This continues the series discussing the LDS ordinance of the sacrament. To see the previous posts in the series, see here

As we continue our pondering of the Sacrament prayer wording, it’s important to pause and consider in some detail the Name of Christ. In the prayers, the Priest asks, ‘God the Eternal Father … in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ…’ to bless and sanctify the sacramental emblems. It’s easy to overlook this, because in the LDS Church we close every prayer, every testimony, every talk/sermon, every lesson, ‘in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen’. It’s become a custom, one could almost say a habit.

That’s unfortunate, because there is great power in the Lord’s Name, and we miss out on that when we’re not deliberate and reverent. Indeed, we may well be breaking the third of the great commandments given at Sinai, ‘Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain…’ (Exodus 20:7). It’s this commandment I’d like to focus on in this post.

In today’s culture, we generally think of taking the Lord’s name in vain as blasphemy. – and we hear it everywhere. It’s virtually impossible to see anything on TV without blasphemy, or even read much on social media. However, while I believe that blasphemy is surely included within this commandment, it’s actually only a very small part. Let’s take a closer look and consider specifically 3 of the words used in the Old Testament wording. I highlight them here in bold, ‘Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain’ (Exodus 20:7). Doing so will enlarge our understanding of just want God meant when He gave this commandment to the children of Israel, and therefore how we should be living it today.

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1. Take

Hebrew is a very compact language and a single word may have multiple meanings depending on circumstance. The Hebrew word used for ‘take’ in this biblical passage is nasa and has three distinct meanings in the King James Version. These are to lift, carry or take. (TWOT, entry 1421)

When used as ‘lift’, it can be as in, ‘To lift up the hand in taking an oath’ (e.g. see Deut. 32:40); ‘To lift up one’s face or countenance as an indication of a good conscience, confidence, favour, or acceptance (e.g. 2 Sam. 2:22); To lift up anything with the voice.

To the LDS reader, this should immediately make us think about ordinances – specifically what we term the ‘ordinances of salvation’. Think specifically of baptism. While saying the words of the ordinance, the holder of the Priesthood, lifts his arm to the square.

Carry is used often in relation to carrying burdens. Christ carried the burdens of sin through His atoning sacrifice (see Isaiah 53:4, where here it is translated at ‘bore’), and He desires that we follow His example and help others carry theirs.

When translated as take, this may refer to the taking away or forgiveness of sin or transgression. It is often used in prayers of intercession in relation to pardoning guilt. In Psalms 32:1, it is translated as being forgiven, ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.’

What’s fascinating to me is that these three meanings of this singular Hebrew word are all integral to the Saviour’s atonement. He carried/carries our burdens; He takes away our sins (on condition of repentance); He is lifted up to be with the Father because of the acceptance of His perfect life – and He seeks to lift us up to be with Him.

When we take His Name, we promise to carry other’s burdens, to forgive others, to lift our own hands in covenant with Him.

There are more examples, but these should give us a better idea of what it means to take the Name of the Lord. This is no light thing.

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2. Name

Taking the Name of the Lord upon ourselves is a core part of our covenant keeping. In modern revelation the Lord states that a requirement for baptism is being, ‘willing to take upon [us] the name of Jesus Christ…’ (D&C 20:37). The ancient prophet Moroni similarly instructed that none be, ‘received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.’ (Moroni 6:3)

But it doesn’t stop at baptism. Indeed, baptism is only the beginning of our taking upon ourselves the Lord’s Name – the gateway. In his 1985 general conference address, Elder Dallin H Oaks discussed the sacrament’s use of the phrase ‘willing’ to take the name of Christ and said, 

‘The fact that we only witness our willingness suggests that something else must happen before we actually take that sacred name upon us in the most important sense.

‘What future event or events could this covenant contemplate? The scriptures suggest two sacred possibilities, one concerning the authority of God, especially as exercised in the temples, and the other – closely related – concerning exaltation in the celestial kingdom.’

If the authority of God and exaltation are currently beyond us, we can still take His Name in important ways. Indeed, doing so enables us to walk increasingly closer to taking His Name in its fullest sense as described by Elder Oaks.

During His visit amongst the ancient people of the Americas, the Saviour said, ‘Have they not read the scriptures which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name ye will be called at the last day.’ (3 Nephi 27:5)

When we consider the meanings of the word take we previously discussed, it becomes clear what we can do to take His Name here and now. The prophet Alma described it this way, being ‘… willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; … willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death …’ (Mosiah 18:8-9) This list of things from Alma mirrors some of the meanings of the word take we previously considered.

According to the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT – quoted often in this article), the etymology of the Hebrew word used here (shem) is unknown for certain, but it’s interesting to see how it was used anciently. (Interestingly, some sources refer to Melchizedek as Shem; Jews would often say ‘Shem’ when referencing Yahweh instead of using His name. There is therefore an intriguing link between Shem, Melchidezedek and Jehovah).

It’s easy to see in the Old Testament how names were important and often had symbolic meaning specific to the individual. In that sense, a name could sometimes be used almost synonymously with the very existence and character of the person. Apparently, ‘In some passages, shem Yahweh is so inextricably bound up with the being of God, that it functions almost like an appearance of Yahweh.’ (TWOT, entry 2405)

Additionally, ‘To call one’s name over something signifies ownership, possession, and protection.’ (Ibid)

That’s powerful. Remember the quote from 3 Nephi above, ‘For by His name ye will be called at the last day.’ In those desperate, critical times soon upon us, if we are worthy, Christ will call us by His Name, meaning we will belong to Him and will be under His protection. And in its fullest sense, when we can truly be called by His Name, it will be because we have become like Him – we will embody His character.

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3. Vain

This is the world we have traditionally considered to be equal to profanity/blasphemy. While no doubt the Lord considers blasphemy a sin, the word translated as vain in Exodus 20:7 (Hebrew shaw) means, among other things, emptiness and falsehood. So, rather than the commandment meaning that we shouldn’t blaspheme the name of God, it’s reference is primarily to taking His Name either falsely or without what Moroni calls ‘real intent’ (see Moroni 10:4). In other words, we need to really mean it – mean to follow Him, to keep His commandments, to strive to become like Him.

Consider the following verses, where the Lord condemns His covenant people:

‘Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.’ (Isaiah 1:13)

‘Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up; to make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing … I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity’ (Jeremiah 18:15-17)

We shouldn’t believe this condemnation refers only to ancient Israel. In Isaiah’s case, at least, he was speaking specifically of the last days. The result of taking His Name in vain is therefore to receive covenant curses instead of covenant blessings: scattering and destruction. Once again, taking the Lord’s Name is serious. We don’t joke about it or mock it, but just as importantly, we diligently strive to honour all the terms of the covenant: otherwise, it’s just empty and we should expect the curses.

I’m grateful for repentance and the grace of Christ; because I have often treated far too lightly the Name of Christ in my life and without these those curses would be coming my way (if they hadn’t already). Because of Him, I can start again, get up and try afresh to take His Name with all the solemnity and seriousness it requires. We’ll delve more into this in the next post.

© Jeffrey Collyer, 2024