The name of Jesus Christ

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Rand
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The name of Jesus Christ

Post by Rand »

I have noticed something and it has been a slightly abrasive observation in my mind and heart. It is that we are using the Name of Jesus Christ very frequently and often in the church today. In years past we would say, "The Savior, "The Redeemer", My Savior", the Lord, etc. Now, I will hear His name be repeated two or three times in a sentence.
The Melchizedek Priesthood was named such to avoid the too frequent repetition of His name in that day. Are we taking a bad lead from our Protestant brethren and sisters in this? Should be be more cautious and respectful and use His titles rather than His name so often?

DesertWonderer2
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by DesertWonderer2 »

I thnks it about HOW His name is used not HOW MANY times.

Lizzy60
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by Lizzy60 »

Heaven forbid we should be anything like our Protestant friends. Geesh.

2 Nephi 25:26

26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

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Robin Hood
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by Robin Hood »

Rand wrote: January 24th, 2018, 9:07 pm I have noticed something and it has been a slightly abrasive observation in my mind and heart. It is that we are using the Name of Jesus Christ very frequently and often in the church today. In years past we would say, "The Savior, "The Redeemer", My Savior", the Lord, etc. Now, I will hear His name be repeated two or three times in a sentence.
The Melchizedek Priesthood was named such to avoid the too frequent repetition of His name in that day. Are we taking a bad lead from our Protestant brethren and sisters in this? Should be be more cautious and respectful and use His titles rather than His name so often?
It appears to me to be the exact opposite.
I hear the phrase "the Saviour" used all the time.
It really grates on me.

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LdsMarco
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by LdsMarco »

Rand wrote: January 24th, 2018, 9:07 pm I have noticed something and it has been a slightly abrasive observation in my mind and heart. It is that we are using the Name of Jesus Christ very frequently and often in the church today. In years past we would say, "The Savior, "The Redeemer", My Savior", the Lord, etc. Now, I will hear His name be repeated two or three times in a sentence.
The Melchizedek Priesthood was named such to avoid the too frequent repetition of His name in that day. Are we taking a bad lead from our Protestant brethren and sisters in this? Should be be more cautious and respectful and use His titles rather than His name so often?
Before his day it was called "the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God."

But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood. (D&C 107:3-4)

The Lord has many names and I think verse 3 was what they really wanted to avoid.

The Book of Mormon has "Jesus" mentioned more than any other book.

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inho
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by inho »

Rand wrote: January 24th, 2018, 9:07 pm I have noticed something and it has been a slightly abrasive observation in my mind and heart. It is that we are using the Name of Jesus Christ very frequently and often in the church today. In years past we would say, "The Savior, "The Redeemer", My Savior", the Lord, etc. Now, I will hear His name be repeated two or three times in a sentence.
The Melchizedek Priesthood was named such to avoid the too frequent repetition of His name in that day. Are we taking a bad lead from our Protestant brethren and sisters in this? Should be be more cautious and respectful and use His titles rather than His name so often?
What annoys me, is that we say Jesus Christ as it was a first name and a surname. Christ is not a name, it is a title. (That is why Elder Talmage named his book Jesus the Christ.)

That said, what is it that actually concerns you, Rand? The use of the name Jesus? Note that the name of the priesthood used to be "the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God". There is no name there either, just a title. So why would it be better to say "the Saviour" or "the Redeemer" then?

gardener4life
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by gardener4life »

Elder Nelson actually talked about this not too long ago in a talk he did. (But it might not have been the main theme of the talk.)

So maybe you are right about this.

I think its OK to use the name Jesus and Jehovah. But yes we should do so with lots of reverence for him and for what he did for us. We should always think of him and what he did for us. (This is also in the sacrament prayers!)

Think of it...its in the sacrament prayers...that we always remember him, that we may have his spirit to be with us...

Rand
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by Rand »

I appreciate the comments. I guess it feels to familiar in a sort of way. Kind of like when someone emphasizes that Christ is my Elder Brother, over being my Savior, or the Christ. Maybe it is because that title was sometimes used by some when I was younger as a sort of curse word, like taking the name of God in vain.
Jesus THE Christ would feel softer to me.
It is a small issue, not fingernails on a chalk board, it just feels ... kind of wrong to me. I am not condemning our protestant neighbors. But, it is a phrase and name used more often in times past in protestant churches to my understanding than in our culture.

Elder Nelson did comment in a similar vein recently. I just wonder if our familiar and frequent use of His name and title is... well... too familiar, kind of like calling President Trump "The Donald" in the White House oval room, rather than Mr. President. Kind of like that.

We of all people should be most respectful of the Savior of all mankind in this eternity, given our Temple experience.

I could be wrong, just seeing if anyone else had a similar pull as I have had.

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inho
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by inho »

Rand wrote: January 25th, 2018, 8:12 pm We of all people should be most respectful of the Savior of all mankind in this eternity, given our Temple experience.
I absolutely agree that we should be the most respectful of the Redeemer. However, I don't think it is the too frequent use of a name or a title that shows irreverence. More important is the context where we refer to our Lord.

