your name

well this post is basically for the little man. i want him to know how he came to be Lincoln James Mask.

Dear Lincoln,

Choosing baby names has never been an easy task in this family. We generally don’t decide on your names until a few weeks, days, or minutes (in Dallin’s case) before you are born.

This time around, I started making a list of names early. I gave it to Dad and told him to see if he liked any of the names. He crossed off everything he didn’t like, but he didn’t pick out one he did like either. Every month, we would look at the list again, cross off more names and Lincoln just kept coming to the top.

Just a few weeks ago, I told Daddy that we really needed to finalize your name, so I could be ready for you in my mind. He looked at me, smiled and said, "It’s Lincoln, isn’t it."  I smiled back. It felt right. It felt like you. And we knew with that name you would be a good baby, a great boy, and an incredible man.

Next, to decide your middle name. This took us a little longer. We really wanted your middle name to have a special significance. We picked out a few names of some very special people in our lives, but we couldn’t choose one over the other. So we decided we’d figure it out when we met you.

As we were getting ready to come to the hospital on Friday morning, we heard that President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, had passed away that morning. I was sad to hear it, but Daddy and I also had a feeling that maybe you two had a chance to talk for just a little while as he left this earth and you entered it that day. We felt the spirit strongly as we spoke about it.

We arrived at the hospital excited and anxious. The operation went smoothly. They brought you over to meet me and Daddy and we knew you were the "Lincoln" we had been awaiting. Later that day, we were still unsure of what we wanted your middle name to be. Dad was talking on the phone to Aunt Kim about  you and about Pres. Faust passing away that morning. She asked if you had a middle name yet. Dad said no, and she said, "What about James?" Daddy emphatically exclaimed, "Yes, that’s it! James!" He turned to me and said, "What do you think?"

At that moment, I remembered an interesting experience I had while they were putting me back together on the operating table. Daddy had gone with you to the nursery and I was just laying there quietly when I heard a clear voice in my mind say, "James." That was it. Just James. I didn’t hear anything else. And I sat there wondering why in the world that name popped into my head for no reason. It seemed odd. I didn’t think much of it and my mind just went on to something else.

But when I heard Daddy say "James," it all came together. I knew exactly why I had heard that name in my head. It was a neat experience for all of us. We felt strongly that we should give you the name of a man that we love and respect. And for all we know, you two may have already become good friends.

President James E. Faust
07.31.1920 – 08.10.2007