There’s a brief passage in the Book of Mormon where the prophet Helaman explains to his two sons Nephi and Lehi why he gave them those names:
“Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good. Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them” (Helaman 5:6-7).
My husband and I had a similar desire. We wanted to give our children names that would remind them of both their faith and their family, and encourage them to live up to the examples of their predecessors.
So our oldest is named after his great-grandfather; his middle name is the same as his father’s: Michael, which means “Who is like God?”
Our second son is named Joshua, Hebrew for “God is salvation” and a close approximation of Jesus’ name. For his middle name we used the first name of my husband’s brother, who passed away as a teenager.
Our youngest’s first name means “God is good” and is also a variation of my mother’s maiden name. His middle name is my father’s first name.
We’ve also made sure to explain to each of our boys why we gave them the names they have, so that their names can serve as a reminder to them of both God and their family.
