In August this year President Nelson made an announcement:

“The Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have work before us to bring ourselves in harmony with His will. In recent weeks, various Church leaders and departments have initiated the necessary steps to do so. Additional information about this important matter will be made available in the coming months” (Russell  M. Nelson, in “The Name of the Church”  [official statement, Aug. 16, 2018], mormonnewsroom.org).

Like many, I thought that this was just the most recent in a series of attempts the Church has made to try to get the press to use the full name of the Church when reporting on Church matters. I was wrong – President Nelson was very serious about this.

In his talk at Conference he set out what this issue was NOT about:

• ‘It is not a name change.
• It is not rebranding
• It is not cosmetic
• It is not a whim.
• And it is not inconsequential.’

This was something much more important than rebranding or trying to influence the way the press refer to us – in fact, President Nelson said it was being dome because the Lord  impressed it on his mind and because it was a command of the Lord.

Why do you think the Lord may have chosen this particular time to make his desire known through his Prophet?

Perhaps the answer lies further on in the talk, President Nelson promises the Church that if we follow this command:

‘We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.’

The adjustments that have been made have at the General Conferences this year could all be said to have some reference to better preparing us for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

What relevance do the adjustments made at the last two General Conferences to preparing for the Second Coming?

President Nelson amplified his assertion that this was not an inconsequential matter by spelling out the serious implications of not referring to the Church by its correct name.

What were those implications?

 ‘the most important thing in those names is the absence of the Savior’s name. To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan. When we discard the Savior’s name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us—even His Atonement.’

How do you feel about these statements?

How does using an incorrect name constitute a victory for Satan?

In what ways does using an incorrect name mean that we are at risk of disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us?

President Nelson states that we have ‘unwittingly acquiesced in the Lord’s restored Church being called by other names, each of which expunges the sacred name of Jesus Christ!’

What can we do to reinstate the sacred name of Jesus Christ?

The blessings promised for obedience in this matter are breathtaking:

‘He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen.’

In the footnotes to the talk President Nelson references the following scripture:

D&C 121: 33 How long can rolling waters remain impure? What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.

He also referenced the same scripture in April in his landmark talk ‘Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives’:

‘Does God really want to speak to you? Yes! “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.” 

The Lord, through his Prophet, is trying to get us individually and as a Church, in a position where he can pour out knowledge and blessings upon us. If we follow the Prophet in this matter we will be able to access the Lord’s power:

‘to cleanse and heal us, to strengthen and magnify us, and ultimately to exalt us.’

What do those blessings mean to you?