Elder Ballard On The Proper Name Of The Church

[Scott Lloyd]

I agree with Elder Ballard. I am so grateful to have  apostles that can clarify such issues. And direct them on church policy issues, such as creating the marketing series "I'm a Latter Day Saint" and using the domain name Latterdaysaints.org

What part of what Elder Ballard said forbids the use of the name "Latter-day Saints" to refer to Church members?

 

Here again is the policy (and I'm prepared to re-explain it as many times as it takes to get people to understand:

 

1.  It is the expressed desire of the Brethren that we refer to the Church itself by its full and complete name (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) or, if a shortened form is needed, the Church of Jesus Christ.

 

2. When referring to the members themselves, it is acceptable to call them Mormons or Latter-day Saints or "the Mormon people," etc.

 

3.  It is acceptable to use the name Mormon to refer to things pertaining to the Church, such as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Mormon pioneers and the Mormon Trail.

 

Now then, perhaps someone can explain to me why it is so difficult for so many to grasp the above.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Scott Lloyd

[Scott Lloyd]

I'm sorry, but I hate when people in the media or elsewhere have to say it all out, if the members are living the way they should and teaching what they should, LDS or Mormon should suffice. Look at Protestants or Catholic...everyone knows they're Christian. Of course on second thought, media does need to identify the correct name, but to me in regular conversation, it is too much, but I'm a terrible voice to be heard in this situation, so this is just personally speaking.

Again, why is it so difficult to use Church of Jesus Christ as a shortened form?

[pogi]

I would add that if it is necessary to use a shortened form of the name of the Church, an acceptable option is the Church of Jesus Christ.

 

It does seems strange to call ourselves by the name of another church though.

[Scott Lloyd]

It does seems strange to call ourselves by the name of another church though.

It is Jesus Christ Himself who calls us by that name.

[barbarbar]

Elder Ballard in his conference sermon has just reiterated what I have tried to get across on multiple occasions on fora such as this, but some people seem to persist in misunderstanding

That's probably because no one cares as much as you do, including, I imagine, Jesus himself.

[Scott Lloyd]

That's probably because no one cares as much as you do, including, I imagine, Jesus himself.

Well, here are Christ's own words on the subject:

 

7 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.

 8 And how be it ^amy ^bchurch 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.

 9 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;

 10 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)

 

Also, the fact that the Brethren keep bringing it up in conference indicates it must be of substantial importance to them.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Scott Lloyd

[Thinking]

I think it's funny that every so often there needs to be a GC talk about the proper name of the church. I wonder if the GA who gets this assignment says to himself, "Really? Can't somebody else talk about this? We will always be called Mormons. Nothing I say in GC will change that."

[MorningStar]

I think it's funny that every so often there needs to be a GC talk about the proper name of the church. I wonder if the GA who gets this assignment says to himself, "Really? Can't somebody else talk about this? We will always be called Mormons. Nothing I say in GC will change that."

They aren't assigned topics.

[The Nehor]

I think it's funny that every so often there needs to be a GC talk about the proper name of the church. I wonder if the GA who gets this assignment says to himself, "Really? Can't somebody else talk about this? We will always be called Mormons. Nothing I say in GC will change that."

They do not assign talks.

[Calm]

Elder Ballard in his conference sermon has just reiterated what I have tried to get across on multiple occasions on fora such as this, but some people seem to persist in misunderstanding it:

 

The Church has asked us to use the proper name of the Church instead of calling it "the Mormon Church" or "the LDS Church."

 

With that said, it is acceptable to use the term "Mormon" as a noun or a descriptor to refer to the members of the Church or to things relating to the Church, as in "the Mormon people," "the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, "the Mormon Pioneers," "the Mormon Trail," or, simply "the Mormons."

 

I would add that if it is necessary to use a shortened form of the name of the Church, an acceptable option is the Church of Jesus Christ. It doesn't take much more effort or many more keystrokes to write it that way than it does to write "Mormon Church" or "LDS Church."

You are a cruel taskmaster.

I will try and remember.

[Scott Lloyd]

I think it's funny that every so often there needs to be a GC talk about the proper name of the church. I wonder if the GA who gets this assignment says to himself, ...

