What's in a name

It has only been in the last century that science is recognizing the impact that words have on water.  I thought I would offer up two diametrically opposed examples to show you the power of words upon water.  The first is powerful to the negative and teaches a great lesson.  

In 1956, in Southeast Asia, a meeting was held in a secret military lab to develop and produce weapons of mass destruction.  Word had been underway here for several years on a powerful new generation of bacteriological weapon.  The scientists were discussing what properties this weapon should have at one of these protracted secret meetings.

Suddenly the session broke off.  All the participants were taken to the hospital with symptoms of severe food poisoning.

An investigation into what happened quickly hit a dead end.  The scientists had consumed nothing except water from the carafes on the table.  The water was tested.  No harmful additives were found. It’s chemical composition was H2O.  And that’s what the report said, “Poisoning caused by ordinary water.”[1]

If the structure of water can change because of the evil designs of wicked men, think of the tremendous alteration that takes place on the bread and water prayed over for the sacrament by the priest each week. 

Looking at the feast of the Sacrament under this light, understanding that the blessing of the water can perform an actual and literal change to us, to sanctify our bodies, to put the very name of Jesus Christ into our cells, yea, even down to the very imprint upon our DNA; to say it is a humbling thing to learn is a great understatement.  We take upon us the name of Christ at our baptism.  Each and every time we partake of the Sacrament, we get a greater and greater portion of Him into our lives.

The other example show the power of His word upon one of the emblems of the sacrament.

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. (John 2:1-10)

Now I would like to explain a little bit about the water in the waterpots of stone that was after the manner of the purifying of the Jews.  This water was used to wash the Jews in a ceremonial setting.  It took not only the surface soil, but all that was attached to it.  Even after the water had been emptied, there would have been the memory imbedded into the stone of the DNA of every person who had been washed. We live in a day of forensics where we have seen that a little bit of hair, or dead skin, or even a few drops of body fluid can tell an incredible story; so much is contained therein.

The reason that water is purified as it rolls over the rocks and stones in a stream or river is because the rocks, with their inherent magnetism, will attract the information from the water and leave the water clean.  New water in old pots is not a good idea. That new water will still possess the old memories that comes from the stone.

Just as the water in the conference in 1956 picked up the intention of the words from those conspiring men and held it in the memory, so the water in these pots held all the memories of all the people who had been ceremonial cleansed; it sat all together.  With the words pronounced upon that water by the Savior, that water lost all of the memories of the sins and illness and pain of those people and became, as it were, the best wine of the feast.  It now had his imprint upon it.  It held His name.

That is what that feast of the sacrament can do for us.  That is what we feast on every week, if we will, when we partake of the sacred emblems.  They can remove the old memories of poor choices, generational curses and genetic issues.  We invite the Savior in to take the place of all these worldly, miserable issues. Fasting from the world and partaking of that feast prepares us for a greater and greater portion of the Savior, if that is our true desire.  We have taken his name upon us at baptism, and now we continue to take on more and more of his qualities, which are tied into every name that He is called.  These names, (some have identified over 400 of them. I cannot believe there is a limit, since there is no limit to His greatness and perfection) are all laden with possibilities for us to become more and more like Him.

Do I want to sit at the table next to the Savior and let some of his greatness rub off on me?  Indeed I do.

[1] Voice Entertainment, Water, The Great Mystery, DVD, 2008,