The Love Family: A Name & A Blessing

It is tradition in the church to publicly name and bless children shortly after they are born because of a revelation given in the Doctrine & Covenants: "Every member of the Church of Christ having children is to bring them unto the elders before the church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless them in His name."

You really don't find many little gentlemen quite as handsome as this one. I absolutely loved this tiny white tuxedo on Mr. Hyram. He was such a stud! :) We were grateful to be able to have a lot of our family come for Hyram's blessing the week after Christmas. David blessed him in our ward on December 30, 2012.

Hyram David Love

Hyram is such a smart, sweet, pleasant baby. He is cheery and knows what he needs and wants. It has always been simple to help him stay content. We are so grateful to have this precious and hilarious baby in our family. His name was one of the only male names David and I agreed on from the beginning. We thought of a lot of others, but always came back to Hyram. I really liked the "H-i-r-a-m" spelling, and David was partial to the "H-y-r-u-m" version. We met in the middle, inevitably securing a lifetime of correcting others on misspelling his name. Sorry, buddy. David won the Y and I kept my A. Poor kid.

I keep a little journal to Hyram and write him letters and stories from time to time. This is the entry I wrote to him about his name:

Sunday, September 16, 2012

"Dear Hyram,

Dad finally gave in and let us make a decision about your name. Last week, I was sitting in church thinking about the names we had picked out for you. I flipped through the program and looked at all the boys' names in it, and looked through the hymnal at all the male [composers'] names...but then, the thought came to my mind, "Why are you still looking? You already know his name. His name is Hyram." So, there you have it! Hyram David Love!

I've done some reading and learned about some of the famous Hyram's of the past, and I think it will be a fitting name for you. You have a lot of wonderful examples to look to from each of your names. The original name "Hiram" is a Hebrew name that literally means high born or born of royalty. You are a child of God, Hyram! You are a prince, preparing to become a king yourself. Hiram symbolically means My Brother is Exalted. You have a great work to do in this life. You will be our eldest son, and it will be your job to set an example for your younger siblings. It will be your job to lift or raise up those around you and be a strength to those who are weaker than you. I hope to help you to learn to be kind and selfless. I hope you learn to lead by your strong example. I hope you are able to develop charity and compassion toward your fellow men.

I've learned that Hiram in the Old Testament was the Phonecian King of Tyre. He was friends with David and Solomon. He sent craftsmen and artisans and supplies to Solomon to help build Solomon's temple. I think you will be able to build up the kingdom of God by attending the temple and making the temple a priority like King Hiram did.

Hyrum Smith was the older brother of the prophet, Joseph Smith. He was always loyal and faithful, and stood by his brother's side, even until death. He supported his brother in everything he did and stood for. You can be a strength to your siblings the way Hyrum was for Joseph. They will always be able to fin an ally and a friend in you.

Hiram Page was another prominent member of the church. He was one of the eight witnesses of the Book of Mormon, and showed great faith in the gospel. He once found a stone that he thought was a seer stone, giving revelation. He was reprimanded for this, and instead of becoming offended, he immediately ground it to dust. You can follow his example by being humble and teachable, and choosing to repent when you realize that you can do better and become more like the Savior.

Hyram, your name can help you to think of those you have gone before you, but you will do amazing things on your own and create a new legacy for the name.

Your middle name, David, is after your dad, who I've already told you is the best man I know. If you follow his example in all things, he will always lead you right. The name David means beloved. Just like your dad, you are so loved by me and your family, and your father in Heaven. We are all so excited to see the great things you will do in this life.

Your last name, Love, has a long legacy of men and women who have tried to live up to the word. I am sure that Grandma Love will teach you a lot about those people. She loves family history, and she is a wonderful story-teller. You can always think of your last name and try to emulate the love of the Savior.

So, Hyram David Love, we are so excited to meet you and to see what you do with your name!"

Love, Mom