Zachary Ammon Wilhelmsen

Yesterday was Zachary's Big Day. We had most of Corey's and my family present for the blessing. We had not decided for sure on a name by the time we arrived at the meetinghouse. Corey had to fill out the paperwork, and when the blessing began, he surprised most of the family with the name Zachary Ammon Wilhelmsen. Corey had been fond of the name Ammon for a first name, but I liked it better as a middle name. Zachary must have liked the name also, because he became very calm and peaceful just before the blessing, after a difficult night and morning. Corey's strong, yet tender, love for both his Father in Heaven and his son here on earth carried the Spirit of the Lord in great abundance to all those present.

Ammon was a great Book of Mormon missionary, whom I hope Zachary will admire and exemplify. One of my favorite scriptures describes the righteous patriot Captian Moroni, for whom our nephew Nicholas is middle-named:

"If all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."

What an amazing man, right? Well, the next verse goes on to say, "Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon. . . for they were all men of God."

So this wonderful scripture describes the characteristics of both Moroni and Ammon, two great men of God. In our family, all of our nephews on both sides of the family likewise bear the names of amazing men of God. Our nephews have the first or middle names of Adam, Hyrum, Joshua, Jacob, Caleb, David, Michael, Nathan, and Spencer Kimball. I only recently realized that all these names reflect those of spiritual giants from biblical, Book of Mormon, and latter day time periods.

I hope and pray these these young men will grow strong in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as Zachary was blessed to do yesterday, to serve honorable missions, be endowed and sealed in the temple of God, and carry on the righteous traditions of those whose names they bear.