Comments on: Taking Upon You His Name http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/taking-upon-you-his-name Rants and musings about things political, philosophical, and religious. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:51:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: joe http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/taking-upon-you-his-name#comment-59155 joe Sun, 21 Dec 2008 04:34:28 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/taking-upon-you-his-name#comment-59155 Curtis, That is very curious the relationship between LDS belief and egyptian, and perhaps christianity in general. However, some have sought to destroy some very valueable clay tablets and other ancient information which would have shed some light on a lot of matters. I am curious as to what you think is the reason for it. The name 'Jesus Christ' has also been used as a curse word. Recently I walked past an LDS church, with the name JESUS CHRIST in caps. In internet lingo this is equal to shouting. I believe Software which reads aloud would read it as shouting. Curtis,
That is very curious the relationship between LDS belief and egyptian, and perhaps christianity in general. However, some have sought to destroy some very valueable clay tablets and other ancient information which would have shed some light on a lot of matters. I am curious as to what you think is the reason for it. The name ‘Jesus Christ’ has also been used as a curse word. Recently I walked past an LDS church, with the name JESUS CHRIST in caps. In internet lingo this is equal to shouting. I believe Software which reads aloud would read it as shouting.

]]> By: Curtis http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/taking-upon-you-his-name#comment-597 Curtis Wed, 13 Sep 2006 05:38:27 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/taking-upon-you-his-name#comment-597 Great post. I think I remember in the Oaks talk that he was also speaking of the "willing to take" his name part of the deal, there is also the implication that there is a future event in which we fully take His name upon us, in a way we haven't until that time. I like to think of this topic in terms of the temple. I think we go there to learn how to receive a name. It gives one power over a person to know that person's name. That's why Christ asked the demon what his name was (legion) and then he cast the demons into the swine. Christ also has a new name that is not known, and it is my humble opinion that it is that name that we seek after when we receive our true endowment, and it is then that we have great power with God. Here are a few gems from a good book on this topic: The faithful are further promised: "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). fn Christ himself has a new name, as can be seen from this description: "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). The notion of the secret name was also found among the Gnostics. The Marcosians, a Gnostic sect attacked by Irenaeus, taught that Christ was clothed in a "hidden name" (to onoma to apokekrummenon). fn The hidden name of the gods was often known only to the gods and was frequently given by them. In the view of the ancient Egyptian, when the deceased was allowed to enter into the presence of the gods, he then became like them. Once he was there, he was given his "True Name," which "no man knoweth." This is made clear in the Pyramid Texts: "The king is a master of wisdom, Whose mother knows not his name." fn In the first book of the Iliad, reference is made to Aegaeon," fn According to the prayer of Joseph, Jacob is the earthly name of the patriarch, while his heavenly name is Israel. The idea that the name was used as a key to permit the initiate to enter into the true fold of God is also attested in the Egyptian sources. Entrance in the "Hall of the Two Truths" in order to see the face of "every God" was dependent on a knowledge of names and formulas. This is clearly evident from the 125th chapter of the Book of the Dead in which, after the deceased approaches the Hall of the Two Truths, he is told, "Let him come." Thereafter he is asked, "Who art thou?" The deceased replies with his name and then answers other questions the gatekeepers ask. Upon answering the questions correctly, the guards say, "Come, enter this gate of the Broad Hall of the Two Truths — thou knowest us." The initiate is then stopped by the jambs of the gate, and afterwards the beams, the rails, and the floor. All make the same demand, "We will not let thee enter past us . . . unless thou tellest our name." (John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, 27 March 1990, 2 vols. [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990], 1: 510.) Great post. I think I remember in the Oaks talk that he was also speaking of the “willing to take” his name part of the deal, there is also the implication that there is a future event in which we fully take His name upon us, in a way we haven’t until that time.
I like to think of this topic in terms of the temple. I think we go there to learn how to receive a name. It gives one power over a person to know that person’s name. That’s why Christ asked the demon what his name was (legion) and then he cast the demons into the swine.
Christ also has a new name that is not known, and it is my humble opinion that it is that name that we seek after when we receive our true endowment, and it is then that we have great power with God. Here are a few gems from a good book on this topic:

