and be bound to God by becoming like him.¹⁰¹

Contrary to what some churches have taught, being sealed to God is a process,¹⁰² not an event, because it consists of learning and living like him,¹⁰³ which happens over time, through increasing information, and against increasing opposition. The only way to make your relationship with God permanent is to overcome all things that could cause you to turn away from him. While you have yet to face the greatest possible challenges in mortality, you have no assurance that your relationship with God is eternal in nature. While you are not yet indistinguishable from God, there is still more to learn and grow, and blessings to obtain that you cannot have in any other way.

Being baptized in his name

The idea of baptism in the name of Christ is comprised of two idioms: baptism and the name of Christ. What was an exceptionally clear one line description in ancient times is a jumble of confusion in ours due to the loss of a correct understanding of either of the contributing ideas.

Baptism means immersion. Ancient believers knew that baptism by water consisted in you being immersed completely in water. Baptism in the name of Christ is also immersion, but you are immersed in his character rather than water. You are baptized in the name of Christ when you obtain and fully submit to an understanding of how the Lord is. To be baptized in his name is to immerse yourself in the example of Jesus, consistently living as he would in your place,¹⁰⁴ as far as you understand, at all times and in all places.¹⁰⁵ In place of the baptizing priest is your idea of Christ, as far as you understand him (which comes from those who know him better than you).

Valid baptism by water always includes baptism in the name of Christ, because a baptizing priest will require you to take upon yourself his name by following his example, as far as they are able to teach you, before you are baptized in water.

All people must be baptized in the name of Christ if they will be saved.¹⁰⁶ Very few professed Christians have immersed themselves in the name of Christ. Those who do not reconcile to their understanding of Jesus at some level cannot dwell in his kingdom. However, not everyone who is baptized in the name of Christ knows that they are baptized in his name.

The Lord provides the opportunity to be “baptized in his name” to all people, whether they explicitly believe in him or not. It is through subjection to what a person understands to be best that they are baptized by his name. While the fullest understanding of what is best requires explicit belief in Jesus, a person’s understanding of what is best might come from a different religion or secular understanding of morality.

Being saved in his name

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. His example clearly defines the process, possibility, and result of salvation. The only way to be saved is to take upon yourself the name of Christ:

And 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. (Mosiah 3:17)

You are forgiven as you live up to the example of Christ as far as you understand it:

I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. (1 John 2:12)

When you completely adopt all of Jesus’ teachings as far as you presently know them, you are washed in his name. As you incrementally learn more about him as you live up to all you know, you are sanctified in his name. Through this process, Jesus will justify you (forgive you of your past sins) before the Father.¹⁰⁷

There are many who claim to be Christian who think they are saved while freely admitting that they are nothing like Jesus. Unfortunately, they await a rude awakening.¹⁰⁸ You can’t be saved without first becoming like Jesus.¹⁰⁹ You can’t come to be like someone you never knew.¹¹⁰ You can’t come to know Jesus if you do not serve him.¹¹¹ You can’t be saved while you continue to actively rebel against the example that Jesus provides us with.

Having your name written in the book of life

The Lamb’s book of life contains exactly one name: the name of Jesus Christ. His character is exactly what one needs to be in order to obtain a fulness of eternal life.¹¹²

Though each person who seeks to know and live like Jesus will understand him differently, all will be judged according to whether they fully live up to what they understand and blessed in accordance with how much they learned about him.

To have your name written in the book of life means to attain the character of Jesus Christ, or learn what Jesus is like and become like him while in this life, as far as you understand him to be. Your name is “written” in it when you learn about and live like Jesus,¹¹³ and “blotted out” when you cease to live up to his example¹¹⁴ as you understand it.

In the resurrection, you will be judged by your similarity to Christ,¹¹⁵ as far as you understood him to be.¹¹⁶ You must be fully obedient to everything you know in order to be saved.

Those who have failed to become like they understand Jesus to be will be cast into a lake of eternal fire.¹¹⁷ Those who have lived as he would in their place, as far as they understand, will be blessed up to the accuracy of their idea of how he actually is.¹¹⁸