Finrock
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by Finrock »

I think we should speak the name of Jesus with reverence. I think each person who speaks His name is responsible for how they speak it. With some obvious exceptions, we generally can't know how a person is feeling or what is in their hearts when they speak the name of Jesus. So, it isn't up to me to decide for another person if they are speaking His name with reverence or not and I think it would be best practice just to believe the best of others.

-Finrock

JohnnyL
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by JohnnyL »

Rand wrote: January 24th, 2018, 9:07 pm I have noticed something and it has been a slightly abrasive observation in my mind and heart. It is that we are using the Name of Jesus Christ very frequently and often in the church today. In years past we would say, "The Savior, "The Redeemer", My Savior", the Lord, etc. Now, I will hear His name be repeated two or three times in a sentence.
The Melchizedek Priesthood was named such to avoid the too frequent repetition of His name in that day. Are we taking a bad lead from our Protestant brethren and sisters in this? Should be be more cautious and respectful and use His titles rather than His name so often?
I have wondered that, too. Good question.

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Thinker
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by Thinker »

“Why callest thou me GOoD? None is GOoD, save one, that is God.” - Jesus
“Thou shalt have NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.” - Lower Law/1st of 10 Commandments

Jesus warned against worshipping him - and yet it goes ignored.
Much easier to deify Jesus up on a pedestal so high you have an excuse not to be and do as him, as he suggested.

I suppose there are stages:
1) Worship the church
2) Worship joseph smith and not so much the later add-ons
3) Worship Jesus
4) Worship god as religion tells you god is
5) Worship God as you imagine God
6) Shame all worship, because it feels wrong
7) Live each moment seeking the highest GOoD

Juliet
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by Juliet »

Definitely the name has power. Evil entities hate it when His name is spoken in faith. I think we should speak His name but recognize what we are doing and always it should be in a spirit of faith.

Ether 12:31 For thus didst thou manifest thyself unto thy disciples; for after they had faith, and did speak in thy name, thou didst show thyself unto them in great power.

Rand
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by Rand »

Excellent comments Thinker! We should worship the Father in His name, but not in the name only of the individual, Jesus the Christ, but in His role as Savior, Advocate, Redeemer, Lord, King of Kings, Etc.
It has occurred to me that those in the Terrestrial Kingdom will be presided over by Jesus Christ, and it is him they worship, but they accept him in part only. Those in the Celestial Kingdom will be presided over by the Father, and they have accepted Christ fully, which means they must have accepted him in terms of his relationship with the Father. So using His name only, without the context of his titles, can leave the Father out of the equation.
I have also believed that old customs were usually begun for a good reason. A king was referred to by His title: Your Highness, etc. It would seem incongruous to identify a king in the old days by his name only. David was referred to as King David. The President of the United States should be politely referred to as Mister President, Not Barrack Obama, or Donald Trump, unless there is an attempt to demean them, or lessen their "prestige" to some degree.
Juliet, I love the recognition, The name has power, we see that in the Temple, but the power in the name comes from what we do in His name, as you point out in the Scripture. I have seen many televangelists using the "name of Jesus Christ" to command many things to happen. It is possible that some them do have some power through faith on his name, but most of them I have seen did not, they had a small mic in their ear directing them who to speak to and what to say. Indeed it is after we show faith in him by "Speaking in his name, that we truly come to know Him and he fully reveals himself unto us.

In the April Conference Elder Nelson Spoke about "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives". In that talk, he used the name of Jesus Christ 15 times. This is how he used His name:
The gospel of Jesus Christ is filled with His power...
And His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us.
Today I would like to speak about how we can draw into our lives the power of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.
I invited them to let the scriptural citations about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide become their personal core curriculum.
I read and underlined every verse cited about Jesus Christ, as listed under the main heading and the 57 subtitles in the Topical Guide.
As Latter-day Saints, we refer to His mission as the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which made resurrection a reality for all and made eternal life possible for those who repent of their sins and receive and keep essential ordinances and covenants.
These expressions present a real risk of misdirecting faith by treating the event as if it had living existence and capabilities independent of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
There is no amorphous entity called “the Atonement” upon which we may call for succor, healing, forgiveness, or power. Jesus Christ is the source.
“the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”
As you seek to learn more about Jesus Christ, I urge you to study “The Living Christ.”
True disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to stand out, speak up, and be different from the people of the world.
Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do.
When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is filled with His power, which is available to every earnestly seeking daughter or son of God.
Jesus is the Christ!

The title of Savior is used 18 times.
Lord 5 times.
Master 1 time.

It seems to me that then Elder Nelson, now President Nelson, used his name with a title most of the time. He used his name only when directly referring to the person. It seems an act of respect to do so.

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Joel
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

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Craig Johnson
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by Craig Johnson »

Elder Bruce R. McConkie said the following in speaking of worship for the Lord: "1) It is emulating the life of the great Exemplar. 2) To worship the Lord is to follow after him, to seek his face, to believe his doctrine, and to think his thoughts." And I would like to say that if we worship the Lord and try to become like Him we will reverence His name. We will only use His name when it is appropriate and in effect honoring Him.

Rand
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Re: The name of Jesus Christ

Post by Rand »

Joel wrote: February 3rd, 2018, 8:37 am
That was a great share Joel! Thanks! I love the thorough, complete and precise explanation. That was good even for a well trained legal mind!

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