To Mormon or Not to Mormon?

[Questing Beast]

For years, those TV "ads" said, "From the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons". So "we" have only ourselves to blame if we don't like being referred to as "Mormons". I think that this is just one of Packer's pet peeves....

[semlogo]

So it is up to us to make the name with which they are most familiar the one we prefer: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or The Church of Jesus Christ.

Lehi

I forgot to also say - people are going to also stick with the shortest name. If you don't like Mormon, your best bet is to go with LDS Church. That might have some chance of sticking.

[LDS Guy 1986]

For years, those TV "ads" said, "From the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons". So "we" have only ourselves to blame if we don't like being referred to as "Mormons". I think that this is just one of Packer's pet peeves....

You fail to comprehend the question being asked, which is about Members using the name Mormon Church, the Church regularly uses the name Mormons when referring to the Membership of the Church because we are a sect of Mormonism!

President Packer's comments were not about this, it was about members using the media created term "Mormon Church" (not just Mormon) instead of the official name The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-saints or Latter-day Saints for short.

He is only talking about calling the Church "Mormon Church", not a person saying I'm a Mormon, he made no comments about that.

Now if someone asks you what Church are you from and you say the Mormon Church, you are doing what he has counciled us not to do anymore.

If you say The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they ask who is that an you say the Mormons you are not going against the council of President Packer.

I cannot comprehend how so many can't differentiate Mormon Church from Mormon?

[mrmendoza]

My general practice is to start with the full name and then move down from there.

"I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," thinking the song in my head.

"Uh huh?" Confused facial expression reply.

"LDS?"

Some: "Oh," with recognition; but most: "Oh...?" confused look is still there.

"I'm a Mormon." I say clearly.

"Oh," with a nod of acknowledgement.

Then I wait for a good question, like, "Do you practice polygamy?" or "Do you all believe in Christ?" or "Don't you all worship .... ?"

or even better,

"I knew a Mormon once."

I voted yes for the same reason that Elder Packer says we should, the name was given by revelation! When asked what church I attend I will say I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I will admit that It quite often winds up as you say. Once at work, someone said, for all to hear, "Are you a Mormon?" to which I replied "Yes".

Then he asked "How many wives have you got?" To which I replied "As many as I can handle! One!"

Everybody got a laugh out of that!

Mike

[coolrok7]

I

[kev_stevens67]

I have always believed the same. When asked what Church I go to, I always reply

[OUmd]

His comments were were about usage of the name "Mormon Church", he wanted to use the official name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Latter-day Saints instead of Mormon Church you see used in the media.

Of course the media campaigns are going to refer to us as Mormons because if they said Latter-day Saint, most would not understand and if the public doesn't understand then it is a waste of money. A Public Relations Campaign is not official doctrine of the Church but a media campaign designed by advertisement experts, note though that in no ad is the Church referred to as the Mormon Church, but in every case refereed to by the proper name.

Seeing that President Packer was one of the men who approved the public relations campaign, I am pretty sure that he knows of it's content.

So "he wanted to use the official name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Latter-day Saints instead of Mormon Church you see used in the media" AND you are "pretty sure that he knows of it's [mormon.or campaign] content"?

Gotcha.

[Stargazer]

I'm not LDS and voted accordingly.

I dunno what I would think if I actually were LDS about that subject.

Well, I don't know about anyone else here, but I regard you as Honorary LDS.

[Rivers]

Yes, I think we should always try use some form of the actual name. Especially because it gives us a chance to emphasize Jesus Christ whcih is good for attracting members and good for sticking in the craw of antiMormons who claim to be christian. I don't think it's necessarily bad to say "Mormon Church" simply for ease and familiarity otherwise.

But the full name so long....

[Pahoran]

So "he wanted to use the official name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Latter-day Saints instead of Mormon Church you see used in the media" AND you are "pretty sure that he knows of it's [mormon.or campaign] content"?

That's right.

I say: "I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ; I'm a Mormon."

President Packer approves.

But if I say: "I'm a member of 'the Mormon Church'," then President Packer does not approve.

Not exactly rocket science, is it?

Regards,

Pahoran

[OUmd]

That's right.

I say: "I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ; I'm a Mormon."

President Packer approves.

But if I say: "I'm a member of 'the Mormon Church'," then President Packer does not approve.

Not exactly rocket science, is it?

Regards,

Pahoran

Go to Mormon.org and click on any profile. Let me know if you see what you say President Packer approves of or doesn't approve of.

Not exactly rocket science, is it?

If an apostle of the Lord would prefer us to not call ourselves Mormon someone REALLY dropped the ball on that media campaign.