Footnotes

1. For example, God called Jacob Israel when he overcame the struggle of approaching him. “And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28) ↩
2. The Greek verb translated as “to name” (kaleó) also means to bid, call forth, and invite. ↩
3. The Lord called Simon to become Peter as an invitation to lean on him as the rock of his strength: “And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” (John 1:42) ↩
4. For example, God commanded Isaiah to name his son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (“quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil”), prophesying that before the child was old enough to say father or mother, the riches of Damascus and Samaria would be plundered by Assyria (see Isaiah 8:1-4). ↩
5. Abraham’s apostate father named him Abram (“my father is exalted”), but God renamed him Abraham (“all nations of the earth will exalt the name of God through your name”), “for I have given you all people not in my family, to rule over them; that through you they will be called to me and begin to understand how I am.” (Genesis 17:5, Author’s Reflection) The “many” (Hebrew hamown ) people referred to here links to the confounded people at the tower of Babel, where the organization of the human family was balkanized to limit their ability to self-organize for evil after rebelling against good (see Genesis 11:1-9). Abraham’s new name was given as a testament of the blessings God would give him, signifying that the entire world would come to know God through coming to know Abraham. In other words, that the God they would come to know would be “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” ↩
6. And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed. (Moses 1:10) ↩
7. For example, when Nephi was proclaimed a ruler by God, his brothers accused him of usurping power and sought to kill him: “Now, he says that the Lord has talked with him, and also that angels have ministered unto him. But behold, we know that he lies unto us; and he tells us these things, and he worketh many things by his cunning arts, that he may deceive our eyes, thinking, perhaps, that he may lead us away into some strange wilderness; and after he has led us away, he has thought to make himself a king and a ruler over us, that he may do with us according to his will and pleasure. And after this manner did my brother Laman stir up their hearts to anger.” (1 Nephi 16:38) ↩
8. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 10:22) ↩
9. That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness. (D&C 121:36) ↩
10. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:26-28) ↩
11. For there is no respect of persons with God. (Romans 2:11) ↩
12. For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world. (D&C 132:5) ↩
13. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. (John 5:18) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (Philippians 2:6) ↩
14. In the US Army, for example, certain commendations have gradations that denote different criteria or successive awards. ↩
15. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. (Psalm 95:3) ↩
16. Elohim, translated as God, is actually a plural word. ↩
17. And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14) And they shall hearken to your voice... (Exodus 3:18) ↩
18. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. (Exodus 4:16) ↩
19. And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. (Exodus 7:1) ↩
20. And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him. (Exodus 29:21) ↩
21. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. (Exodus 30:30) ↩
22. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; (Psalms 133:2) ↩
23. For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile. (2 Nephi 26:33) ↩
24. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38) And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. (Joel 2:29) Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Psalms 45:7) ↩
25. When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:7) ↩
26. And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent, for thus saith the Lord: I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off; (Moses 6:27) ↩
27. And he said unto me: My son, my son (and his hand was stretched out), behold I will show you all these. And he put his hand upon mine eyes, and I saw those things which his hands had made, which were many; and they multiplied before mine eyes, and I could not see the end thereof. (Abraham 3:12) ↩
28. And now, behold, this one thing I show unto thee, Moses, my son, for thou art in the world, and now I show it unto thee. (Moses 1:7) ↩
29. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: (2 Samuel 7:14) ↩
30. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12) ↩
31. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:17-18) ↩
32. And he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep; and him shall ye receive into the church, and him will I also receive. (Mosiah 26:21) But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:26-27) ↩
33. And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s. (Obadiah 1:21) ↩
34. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. (Revelation 19:16) ↩
35. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. (1 Peter 5:4) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (James 1:12) And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. (1 Corinthians 9:25) ↩
36. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (Revelation 17:14) ↩
37. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4) ↩
38. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:5) ↩
39. Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed. (3 Nephi 18:24) ↩
40. Or his “angel,” a distinction beyond the scope of this book. ↩
41. Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name. (3 Nephi 9:15) ↩
42. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. (3 Nephi 11:10-11) Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. (Ether 3:14) ↩
43. O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. (Psalm 92:5-6) ↩
44. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. (John 21:25) ↩
45. The single word chosen to describe him by John the Beloved was “love,” but even the Lord’s apex attribute is insufficient for describing him. Most people have an airy, weak, or downright wrong definition of love, but even with a rich and accurate definition, such as the measure of how much you are willing to suffer for the benefit of another, individuals are limited in comprehension by the limits of suffering they have themselves experienced. God’s love is living—it flows and grows continuously, and cannot be defined outside of its experience. He dedicates everything he was, is, and can be to our benefit, as far as we will receive it, forever. ↩
46. The argument surrounding how to address him is not new, and it is not pleasing to God, because it clearly demonstrates substantial deviation from the Lord’s understanding and priorities (see 3 Nephi 27). ↩
47. 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. (Revelation 2:17) ↩
48. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:31) ↩
49. The Lord lamented through Isaiah how foolish it was to think that man could build a sufficient temple to house his glory: “Thus says Jehovah: The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool. What house would you build me? What would serve me as a place of rest?” (Isaiah 66:1, Gileadi Translation) ↩
50. Then said Jesus to them...as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (John 20:21) ↩
51. All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence. (D&C 93:30) ↩
52. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:17) ↩
53. Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect. (3 Nephi 12:48) ↩
54. ...We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. (John 8:41) ↩
55. Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name. Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out. (Helaman 3:27-30) ↩
56. And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit. And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father. And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world. And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin. And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me. For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin. And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me. And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now. (D&C 84:46-53) ↩
57. He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple, and shall be cast out from among you; (D&C 41:5) ↩
