Many people ask us how we selected the name Asher for our second son. Well, the idea first came about from the scriptures. As you know, Asher, according to the Old Testament, was the second son of Jacob and Zilpah. Jacob refers to Asher as a blessing and when Jacob blessed his 12 sons in Genesis, chapter 49, he said that Asher would have a life blessed with an abundance of food and delicacies befitting a king. It is also said that Asher was the one son of Jacob, who ALWAYS sought harmony between his siblings.
Well if that wasn't enough to make us fall in love with the name, two of my favorite latter-day apostles are Marvin J. Ashton (Jesse would not concede to the name Ashton feeling it would be too closely linked to another more famous Ashton) and Neil A. Maxwell.
Well, when we were getting down to the wire on choosing a name, Jesse said "I wonder what the A. in Neil A. Maxwell's name stands for?". A quick google search revealed that Maxwell's middle name is Ash. VOILA! The name of the second son was cemented. Jesse and I knew that family members on both sides were not crazy about the name, but we just loved the fact that he is named after three great men.
Okay, this all brings me to a quote I wanted to share by Marvin J. Ashton:
"The best and most clear indicator that we are progressing spiritually and coming unto Christ is the way we treat other people."
WOW. Powerful Huh? Now for the most part, I treat people pretty well. I think I would have a hard time being ugly or mean to someone while we are face-to-face. However, here's where I definitely need improvement. There are times when I share unkind comments about others. Such actions definitely keep me from progressing spiritually toward my Savior. So here's the goal: If I can't say something nice, I'm going to try my best to say nothing at all. There are a few of you who are reading this blog who I talk to on a regular basis. I'm giving you my permission to remind me of this goal if I regress. Knowing me, I might be a little ticked when you first mention said goal, but it won't take me long at all to realize that this reminder came from someone who cares enough about me to aid in my attempt to become more like my Savior.
So there it is, I've blogged it and there's no turning back.
2 comments:
Did you know that Steve LOVES the name Asher and has wanted to name each of our boys Asher? Also, you porbably don't know her, but Jesse does: Toria Cutler named her son Asher.
Great post, you're setting the bar high for all of us that read this and I'm accepting your challenge. We'll all be better for trying to keep everyones name "safe".
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