Names, Words, and the Power Behind Them


JudoMinja
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I have been doing some pleasure reading in a favorite series of mine known as The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. It is a fantasy based series in modern Chicago about a wizard private investigator. As I've been re-reading the series more carefully for entertainment I've noticed something- especially as I tend to do my reading around bed time and end up reading my scriptures right after reading these books:

In most all fantasy books, especially those dealing with magic, there is a direct power described behind names and words. It is said that if you know the True Name of something and call upon it- most effective if you do so three times- that you are given power over it. This was done in Earthsea (movie and book) to gain power over a dragon and require it to answer three questions, and has been done in many other similar situation throughout fantasy novels, movies, and series. There is also power behind specific words or phrases, the creation of spells.

The significance of this power behind names and words transfers over to our religious beliefs. Our priesthood ordinances are performed with careful attention to following the exact wording provided for those ordinances- baptism, sacrament, ect. In our Patriarchal blessing we receive our lineage, and in our endowment we receive our Name which we are not to share with anyone other than our spouse because of the power and sanctity it holds.

I have come to understand that these fantasy authors/screewriters have touched on a piece of truth. There is a great power behind words and names. Many of us have touched on this power in a broader sense when we find ourselves appreciating a well-written song, poem, or book. When someone says something to us with real meaning and conviction, it touches us in a way that is hard to explain. We seem to innately understand the importance of names when we carefully choose the names of our children and even our pets. We have all at some point heard the caution "Be careful what you wish for..." which origniated from a belief that once something was said outloud it held power over us.

However, much of the power behind words seems to have been lost in our society. People seem to care less about what they say and how they say it. Words that should be significant and meaningful have lost their power because they are tossed about like candy- they are overused, used out of context, used improperly, carelessly, recklessly. But our words can regain the power they once had if we will commit ourselves to their careful use.

I believe we are capable of putting power behind everything we say, if we rely on the spirit to guide our speech. We must curb our tongues and carefully choose our words and phrases in everything we do. One benefit that will come from doing so will be an increase in respect from those around us, as they find they can trust we will do what we say, that we speak with honesty and conviction, that we mean what we say.

Any other thoughts on this?

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However, much of the power behind words seems to have been lost in our society. People seem to care less about what they say and how they say it. Words that should be significant and meaningful have lost their power because they are tossed about like candy- they are overused, used out of context, used improperly, carelessly, recklessly. But our words can regain the power they once had if we will commit ourselves to their careful use.

I've been in love with this idea since reading Stephenson's Snow Crash, but have never really considered putting into practice much. Going through a divorce has given me new appreciation for the power of choosing specific terms carefully. Rossi's seminal book, Mom's House, Dad's House puts a lot of emphasis on using specific terms, like "my children's mother" instead of "ex-wife", and after trying it for a while I can see why.

Naming something gives you a measure of control over it. That's part of the reason why various interest groups have tried to reclaim words like "queer": by redefining a once-pejorative term, they get to control what it means and how it's perceived.

I think the Church as an entity understands this pretty well, as evidenced by the ongoing attempts to get people to call us the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints instead of just "Mormons", or the never-ending process of explaining that FLDS, RLDS, YFZ, etc. are not really "fundamentalist Mormons".

Everything done in the Lord's name must be done in His way, and in many cases He has specified the wording that we should use--from the Lord's Prayer to the sheet posted in the font at the temple that tells you what wording to use while doing proxy baptisms to the wording of the Sacrament prayer.

Interestingly, though, there are also many areas of Church practice and culture where standardized words have crept in unwanted. How many times have you heard people use the same trite phrases during a testimony meeting? (I mean this both to say that some people say the same thing every time and that different people use the same wording or phrases.)

I think you're right that paying careful attention to how we name things, and how we express ourselves, can be a great source of power. Too bad I didn't follow my own advice or this post would have made more sense :)

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The power of a name is related to the covenant that is part of that name. In other words we can understand that the use of the name of G-d is diminished when it is used without a covenant or in actions that break the covenant or as the ancient scriptures say – used or taken in vein.

It is interesting to me that the ancient Egyptians added harmony as a facet of a name. This brought about the concept of chanting in the ancient world that evolved into “singing” praises in our era. But it is interesting to me that the ancient Egyptians believed that there must be a direct ratio included in the harmony of two things existing together such that they draw power from each other. And so we have the concept of being in harmony with something like G-d or nature – or for that matter anything else.

The idea of harmony is quite interesting in science because of what is called resident frequencies. Harmonic frequencies add to wave power amplification where as dissident frequencies actually cancel energy or power output. Certain words seem to have harmonic sound all by themselves when placed into verse or sung with certain harmonies.

It is my personal opinion that there are 3 parts for there to be harmonies of all things or to any thing that is harmonious. First is the source frequency which has a power in the speaking or creating. Second is the frequency of the receiver or the hearer (he that has ears to hear). The third is the Holy Ghost that is the medium of spiritual power. As we learn from D&C 132, the power of the three can only be realized or unleashed in covenant involving all three (source, medium and receiver). Again this is interesting to me because the ancient Egyptians calculated what has become known as the harmonic triad. And thus they believe that all harmonies of power come in 3’s and multiples of 3.

The Traveler

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