Valentine's Day 2024

What’s in a Name?

Romeo is quoted as saying to Juliet, “A Rose by any other name…” and we all swoon! Well at least the women do. Shakespeare wrote poetry and the names he used remain in the public mind hundreds of years later. A name is very symbolic and has meaning. Were you named for an ancestor? I was named Beverly because the name Barbara was already taken in my family. I only found this out a few years ago.

Russell M Nelson talks about the Blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant in his book “Daily Joy” p. 286 “Patriarchal Blessings reveal our linkage to the great patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We are the seed of Abraham through whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed. That identity merits our precious priority, which in turn brings to us the blessings of heaven. The ultimate blessings of the Abrahamic covenant are conferred in a holy temple.” Make a list of ALL the names you find in your patriarchal blessing. The first time I did this, I forgot the man who gave me the blessing. Now, study out the meaning of each of those names. Looking in the Bible Dictionary we find that Abram meant exalted father, but when he received his divine calling from God he received a new name: Abraham, meaning Father of a multitude. Have you received a new name?