Take Upon Us His Name

Elder James G. O. Fantone and his wife were mission leaders in the Philippines. After they came home, their youngest daughter wanted to go to a homeschool program. Elder Fantone went to the school office to turn in her papers.

The lady at the office pointed to a line and asked him to write his daughter’s name. But he was not paying close attention! He wrote his own name, James Fantone, and signed it. Oops! Then he remembered that his daughter’s name is Amanda Fantone. So he just wrote “Amanda” in front of his name. Easy fix!

Later, he thought about it. He wondered, “The question: What’s in a name?” He remembered a scripture from King Benjamin. It says that there is no other name, only the name of Jesus Christ, that can save us.

Elder Fantone said Jesus does not want us to just add His name to ours, like a sticker or badge. He wants us to take His name upon us. That means we try to become like Him, keep our promises, and serve like He did.

King Benjamin taught, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” When we help other people, we are serving God!

When Elder Fantone was a boy, his family lived in a small house with three bedrooms. One time, his mom, who was a teacher, learned that a student could not go to school because his family could not pay for a place to live. So Elder Fantone’s parents let the student live in the boys’ bedroom! Another time, a family’s children needed a safe place to stay. His parents let the children move into the girls’ bedroom.

Elder Fantone said that if his parents had lived in Bethlehem when Mary and Joseph needed a place to stay, they would have given them their own bedroom!

When Elder Fantone was a mission president, some new missionaries were sad and homesick. They cried and said the days were so long. But they knelt down and prayed, put on their name tags, and went out to serve anyway. A year later, those same missionaries were so happy! They said time was going too fast. Did time change? No. The missionaries changed. Serving others changed their hearts.

Elder Fantone said that when we serve others, we come to know Jesus, and we find out who we really are.

A scripture for this talk: 3 Nephi 27:5. Jesus asks us to take His name upon us by keeping our promises and serving.

After Elder James G. O. Fantone and his wife finished serving as mission leaders in the Philippines, their youngest daughter asked to complete 11th grade through a homeschool program. Elder Fantone went to the school office to submit papers. The registrar pointed to a line and asked him to write his daughter’s name and sign. His mind was elsewhere, and he confidently wrote his own name, “James [Fantone],” and signed. A few seconds later he realized his mistake. “no big deal,” he thought. His daughter’s name is Amanda Fantone, so he just added “Amanda” in front of his name.

Later, in a quiet moment, a question came to him: “The question: What’s in a name?” And a scripture from King Benjamin: “There shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.”

He saw a contrast. The Savior’s invitation isn’t just to add His name to ours like a badge of religious affiliation. The Savior warned that some “[Some] draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” He invites us to take upon us His name, to become more like Him by keeping covenants. The resurrected Lord asked, “Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name?”

How do we do that? Moroni recorded that people were baptized only if they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end. And King Benjamin gave the divine key: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God”

Elder Fantone grew up in a modest three-bedroom bungalow: one room for him and his brother, one for his two older sisters, and one for his parents. His mother, a public school teacher, learned that a recent graduate couldn’t continue his studies because his family couldn’t afford housing near the school. His parents gave him the boys’ room. Another time, the Relief Society president spoke of a vulnerable family whose children needed a safe place, and his parents opened the girls’ room to some of those children. Elder Fantone said that if Joseph had knocked on their door in Bethlehem looking for a place for Mary, his parents would have gladly given up their own room.

President Marion G. Romney taught, “Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made”

As a mission president, Elder Fantone often had new missionaries sit in his office in tears: “President, I am so sad, lonely, and homesick. The days feel so long and time is so slow; I don’t even know if I can last for three more months.” Yet they knelt, put on their name tags, and served anyway. A year later the same missionaries said, “President, I am so happy! I love the people, and I love this work. But time is moving too fast—I don’t want this to end!” Did time change? “Time did not change—the missionaries did. The work did not change—the workers did.” When we take Christ’s name by losing ourselves in serving others, we experience a mighty change of heart.

King Benjamin asked, “For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” Elder Fantone testified that as we lose our lives in His service, we will find him and we will find ourselves.

Scripture to look up: 3 Nephi 27:5. The Savior taught that we must take upon us the name of Christ, by covenant and a lifelong determination to serve.

Elder James G. O. Fantone, a General Authority Seventy, began with an everyday mistake. After he and his wife finished serving as mission leaders in the Philippines, their youngest daughter asked to finish 11th grade through a homeschool program. He stopped by the registrar’s office to submit her documents. The registrar pointed to a line and asked him to write his daughter’s name and sign above it, but his mind was elsewhere. “With full confidence, I wrote ‘James Fantone’ and signed.” Seconds later he realized the error. No big deal: his daughter’s name is Amanda Fantone, so he simply added “Amanda” in front of his own name.

Later, a question came: “The question: What’s in a name?” With it came King Benjamin’s words: “There shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent” (Mosiah 3:17). He saw a significant spiritual contrast between my administrative quick fix and our Savior’s sacred invitation. The Savior’s invitation is not merely for us to add his name to our name like a badge of religious affiliation. The Savior warned of those who “[Some] draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Joseph Smith—History 1:19). Instead, He invites us to take upon us His name, “It is an invitation to become more like Him through covenant keeping.” The resurrected Lord asked, “Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name?” (3 Nephi 27:5).

So how do we, practically, take His name? Moroni recorded that none were baptized “save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end” (Moroni 6:3). He taught, “Taking upon us His name requires a lifelong determination to serve Him.” And King Benjamin supplied the divine key: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17).

He learned service at home. His family lived in a modest three-bedroom bungalow: one room for him and his brother, one for two older sisters, one for his parents. One season, the boys’ room wasn’t available. His mother, a public school teacher, learned that a recent graduate couldn’t pursue vocational studies because his family couldn’t afford housing near the school. “Desiring to help him fulfill his potential, my parents opened our home and offered him the boys’ room.” Another season it was the girls’ room: when the ward Relief Society president spoke of a vulnerable family whose children desperately needed a safe place, his parents without hesitation took some of the children in indefinitely. “I believe with all my heart that if my parents had lived in Bethlehem when Joseph was searching for a place for Mary to give birth, and if by chance they knocked on our door, and if the boys’ and girls’ rooms were occupied, my parents would have gladly offered their room.”

He quoted President Marion G. Romney: “Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made”

He saw the same courageous service in missionaries. In interviews during their first months, it was common for some to sit across from him in tears: “President, I am so sad, lonely, and homesick. The days feel so long and time is so slow; I don’t even know if I can last for three more months.” He said, “Yet these valiant missionaries got on their knees, put on their name tags, and went out to serve anyway.” A year later, the same missionaries, with glowing faces: “President, I am so happy! I love the people, and I love this work. But time is moving too fast—I don’t want this to end!” He marveled each time. “‘Did time actually change?’ You and I know the answer. Time did not change—the missionaries did. The work did not change—the workers did.”

When we genuinely take Christ’s name by losing ourselves in others’ service, something miraculous happens. We experience what Alma called a mighty change of heart (Alma 5:12–14), the kind of change that leads to true conversion and not merely personal elation. King Benjamin’s penetrating question applies: “For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” (Mosiah 5:13).

His conclusion returned to the registrar’s office: The Savior’s invitation is not for us to merely add his name to our names. His invitation is for us to take upon us his name by covenant and to serve him with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength (D&C 4:2) by lifting, loving, and serving our fellow men. He testified that he is determined to strive to serve him faithfully to the end, and that as we lose our lives in his service we will find him and we will find ourselves.