name.

I was reading in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 5:8 which says,

8 And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.

In Merriam-Webster the word name is defines as: a word or words by which a person or thing is known, having a distinguished reputation.

As I have been studying taking the name of Christ, everything I found falls into three categories.
1. What it means to take upon you the name of Christ.

2. What you have to do to take upon you the name of Christ.

3. Blessings that God grants if you do your best to take upon you the name of Christ.

So here is what I found while studying these three questions:

1. What it means to take upon you the name of Christ.

• Me, personally, as a missionary, I literally take upon me the name of Christ as I wear the name tag that bears not only my name but Jesus Christ's name as well. I represent him.
• Like Merriam-Webster said a name has a certain reputation. Jesus Christ had a distinguished reputation. To take upon me his name means that I have the same reputation.
• Someone who has joined the church of God and are called the people of God (Mosiah 25:23-24).
• Someone who is Christian, a true believer (Alma 46:15).
• Will be called by the name of Christ in the last day (3 Nephi 27:5-6).
• You see yourself as His (True to the Faith, 23).

2. What you have to do to take upon you the name of Christ.

• Glorify God (1 Peter 4:13-14).
• Be willing to be obedient unto the end of your life (Mosiah 5:8-10).
• Follow Jesus Christ (2 Nephi 31:13).
• Repent of your sins (2 Nephi 31:13).
• Be baptized (2 Nephi 31:13).
• Desire to take His name. (Mosiah 25:23-24).
• Don't contend (go against) the Holy Ghost but receive it (Alma 34:38).
• Be humble (Alma 34:38).
• Worship God wherever you are (Alma 34:38).
• Thank God for all of your blessings (Alma 34:38).
• Be faithful (Alma 46:15).
• Endure to the end (3 Nephi 27:5-6).
• Put Jesus Christ and His work first (True to the Faith, 23).
• Seek what He wants rather than what you want or what the world teaches you to want (True to the Faith, 23).
• Renew the promise that you will take His name upon you every week when you partake of the sacrament (True to the Faith, 23).

3. Blessings that God grants if you do your best to take upon  you the name of Christ.

• Happiness (1 Peter 4:13-14).
• The spirit of glory and of God will rest upon you (1 Peter 4:13-14).
• You shall be found on the right hand of God (Mosiah 5:8-10).
• You shall receive the Holy Ghost (2 Nephi 31:13).
• You will be able to speak with the tongue of angels (2 Nephi 31:13).
• You will be a part of the church of God (Mosiah 25:23-24).
• His spirit will be poured upon you (Mosiah 25:23-24).
• You will be blessed and will prosper (Mosiah 25:23-24).
• You shall be saved at the last day (3 Nephi 27:5-6).

Wow. That is incredible really. I can bear witness that these things are true. That if we are baptized by someone holding the authority of God, and as we promise that we will take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, then we truly will have blessings poured upon us. It isn't an easy thing to do. We can't just accept Him as our Savior and be saved. We have to live our lives in a way that we represent him.

Have you taken his name upon you?

References:

1 Peter 4:13-14

2 Nephi 31:13

Mosiah 5:8-10

Mosiah 25:23-24

Alma 34:38

Alma 46:15

3 Nephi 27:5-6

True to the Faith, Baptism, 23
"When you [are] baptized, you [enter] into a covenant with God. You [promise] to take upon yourself the name of Jesus Christ, keep His commandments, and sere Him to the end. You renew this covenant each time you partake of the sacrament. When you take upon yourself the name of Jesus Christ, you see yourself as His. You put Him and His work first in your life. You seek what He wants rather than what you want or what the world teaches you to want."