[Pahoran]

Go to Mormon.org and click on any profile. Let me know if you see what you say President Packer approves of or doesn't approve of.

Okay.

I went there. The first thing I see on the front page is this:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the official name of the religion commonly called the Mormon Church.

I would say President Packer approves of that.

Then I clicked on the first ten profiles I saw.

Each of them said "I'm a Mormon" at least once. I don't see President Packer disapproving of that.

Two of the ten used the phrase "Mormon Church" without any other explanation. Evidently they didn't get the memo.

Not exactly rocket science, is it?

Not exactly, no.

So what conclusion should we draw from it?

If an apostle of the Lord would prefer us to not call ourselves Mormon someone REALLY dropped the ball on that media campaign.

Either that, or the profiles are actually entered by the people themselves, and aren't censored or correlated.

My guess is that it's the latter. How about you?

Regards,

Pahoran

[mapman]

"Mormon church" is improper because it is Christ's church and the name of the church was given in revelation.

The name of the church is important:

Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake. And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel. Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you; And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it.

(3 Nephi 27:7-10)

For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

(D&C 115:4)

I think that talking about the members of the church as "Mormons" is fine, and is necessary for communication with those outside of the church anyways.

[krose]

What would the majority of people around here do without the term "anti-Mormon"? The alternative is incredibly unwieldy.

[OUmd]

Okay.

I went there. The first thing I see on the front page is this:

I would say President Packer approves of that.

Then I clicked on the first ten profiles I saw.

Each of them said "I'm a Mormon" at least once. I don't see President Packer disapproving of that.

Two of the ten used the phrase "Mormon Church" without any other explanation. Evidently they didn't get the memo.

Not exactly, no.

So what conclusion should we draw from it?

Either that, or the profiles are actually entered by the people themselves, and aren't censored or correlated.

My guess is that it's the latter. How about you?

Regards,

Pahoran

Your guess would be wrong. They are censored. It took mine over a month to get approved. You can't just post a profile and it posts. Someone looks over them. The name of the campaign is "I'm a Mormon". Google it. I don't see anything wrong with it. The world knows us as Mormons and I think the campaign is brilliant (particularly for youth). I just find it rather interesting that the Church would approve and push this campaign and yet in the very next conference an apostle of the Lord would give a talk discouraging members to call themselves Mormon.

Seems like a disconnect to me, but what do I know.

[Scott Lloyd]

Your guess would be wrong. They are censored. It took mine over a month to get approved. You can't just post a profile and it posts. Someone looks over them. The name of the campaign is "I'm a Mormon". Google it. I don't see anything wrong with it. The world knows us as Mormons and I think the campaign is brilliant (particularly for youth). I just find it rather interesting that the Church would approve and push this campaign and yet in the very next conference an apostle of the Lord would give a talk discouraging members to call themselves Mormon.

Seems like a disconnect to me, but what do I know.

As I understand it, the Brethren don't disapprove of Church members referring to themselves as Mormons. The expressed preference has to do with the name of the Church itself. They want us to avoid the term "Mormon Church" and, instead, put Jesus Christ in the name of the Church.

That said, the Church wants to promote Google hits on its Internet content. Leaders are anxious to have the Church define itself on the Internet rather than having others, such as anti-Mormons, define it. Since the most common Google search term in reference to the Church is "Mormon," the Brethren have acquiesced to some instances of the use of "Mormon Church" on the website in question.

I really don't see a disconnect here when the matter is properly understood.

[44Foxtrot]

This whole thing reminds me of the GM Executive who had the brilliant idea that the term "Chevy" should no longer be used to refer to a Chevrolet.

To see how well that worked, just check out the next TV ad you see for any Chevrolet.

[Pahoran]

This whole thing reminds me of the GM Executive who had the brilliant idea that the term "Chevy" should no longer be used to refer to a Chevrolet.

I can see why that would be. The two things are obviously the same.

Unless, of course, you actually know something about the Church of Jesus Christ; such as the fact that its name was given by revelation in 1838, and that Latter-day Saints regard the revelations of God as significant things that are not to be ignored or treated lightly.

Regards,

Pahoran

[Scott Lloyd]

I can see why that would be. The two things are obviously the same.

Unless, of course, you actually know something about the Church of Jesus Christ; such as the fact that its name was given by revelation in 1838, and that Latter-day Saints regard the revelations of God as significant things that are not to be ignored or treated lightly.

Regards,

Pahoran

Indeed.

And furthermore, to validate 44Foxtrot's analogy, one would have to ignore the words contained in the Book of Mormon of Christ Himself, who said:

And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses' name then it be Moses' church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.

(3 Nephi 27:8 )