Jonathan S Schmitt | That They Might Know Thee | October 2022 General Conference | Faith To Act

That They Might Know Thee
(John 17:3)

By Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt

Of the Seventy

My earnest desire is that you will come to know Jesus by His many names and that you will become like Him.

A few years ago, I had a life-changing experience during a sacrament meeting in our home ward in Arizona. As the sacrament prayer indicated our willingness to “take upon [ourselves] the name of [Jesus Christ],”1 the Holy Ghost reminded me that Jesus has many names. This question then came to my heart: “Which of Jesus’s names should I take upon myself this week?”

Three names came to my mind, and I wrote them down. Each of those three names contained Christlike attributes that I wanted to develop more fully. In the week that followed, I focused on those three names and tried to embrace their corresponding attributes and characteristics. Since that time, I’ve continued to ask that question as part of my personal worship: “Which of Jesus’s names should I take upon myself this week?” Answering that question and striving to develop the related Christlike attributes has blessed my life.

In His great Intercessory Prayer, Jesus expressed this important truth: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”2 Today I’d like to share with you the blessings and power that come from knowing Jesus Christ by His many names.

One simple way we get to know someone is by learning their name. It has been said that “a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”3 Have you ever had the experience of calling someone by the wrong name or forgetting their name? My wife, Alexis, and I have, on occasion, called one of our children “Lola.” Unfortunately, as you may have guessed, Lola is our dog! For better or worse, forgetting someone’s name communicates to that person that you probably don’t know them very well.

Jesus knew and called people by name. To ancient Israel, the Lord said, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”4 On Easter morning, Mary’s witness of the resurrected Christ was solidified when Jesus called her by name.5 Likewise, God called Joseph Smith by name in answer to his prayer of faith.6

In some cases, Jesus gave His disciples new names that were indicative of their nature, capacity, and potential. Jehovah gave Jacob the new name of Israel, which means “one who prevails with God” or “let God prevail.”7 Jesus gave James and John the name of Boanerges, which meant the “sons of thunder.”8 Seeing his future leadership, Jesus gave Simon the name of Cephas or Peter, which means a rock.9

Just as Jesus knows each of us by name, one way we can come to better know Jesus is by learning His many names. Like the names of Israel and Peter, many of Jesus’s names are titles that help us understand His mission, purpose, character, and attributes. As we come to know Jesus’s many names, we will come to better understand His divine mission and His selfless character. Knowing His many names also inspires us to become more like Him—to develop Christlike attributes that bring joy and purpose to our lives.

A few years ago, President Russell M. Nelson studied all the scriptures concerning Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide.10 He then invited young adults to study these same scriptures. Concerning Jesus’s many names, President Nelson said, “Study everything Jesus Christ is by prayerfully and vigorously seeking to understand what each of His various titles and names means personally for you.”11

Following President Nelson’s invitation, I began developing my own list of Jesus’s many names. My personal list now has over 300 names, and I’m sure there are many more that I haven’t discovered yet.