The Significance of Names

In His great intercessory prayer, Jesus tells us
something very important.

O righteous Father, the world hath not known
thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that
thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy
name, [by his life’s example] and will declare [it]:
that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in
them, and I in them. John 17:25-26

In Jewish thought, a name is not merely an arbitrary
designation or a random combination of sounds. The name
conveys the nature and essence of the thing named. It
represents the history and reputation of what is being
named.

This is not as strange or unfamiliar a concept as it
may seem at first glance. In English, we often refer
to a person's reputation as his "good name." When a
company is sold, one thing that may be sold is the
company's "good will," that is, the right to use the
company's name. The Hebrew concept of a name is very
similar to these ideas.

An example of this usage occurs in Exodus 3:13-22:
Moses asks God what His "name" is. Moses is not asking
"what should I call you;" rather, he is asking "who
are you; what are you like; what have you done." That
is clear from God's response. God replies that He is
eternal, that He is the God of our ancestors, that He
has seen our affliction and will redeem us from
bondage.

With this information in mind, it is extremely
significant that the very first word spoken from
Heaven in this dispensation – after a silence of more
than 2,000 years – was a name: Joseph. That name

means “He will add.”

At the time of the first vision, Joseph Smith didn’t know of the prophecies

concerning him found in the Book of Mormon, or that he would do more
for the salvation of men than anyone else except for the Savior. But God

knew him, his name, and his foreordained mission.

I suspect that there is also an intimate loving relationship between the Father

and us as well. When no one else seems to understand how we really feel,

we can remember that we are known – our names are known,

including our pre-mortal personalities – and that we are deeply cherished.