'What's in a Name? Ask Anthony
Adverse!'
- by E. R. Harding, 1/99 When we are young the church teaches us the value of honoring our mother and father and our 'good name'. Thus, we all know the importance of keeping our 'good name' un-spotted from dishonesty and vice. One of the most poignant lessons I remember as a youth, on this subject, was an old 1930's movie titled 'Anthony Adverse' starring Frederick March. It was the story of an Orphan boy who is taken in by a man as his surf, given this strange name, and put to work to learn his keepers trade - banking and finance. He is treated as little more than a slave, but, learns his duties well. He later falls in love with his masters daughter and is forced to leave because his has nothing to offer her and is below her station in life. They secretly marry before he is leaves and he vows to go out into the world and become rich so he can come back with a 'name' that is worthy of his wife. She also vows to wait for him. Anthony learns the ways of the world and uses them to become very wealthy. He returns to his homeland to claim his bride and finds her father is near bankruptcy and the rest of the community is in dire economic straits. He risks his personal fortune to save the banks in the area from failing and try's to save his ex-master's business so his wife's 'good name' and father will not be shammed. His best friend, Vincent Nolte, questions the sanity of Anthony Adverse, in risking his personnel fortune to help the banks stay solvent when the men who owned them had treated him so badly. Anthony's reply is: “Money doesn't matter" ...all that matters is my wife and our good name, ..."we pledged ourselves to the future of the name that was invented for me. With her I can give it roots in the present and children to carry it on in the future, love, and a home, and a tradition. These things are the very essence of a man's sole. They are his wealth and his power. Without them, he has nothing!" As an orphan Anthony Adverse understood the importance of having a
'good name' and would have given anything for honored parents. He
wanted a name that he and is wife could be proud of. A name that
his children could inherit and be proud of. And, a name which would
be their identity for the rest of eternity. Like Anthony, our 'good
names' should give us added power to combat our evil nature and help us
make good choices. Why would a son or daughter do anything to soil
or degrade the good name given them by loving parents and a proud posterity.
We all need to follow the admonition found in First Nephi 17:55, "...honor
thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which
the Lord thy God shall give thee." By honoring our 'good name' we
truly honor our loving parents, our heritage and our Father-in-heaven.
Without the honor of a 'good name' we loose our wealth and power and have
nothing!
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