The use of the word "Mormons"

[WillowTheWhisp]

I wish I could find the conference talk but I can't. Maybe someone else can.

It wasn't too long ago.

I remember President Hinckley referring to the confusion caused when we distance ourselves from the nickname 'Mormon'. He said something along the lines of we are going to have to learn to live with it because that is what people call us and that is a word they recognise. He mentioned something about an occasion when it had been mentioned that the group most involved in something or other was the Latter-day Saints and the next most involved group was the Mormons! Or vice versa (I have a really bad short term memory for which I apologise, this is why I wish I could find the talk!)

We used to have 'Helping Hands' tabards which just had "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" on them but then they were replaced with new ones which also had the name "Mormons".

I think the point he was making was that we shouldn't say "No we're not called that." but say "Well, yes some people do call us that but in actual fact the real name of the Church is...." and then explain why. It could be a great starting off point for a gospel discussion.

[Guest tomk]

Willow:

Is it this:

LDS.org - Ensign Article - <i>Mormon</i> Should Mean “More Goodâ€

WOW, this was back in 1990!

[WillowTheWhisp]

Thanks Tomk but no, that wasn't it. The more I think about this the more I think it might have been when President Hinckley visited our Stake a couple of years ago and in that case I don't suppose the talk will be online.

He may well have referred back to the same story from his missionary days though, whenever he was here he referred to when he served his mission here. He so obviously had a soft spot for this part of the world.

The sentiment is basically the same in that article though, although I don't remember him mentioning the 'Mormon means more good' bit.

[prisonchaplain]

OUTSIDER VIEW: The OP is right. The term "Christian" was originally a slur, but the followers of Jesus embraced it as a badge of honor. I believe the original idea was, "These so-called Jews are just like that Jesus." The response became, "Yes! And honored to be so."

Teen Challenge is a Christian drug/alcohol rehab program that serves 18-whatever year olds. Originally it was geared towards teens, but over the years came to include older adults. Yet, the keep the name because so many people have heard of it.

When LDS distance themselves from the label "Mormon," some may think, "What is it they are trying to put behind them?" If the current President of your church asks PC, I'd say, "Embrace the name, and make it a positive." He probably won't ask me, so one of you might want to pass it along. :-)

[Hemidakota]

We are told, not to use the word 'Mormon' when denoting members of the faith. We need to correct others in humility and through love, in using the correct term SAINTS or LATTER-DAY SAINTS.

[Heather]

The Church uses the word Mormon in their Youtube videos. The Church also owns and operates the website mormon.org/mormons.org.

In Alma 18:26,28 -- Ammon taught with the phrase "Great Spirit" so Lamoni, because that is the phrase Lamoni used. Once they established a common understanding, then Ammon could connect the term "Great Spirit" with the concept of "God." Likewise, friends of other faiths search for and understand the term Mormon. By using that term, we then have a common understand and then can then teach them the true name of the Church.

PC - I was just wondering, when you were curious about this religion after the school board incident, did you search for "mormon" or "lds" in google?

[Hemidakota]

That is due to the search engine hits totals, are far greater for the word MORMON versus LDS or LATTER-DAY SAINTS. Advertisement at its best.

[prisonchaplain]

PC - I was just wondering, when you were curious about this religion after the school board incident, did you search for "mormon" or "lds" in google?

I'm about 95% certain it was "Mormon." I may have heard "LDS" used in the past, but assumed it was like when people in my church say, "AG" instead of "Assemblies of God."

The memory that sticks in my head best are some older church-sponsored commercials that had the tagline, "From the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...The Mormons."

[Moksha]

If we didn't use the term Mormon, most people would have no idea who we were.

There are some ideas that are indelible: We are Mormons, we live in Utah, we help each other raise barns, we live next to renegade Mormons who practice polygamy, we shun buttons and electricity because they "are proud", we knock on a lot of doors and we may or may not have horns.

Did I forget to mention nude clogging in the Temple?

[Misshalfway]

Shut up about the horns, Moksha! No one is suppose to know!!!!!

[crytsprospect]

Oh Mo I almost wet my pants on that one... You are a bright spot in my day

[prisonchaplain]

At least you don't handle snakes and drink poison, and the only church leaders people know about are Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker.

[lostnfound]

At least you don't handle snakes and drink poison, and the only church leaders people know about are Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker.

Rofl

[pushka]

I tend to follow any reference to TCOJCLDS by Mormon if people look a little confused..last night a friend and I took a taxi to our local chapel, when we got out the driver asked us the name of the church...I prepared him by saying it was a long name, then said it and added ' or you could just say the LDS church or Mormon.' Hopefully he understood what I meant then..

[Canuck Mormon]

I was at work the other day and a lady that I worked with noticed the tab on the bottom of my computer with LDS.net on it. She then asked if I was LDS? She never once mentioned Mormon in our discussion.

I just noticed that the spell checker doesn't like LDS.

[WillowTheWhisp]

In clothing stores here the abbreviation LDS refers to ladies clothing!