58. These are they who “have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.” (Mosiah 5:8-9) ↩
59. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. (Matthew 15:8) If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15) ↩
60. For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. (Mosiah 3:19) ↩
61. Anyone who draws nearer to me will only do so if they desire the Father, those who draw near to me will do so by becoming more like me, and I will raise up all who are like me at the last day. (John 6:44, Author’s Reflection) ↩
62. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21) ↩
63. Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear. (D&C 1:11) ↩
64. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3:19-21) ↩
65. For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:14) ↩
66. Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine. (Mosiah 26:18) ↩
67. As the prophets wrote, God will reach out in demonstration of himself to all people. No matter where they begin, how small their initial steps, or how long the journey may be, every man therefore that heeds him will come unto me. (John 6:45, Author’s Reflection) ↩
68. But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. (Matthew 21:28-31) ↩
69. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46) ↩
70. And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me. (Moses 6:63) ... all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator. (Alma 30:44) ...ye have received all things, both things in heaven, and all things which are in the earth, as a witness that they are true. (Helaman 8:24) ↩
71. ...follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do. (2 Nephi 31:12) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13) ↩
72. And thus ye shall become instructed in the law of my church, and be sanctified by that which ye have received, and ye shall bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me—That inasmuch as ye do this, glory shall be added to the kingdom which ye have received. Inasmuch as ye do it not, it shall be taken, even that which ye have received. (D&C 43:9-10) ↩
73. Many quote the following verse without realizing that to “call” someone “in the name of Christ” is to invite them to be more like him: “Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake.” (3 Nephi 27:7) ↩
74. And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come. (Alma 46:15) ↩
75. And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins. (3 Nephi 12:2) ↩
76. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (Matthew 23:15) ↩
77. And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth. (1 Nephi 14:10) ↩
78. And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. (1 Nephi 14:12) ↩
79. And they who were baptized in the name of Jesus were called the church of Christ. (3 Nephi 26:21) ↩
80. Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do; (3 Nephi 27:21) ↩
81. Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd. (Alma 5:38) ↩
82. And as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you. (3 Nephi 18:16) ↩
83. See that ye are not baptized unworthily; see that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily; but see that ye do all things in worthiness, and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; and if ye do this, and endure to the end, ye will in nowise be cast out. (Mormon 9:29) ↩
84. And again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church. (D&C 20:37) ↩
85. Now I say unto you, Go; and whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people; and this shall be observed from this time forward. (Mosiah 26:32) ↩
86. And those that would not confess their sins and repent of their iniquity, the same were not numbered among the people of the church, and their names were blotted out. (Mosiah 26:36) ↩
87. And he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep; and him shall ye receive into the church, and him will I also receive. (Mosiah 26:21) ↩
88. Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins. (Moroni 6:2) ↩
89. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: (Ephesians 1:9) ↩
90. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. (Revelation 19:12) ↩
91. And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. (Revelation 14:1) ↩
92. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Revelation 3:12) ↩
93. I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances? (Alma 5:19) ↩
94. The Lord transforms you into a person more and more like he is, expanding and cementing your life to be more like his, in the equal and opposite fashion that the devil seals you his by enwrapping you in flaxen cords that thicken over repetition into thick chains. See 2 Nephi 26:22, 2 Nephi 28:22, and Alma 12:11. ↩
95. I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you. (Mosiah 5:12) ↩
96. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. (Revelation 22:3-4) ↩
97. Behold, I will lead thee by my hand, and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name, even the Priesthood of thy father, and my power shall be over thee. (Abraham 1:18) ↩
98. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. (John 3:33) ↩
99. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. (John 6:27) ↩
100. And of as many as the Father shall bear record, to you shall be given power to seal them up unto eternal life. Amen. (D&C 68:12) ↩
101. And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, Holiness To The Lord. And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be. And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord. (Exodus 28:3638) ↩
102. Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen. (Mosiah 5:15) ↩
103. For example, Nephi was given power to seal because he knew and exclusively sought the will of God (see Helaman 10:4-11). ↩
104. And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. (Mosiah 5:8) ↩
105. And all that call upon the name of the Lord, and keep his commandments, shall be saved. Even so. Amen. (D&C 100:17) ↩
106. And as many as repent and are baptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved. Behold, Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be saved; Wherefore, all men must take upon them the name which is given of the Father, for in that name shall they be called at the last day; Wherefore, if they know not the name by which they are called, they cannot have place in the kingdom of my Father. (D&C 18:22-25) ↩
107. And such some of you were, but you were washed from who you were, justified in the name of Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11, Author’s Reflection) ↩
108. I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the devil? ....I say unto you, Nay; except ye make our Creator a liar from the beginning, or suppose that he is a liar from the beginning, ye cannot suppose that such can have place in the kingdom of heaven; but they shall be cast out for they are the children of the kingdom of the devil....Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd. And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil. For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil. Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him. And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works. (Alma 5:20, 25, 38-42) ↩
109. Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day; And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day. (3 Nephi 27:5-6) ↩
110. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22-23) ↩
111. For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart? (Mosiah 5:13) ↩
112. And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God. And I would that ye should remember also, that this is the name that I said I should give unto you that never should be blotted out, except it be through transgression; therefore, take heed that ye do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts. I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you. (Mosiah 5:10-12) ↩
113. For the names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand.... (Alma 5:58) ↩
114. And I give unto them a name that never shall be blotted out, except it be through transgression. (Mosiah 1:12) ↩
115. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:12) The book has to be opened because God’s character is not generally known or perceived. ↩
116. For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally at my right hand. (Mosiah 26:24) ↩
117. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12-15) ↩
118. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. (Psalm 91:14) ↩

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