Monday, November 22, 2010

What Have You Done with His Name?

Someday each one of us will have to account to our Savior, Jesus Christ, for what we have done with His name.


We each take upon us the name of the Savior in one way or another or many ways throughout life; when we reach out to someone suffering, when we take upon ourselves sacred covenants, when we do the things that Jesus did. What have we done with His name. I think of it as a really nice, powerful car; if we cannot take care of it we will eventually lose it by our own neglect, whether we destroy it or crash it. If we are just given such a car the probability of that increases. The name of Christ is such a vessel. He does not just give it to us though, in every way he expects us to earn at least some of it. We have to do something. The more we realize who we are the more we realize that we have the unalterable potential to become as He is. It will lift us on the wings of eagles to come closer to Him. But as we do so we are commanded to lift others with us. What have we done in His name?
But that is not the only thing that counts in this game. The Savior said, "Many will asay 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 aI profess unto them: I never bknew you; cdepart from me, ye that work iniquity. (III Nephi 14:22-23) Why we do it is more important. What is the condition of your heart? Why do we want to take upon us the name of Christ? Are we tired of the kind of life that sin yields? Are we ready to come unto Him and become like Him? Or are we ready to realize that we have the greatness of eternity already rested upon our souls and that it is only through His atoning sacrifice that we can uncouple the awesome power that is within us. 
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - The above speech by Nelson Mandela was orignally written by Marianne Williamson
We are to show others who Christ is by showing them who we are. We are not to cower behind some false idea of who we are but we are to stand up and embrace the eternal who we are, and with the help of Christ allow others to do the same.

2 comments:

  1. Since this is a place for organized randomness: It just so happened that I was reading the First Epistle General of John, and my mind connected this part to your topic:
    Chapter 3
    22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
    23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
    24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

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  2. It also happened that today, driving home, my MP3 player chose to play for me "What Have You Done with My Name?" by Elder Mervyn B. Arnold of the Seventy.
    http://new.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/what-have-you-done-with-my-name-?lang=eng

    I say that the player chose it, because I have not yet figured out why it chooses to play the things that it does, when it does. I have clicked the option for it to play only mp3 files marked "LDS General Conference" and it will do so for a few weeks... though with a mind of its own, repeating certain talks while only playing others once, and going in no order that I can determine. And if I've had a long day, the MP3 seems to know it, and will finish whatever talk it left off on, then play music that is clearly out of the Genre (it will throw in a Blues song, and then a Pop song, and a couple of Oldies numbers, and when it determines that I have relaxed enough, it resumes playing conference talks for me).

    Anyway, I've stayed from the point. I read those verses last night, and the MP3 player read me that talk today, and you typed up your comments too. So I guess I should be paying attention to some message here?

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