The faithful are further promised: “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). fn Christ himself has a new name, as can be seen from this description: “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). The notion of the secret name was also found among the Gnostics. The Marcosians, a Gnostic sect attacked by Irenaeus, taught that Christ was clothed in a “hidden name” (to onoma to apokekrummenon). fn

The hidden name of the gods was often known only to the gods and was frequently given by them. In the view of the ancient Egyptian, when the deceased was allowed to enter into the presence of the gods, he then became like them. Once he was there, he was given his “True Name,” which “no man knoweth.” This is made clear in the Pyramid Texts: “The king is a master of wisdom, Whose mother knows not his name.” fn In the first book of the Iliad, reference is made to Aegaeon,” fn According to the prayer of Joseph, Jacob is the earthly name of the patriarch, while his heavenly name is Israel.

The idea that the name was used as a key to permit the initiate to enter into the true fold of God is also attested in the Egyptian sources. Entrance in the “Hall of the Two Truths” in order to see the face of “every God” was dependent on a knowledge of names and formulas. This is clearly evident from the 125th chapter of the Book of the Dead in which, after the deceased approaches the Hall of the Two Truths, he is told, “Let him come.” Thereafter he is asked, “Who art thou?” The deceased replies with his name and then answers other questions the gatekeepers ask. Upon answering the questions correctly, the guards say, “Come, enter this gate of the Broad Hall of the Two Truths — thou knowest us.” The initiate is then stopped by the jambs of the gate, and afterwards the beams, the rails, and the floor. All make the same demand, “We will not let thee enter past us . . . unless thou tellest our name.”
(John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, 27 March 1990, 2 vols. [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990], 1: 510.)

]]> By: the narrator http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/taking-upon-you-his-name#comment-123 the narrator Mon, 17 Jul 2006 03:52:17 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/taking-upon-you-his-name#comment-123 you've got it right that the ritual of re-naming is more than just a name. it's an identity. (think abram becoming abraham, or even more, saul becoming paul). however, taking upon the name of christ has a special significance. notice that the sacramental blessing of the bread as that "<b>they</b> are willing" to take on the name of the son. in mosiah, king benjamin bestows a new name on the persons in his kingdom during his sons coronation (which reverses the ritualistic re-naming often performed on a king. the new name he gives to his people is christ. by giving everyone the same name, their is more than a bestowal of identiy, there is a bestowal of unity. the community becomes one. it's no longer bob, billy, and brenda. they are all one person, one body, working together. this is why paul often called the church the body of christ. this is because the gospel is not an individual effort, but a communal effort. not the work of individual bodies, but a unified body. they are all christ. in the sacramental prayers, the 'taking on the name of christ' is only mentioned in the blessing of the bread - the body of christ. you’ve got it right that the ritual of re-naming is more than just a name. it’s an identity. (think abram becoming abraham, or even more, saul becoming paul). however, taking upon the name of christ has a special significance. notice that the sacramental blessing of the bread as that “they are willing” to take on the name of the son. in mosiah, king benjamin bestows a new name on the persons in his kingdom during his sons coronation (which reverses the ritualistic re-naming often performed on a king. the new name he gives to his people is christ. by giving everyone the same name, their is more than a bestowal of identiy, there is a bestowal of unity. the community becomes one. it’s no longer bob, billy, and brenda. they are all one person, one body, working together. this is why paul often called the church the body of christ. this is because the gospel is not an individual effort, but a communal effort. not the work of individual bodies, but a unified body. they are all christ. in the sacramental prayers, the ‘taking on the name of christ’ is only mentioned in the blessing of the bread – the body of christ.

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