-Green Hills, Tennessee

I'm all out of ways to say hello. So if you can think of a creative greeting go ahead and insert it right there on the line. 

                             

Would you like to see a picture of Elder Brown? Well here you go:

Elder Brown is quite a great missionary. I'm very glad to be serving with him before he goes home. I've already learned so much in the last few days it is awesome. --Also I will get around to learning a new way to tie my tie eventually. It's pretty ingrained in my subconscious after 8 years and I keep forgetting about it.-- Anyway I can see why they have us change areas and companions. There are so many new and different ways of looking at things, teaching, and going about the work in general. You get to learn something new from every companion and area. 

As far as big events or fun stories, not much happened this week. Except this really great regional conference we had yesterday. We got to hear talks from members of the quorum of the twelve apostles as well as members of the general relief society presidency. There were a lot of fantastic things said that really made me think and search myself. I'm so grateful for that opportunity and all that I learned. But what I would like to share with you comes from a talk given by president Benson of the Nashville, Tennessee Stake. 

President Benson served his mission in China and he explained one thing he learned there. While my name-tag reads:

Elder Basham

The Church of

Jesus Christ 

Of Latter-Day Saints

In Chinese it reads:

Jesus Christ's

Latter-Day Saints'

Church's

Elder Basham 

So that was really cool to think about. I represent Jesus Christ and all of the people who make up His church. That really brought new meaning to the idea of taking on the name of Jesus Christ. And that is exactly what President Benson's talk was all about. We promise to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ every time we take the sacrament. Often times we think of the sacrament as a means of renewing our baptismal covenants. However, this is found nowhere in the scriptures. All of the scriptures about the sacrament, including the prayers themselves, talk about remembering Jesus Christ and taking his name upon us. 

The sacrament is a forward-looking ordinance. Each time we take it we are preparing for that day when the father shall call Christ and His people. King Benjamin explains this day perfectly in Mosiah chapter five:

7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

8 And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.

9 And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.

10 And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God.

Every time we take the sacrament we are learning to hear the father's voice and remembering by what name we are called and promising that we will remember Christ. However there are many who shall come crying "lord, lord" yet he shall turn and say "depart, ye never knew me." We cannot simply come calling to him once a week. We will never come to know him that way. In order to know him, to know the name by which we are called and the voice which calls us, we must be obedient unto the end of our lives. Remembering him in all that we do. 

The name Jesus Christ is tied eternally with the mission of the Savior, his atonement, his love, and his gospel. It brings to mind all of the work he has done and will do for this world, the work to which he was called and chosen for before the foundation of this world and continuing beyond the end thereof and into eternity . This work is of course "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of men." To take upon ourselves His name, we promise to take upon ourselves His work, to act as he would act, to speak as he would speak, and to be as he is. 

I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week filled with a remembrance of Christ. I know that Jesus Christ is the son of God, that he is the Savior of the world, and that he lives. He is my redeemer and yours. His love extends beyond my comprehension. He is reaching out to all of us with open arms inviting us to take upon his name. In that holy name, amen.