Come, Follow Me
What does it mean to take upon myself the name of Jesus Christ?

What does it mean to take upon myself the name of Jesus Christ?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

When we are baptized, we covenant to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. We renew this covenant when we partake of the sacrament (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:77). We fulfill this covenant by putting the Lord first in our lives, by striving to think and act as He would, and by standing “as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9).

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

What do you think it means to take upon yourself the name of Christ? What do you do to keep this covenant?

What challenges and blessings come when young women take upon themselves the name of Christ? How can you help the young women put God first in their lives?

What can the young women do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior knew those He taught, and He knew who they could become. When they struggled, He did not give up on them, but continued to love and minister to them. How can you show your love and support to the young women you teach?

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our class: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our responsibilities: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the class of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a class presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the class; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help class members understand the doctrine.

  • Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught that when we eat the Savior’s flesh and drink His blood through the symbols of the sacrament, we express “how completely we must bring the Savior into our life—into our very being” (“The Living Bread Which Came Down from Heaven”). Write the following two headings on the board describing how we can bring the Savior into our lives: Internalize the Qualities and Character of Christ and Repent of Our Sins. Invite the young women to search Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk from the paragraph beginning “The symbolism of the sacrament” to the end of the story about the mission president’s dream. What do we learn from the talk and the story about the importance of these two ideas? How can focusing on these ideas help us take the Savior’s name upon us?

  • Show the video “Dare to Stand Alone.” What do the young women feel President Monson’s main message is in this video? How did the youth depicted in the video show that they have taken upon themselves the Savior’s name? Invite the young women to share their own similar experiences.

  • Share the following statement from President Henry B. Eyring: “We promise to take His name upon us. That means we must see ourselves as His. We will put Him first in our lives. We will want what He wants rather than what we want or what the world teaches us to want” (“That We May Be One,” Ensign, May 1998, 67). Divide the class into three groups, and ask each group to discuss one of the following questions: What does it mean to see ourselves as Christ’s? How do we put the Savior first in our lives? What does it mean to want what the Savior wants? Ask one person from each group to share with the rest of the class what her group discussed.

  • Invite the young women to read Mosiah 5, looking for answers to questions like “What does it mean to take upon ourselves the name of Christ?” and “Why is it important to take upon ourselves the name of Christ?” Ask them to share what they find and list specific things they can do to show that they have taken upon themselves the Savior’s name.

  • Share the following statement from Elder Robert D. Hales: “The word Christian denotes taking upon us the name of Christ.” Divide Elder Hales’s talk “Being a More Christian Christian” among the young women. Ask each young woman to read her section, looking for answers to the question “What does it mean to be a Christian?” Ask her to share what she finds and give examples of people she knows whom she considers to be true Christians.

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young women to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a class to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young women a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young women that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.

Related Youth Activities

Plan a Mutual activity that will help the young women apply what they learned in this lesson.