Question
Dear Gramps,
In D&C 107:4 it says, “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.” If the Lord’s name is so sacred, why do we use the name of Jesus Christ all the time now? On every building, in closing every prayer, on every publication. Seems like we toss it around like confetti. Why the change?
Robert
Answer
Dear Robert,
We use the Lord’s sacred name in prayer because that is what He has instructed us to do (Moses 5:8, Moroni 2:2). We place His name on our buildings and on our publications because they bear the name of the Church, which the Lord Himself placed his name on (D&C 115:4). More generally, we use the Lord’s holy name in our words and deeds because we are ourselves to be holy enough to bear it. We are building a Zion society where “whatsoever [we] shall do” is done “in my [the Lord’s] name” (3 Nephi 27:7), and where “every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world” (D&C 1:20).
The culture of the former saints showed respect by avoiding the frequent use of the Lord’s name. The latter-day saints have been led by modern prophets and apostles to change our culture so that we are worthy to bear that name publicly. We are to build a society so permeated by the Lord’s name and law that even the “bells of the horses” are inscribed with “HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD” (Zechariah 14:20).
Gramps
