A Name.

Every year on December 5th my family and I celebrate Dutch Christmas. It's a very fun tradition that my sisters and I look forward to every year. On the night of December 4th, we leave our wooden shoes in our front room with a carrot in them in hopes that Sinkterklaas will come! Every year we have never been disappointed! We wake up and find all sorts of fun dutch candy. One of the must-have treats every year is a chocolate letter that represents the first letter in your first name. Since I am on my mission this year, I got a small package in the mail from Sinterklaas. I had to wait a week and a half to open it, but sure enough, it was my chocolate letter "B".

All of this got me thinking about the importance of a name. We read in the scriptures about a father, named Helaman, who teaches his sons about the importance of a name. In Helaman 5:6-7 it says,

"6 Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.

7 Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them."

As a missionary, I have 2 names on my missionary tag. One is my last name, Rupp. The other, is the name of Jesus Christ. I am proud to be a Rupp and I always will be. I want to always do things that will bring honor to my family name, but more importantly, I have taken upon myself the name of Jesus Christ. I was baptized when I was 8 years old in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. At that time I promised that I would take His name upon me and always remember him, that I would keep His commandments, and that I would stand as a witness of Him at all times, in all things, and in all places. In return, my Heavenly Father promised me that I could always have His spirit to be with me. What a promise!

My wonderful family!! The Rupp's :)

I think the greatest name we could ever take upon ourselves is the name of Jesus Christ. In a General Conference talk Elder Mervyn B. Arnold said, "Speaking of how we can take upon us the name of Christ, and thus protect our good name, Moroni taught:

"And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing...

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness."

Elder Arnold extends an invitation to all saying, "Before you act, picture the Savior standing at your side and ask yourself: Would I think it, would I say it, or would I do it knowing He is there?"

So, in 600 years, how will our names be remembered? For me personally, I hope that I can stand before my Savior and say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." "I have honored Thy name."

At this time of year as we honor the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, may we be better examples of Him, may we help others know Him because they know us. Let us honor His name!