Taking on the Name of Jesus Christ

This message from Elder Dale G. Renlund was inspiring. He shared a story about President Russell M. Nelson. We all know of his incredible work he did in the medical field prior to his call as an Apostle. In 2018, a special professorship was created at the University of Utah. The individual who receives this is given “recognition, salary support, and research funds.” The first surgeon who was chosen to receive this was named Dr. Craig H. Selzman. He spoke about how it changed him – as a person and as a surgeon. He knew his name would now be linked with President Nelson’s name and used that to better himself.

Elder Renlund then shared five parallels to the experience Dr. Selzman had with President Nelson, and the experience we can have when taking upon ourselves the name of Christ. The five parallels he named were:

1. Identification
2. Remembrance
3. Emulation
4. Alignment with His purposes
5. Empowerment

His message was very thought provoking for me. I loved the continuous thread of intention. We don’t take someone else’s name upon us casually. It is a choice. And it is a choice that Christ gives to each of us. To choose Him. To choose to identify with Him and to be like Him. To be part of this great work. To reflect Him and His character with who we are and how we carry ourselves in this world. I so badly want to do this. But it is a daily discipleship. A daily striving that carefully, over time, changes us from the inside.

Prompting

I want to take upon myself the name of Christ. I have promised and covenanted to do this already. But I want His name etched on my heart. I want to live my life every day following his example, acting, thinking, and loving as He did. This is an eternal quest. But one that I want to engage in.

My Favorite Takeaways

“We can see at least five parallels to the process through which we take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. 

The first parallel is identification…When we take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, we link our name with His.  We identify with Him.  We gladly become known as Christian.  We acknowledge the Savior and unapologetically stand up to be counted as His. 

Closely related to identification is another parallel – remembrance…Partaking of the sacrament each week helps us remember Jesus Christ throughout the week.  As we partake of the sacrament, we do so in remembrance of the price He paid to redeem us.  We covenant anew to remember Him, recognize His greatness, and appreciate His goodness.  We acknowledge repeatedly that it is only in and through His grace that we are saved from physical and spiritual death. 

Even when we are occupied with other matters, we remain mindful of Him. 

An outgrowth of remembering what the Savior has done for us is a third parallel – emulation…The more we identify with and remember Jesus Christ, the more we want to be like Him.  As His disciples, we change for the better when we focus on Him, more so than when we focus on ourselves.  We strive to become like Him and seek to be blessed with His attributes.  We pray fervently to be filled with charity, the pure love of Christ. 

Emulating Jesus Christ leads us to a fourth parallel – alignment with His purposes…Part of taking upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ involved willingly, intentionally, and enthusiastically aligning our goals with His.  We join Him in His work when we “love, share, and invite.”  We join Him in His work when we minister to others. 

Doing these four leads us to a fifth parallel – empowerment.  We access God’s power and blessings in our lives…When we take upon ourselves the name of the Savior, our Heavenly Father blesses us with His power to help us fulfill our mission in mortality. 

As we make additional covenants with God, we take upon ourselves more fully the name of Jesus Christ.  Consequently, God blesses us with more of His power. 

We become more spiritually receptive.  We have more courage to confront seemingly impossible circumstances.  We are strengthened more in our resolve to follow Jesus Christ.  We more speedily repent and return to Him when we transgress.  We become better at sharing His gospel with His power and authority.  We help those in need while being less judgmental, far less judgmental.  We retain a remission of our sins.  We have greater peace, and we are more cheerful because we can always rejoice.  His glory will be round about us, and His angels will have charge over us. 

Come unto our Heavenly Father.  Take upon yourself the name of Jesus Christ.  Identify with Him.  Always remember Him.  Strive to be like Him.  Join Him in His work.  Receive His power and blessings in your life.  Etch His name in your heart, willingly and intentionally.  This gives you “standing” before God and qualifies you for the Savior’s advocacy on your behalf.  You will become an exalted inheritor in the kingdom of our Father in Heaven, a joint-heir with His Firstborn, our beloved Savior and Redeemer.”

FULL text and video of Elder Dale G. Renlund’s message can be found HERE.

Other messages from the October 2025 General Conference that I found particularly impactful:

• The Family-Centered Gospel of Jesus Christ by President Dallin H. Oaks
• The Lord Looketh on the Heart by Elder Ronald M. Barcellos
• The Eternal Gift of Testimony by Elder Kevin G. Brown
• Cheering Each Other On by Sister J. Anette Dennis
• Do Your Part with All Your Heart by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf