Why is that? Does this lead to a different understanding of the phrase?
Christ = "Anointed."
If we take upon ourselves that name, what does that imply?
Do we become anointed? By whom?
Or is it familial? Like taking upon us His last name? Do we take upon ourselves the name of Christ when we're begotten of Him and He declares us to be His son or daughter?
2 Nephi 31 says that we show we're WILLING to take upon us the name of Christ by being baptized.
Then Moroni 6 says that only those who had already taken upon them the name of Christ were baptized.
Mosiah 5 and 6 connect receiving a covenant with taking the name of Christ.
So is this just getting too nitpicky? There seems to be a lot of ambiguity and I really want to understand this concept.
Then in the Sacrament prayer we show that we're WILLING to take upon us the name of His "Son."
These are all the scriptures I could find that talk about taking the name of Christ upon us:
Mosiah 6:2
2 And it came to
pass that there was not one soul, except it were little children, but who had
entered into the covenant and had taken upon them the name of Christ.
Alma 1:19
19 But it came to
pass that whosoever did not belong to the church of God began to persecute
those that did belong to the church of God, and had taken upon them the name of
Christ.
Doctrine and
Covenants 18:21
21 Take upon you the
name of Christ, and speak the truth in soberness.
3 Nephi 27:5
5 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 shall ye be called at the last day;
Alma 46:15
15 And those who did
belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in
Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were
called, because of their belief in Christ who should come.
Mosiah 5:10
10 And now it shall
come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be
called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of
God.
Alma 46:18
18 And he said:
Surely God shall not suffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us
the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon
us by our own transgressions.
Mosiah 25:23
23 And now there
were seven churches in the land of Zarahemla. And it came to pass that
whosoever were desirous to take upon them the name of Christ, or of God, they
did join the churches of God;
Mormon 8:38
38 O ye pollutions,
ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why
have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you
the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless
happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world?
Mosiah 5:8
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.
Alma 46:21
21 And it came to
pass that when Moroni had proclaimed these words, behold, the people came
running together with their armor girded about their loins, rending their
garments in token, or as a covenant, that they would not forsake the Lord their
God; or, in other words, if they should transgress the commandments of God, or
fall into transgression, and be ashamed to take upon them the name of Christ,
the Lord should rend them even as they had rent their garments.
2 Nephi 31:13
13 Wherefore, my
beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of
heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent,
repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take
upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your
Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye
receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy
Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto
the Holy One of Israel.
Moroni 6:3
3 And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.
Comparison of different editions of D&C 20:37
As found in the original "Articles and
Covenants" printed in 1830:
And
again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism, behold whosoever humbleth
himself before God and desireth to be baptized, and comes forth with a broken
heart and a
contrite spirit, and witnesseth unto the church that they truly repent of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him unto the end,
and truly
manifest by their works that they have received the gift of Christ unto
the remission of their sins, then
shall they be received unto baptism into the church of Christ.
Pasted
from <http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/articles-and-covenants-circa-april-1830-dc-20#7>
As found in the Revelation Book 1 (written in the
early 1830s)
And again by the way
of Commandment to the Church
Concerning the
manner of Baptism Behold whosoever
humbleth himself before God & desireth to be Baptized & comes forth with a broken heart & a
contrite spirit & witness eth to the Church that they have truly Repented
of all their sins & are willing to take upon them the name of
Christ having a determination to serve him unto the end & truly manifest by their works that they
have received the spirit of Christ unto
the remision of their sins then shall they
be received unto Baptism into the Church of Christ.
As found in Doctrine and Covenants 1835 edition (same
as current edition):
And again by way of
commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism.
All those who humble
themselves before God and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken
hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly
repented of all their sins and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a
determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that
they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins,
shall be received by baptism into his church.
Regarding the text
of the 1835 edition, this is part of the description taken from the Joseph
Smith Papers:
JS apparently relied on others to do the actual
typesetting and printing and possibly the bulk of the editing, arranging, and
other intellectual work needed to prepare the revelations for print.
Pasted
from <http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835#!/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835&p=87>
Doctrine and Covenants 20:37 (as we have it today)
And again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church.
Also of interest:
This was a revelation given to Oliver Cowdery titled
"Articles of the Church of Christ" (1829):
And now I speak unto
the Church Repent all ye ends of the Earth & come unto me & be baptized in my name which is
Jesus Christ & endure to the end &
ye shall be saved Behold Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the
Father & there is none other name
given whereby man can be saved Therefore all men must take upon them the name which is given of the
Father for in that name shall they be
called at the last <day> Therefore if they know not the name by which
they are called they cannot have place in
the Kingdom of my Father.
In the sacrament prayer it could also be starting that they are willing to take upon then the name of "his Son"...
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