General Authorities ordinarily are not assigned specific topics to speak on. In all likelihood, Elder Ballard selected this topic himself, based upon past and ongoing discussion with his Brethren in the Twelve and the First Presidency.

 

... "Really? Can't somebody else talk about this? We will always be called Mormons. Nothing I say in GC will change that."

 

Again, there is no objection to the members themselves being called Mormons.

 

I think I've said this repeatedly in this thread. Let me go back and check ... [pause] ... yep, I've said it a number of times.

 

Let me repeat it for clarity:

 

When referring to the members themselves, it is acceptable to call them Mormons or Latter-day Saints or "the Mormon people," etc.

 

However,

 

When referring to the Church itself, the preference is for the full and formal name of the Church to be used or, as a shortened form, the Church of Jesus Christ.

 

Now then, perhaps you can explain to me why it is so difficult for you to grasp this concept after so many repetitions.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Scott Lloyd

[Scott Lloyd]

They aren't assigned topics.

 

 

They do not assign talks.

Thank you both. I hope Thinking is getting the message.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Scott Lloyd

[Thinking]

They aren't assigned topics.

 

They do not assign talks.

 

If this is true, then I stand corrected. I would find it difficult to believe that no discussion takes place or that suggestions are not given.

[MorningStar]

If this is true, then I stand corrected. I would find it difficult to believe that no discussion takes place or that suggestions are not given.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/general-conference-strengthening-faith-and-testimony?lang=eng

 

Robert D. Hales talked about it last Conference.

 

 

These conferences are always under the direction of the Lord, guided by His Spirit.³ We are not assigned specific topics. Over weeks and months, often through sleepless nights, we wait upon the Lord. Through fasting, praying, studying, and pondering, we learn the message that He wants us to give.

Some might ask, “Why doesn’t the inspiration come more easily and quickly?” The Lord taught Oliver Cowdery, “You must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right.”⁴ Conference messages come to us after prayerful preparation, through the Holy Ghost.

 

[Bikeemikey]

Elder Ballard in his conference sermon has just reiterated what I have tried to get across on multiple occasions on fora such as this, but some people seem to persist in misunderstanding it:

The Church has asked us to use the proper name of the Church instead of calling it "the Mormon Church" or "the LDS Church."

With that said, it is acceptable to use the term "Mormon" as a noun or a descriptor to refer to the members of the Church or to things relating to the Church, as in "the Mormon people," "the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, "the Mormon Pioneers," "the Mormon Trail," or, simply "the Mormons."

I would add that if it is necessary to use a shortened form of the name of the Church, an acceptable option is the Church of Jesus Christ. It doesn't take much more effort or many more keystrokes to write it that way than it does to write "Mormon Church" or "LDS Church."

When the church takes down the mormon.org website I'll start using the full name... In the meantime my it's just to long.

Www.mormon.org

Edited April 6, 2014 by Bikeemikey

[Bikeemikey]

CFR that other General Authorities "have suggested it does not matter that much."

 

Surely the mormon.org website is sufficient... Or the im a mormon advertising campagin.

[Scott Lloyd]

When the church takes down the mormon.org website I'll start using the full name... In the meantime my it's just to long.

Www.mormon.org

Exceptions are made for websites because of the practicalities of search engine optimization. We are, after all, competing with anti-Mormons for website visibility in Internet searches.

 

But that doesn't nullify the expressed preference of the Brethren for ordinary discourse, nor does it negate the doctrine pertaining to the Church being called in Christ's name.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Scott Lloyd

[Thinking]

Anti-Mormonism Style Guide

[Scott Lloyd]

When the church takes down the mormon.org website I'll start using the full name... In the meantime my it's just to long.

Www.mormon.org

As with all things, you're free to disregard prophetic counsel as you see fit.

[Calm]

Calling the website "Mormon" or "lds" seems to me to fall in the same category as the Choir. It is a website, not the Church itself.

[De Groote]

By avoiding the use of "Mormon Church," this indeed does make it less likely that web searches will bring up positive articles about the Church. Also, not using "Mormon Church" may allow other churches to freely claim the abandoned title for themselves. It is hard to argue that a phrase should only refer to your church when you say it shouldn't be used for your church.

 

Back when I wrote more about the Church for the Deseret News, I would try to work in "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (note the capital T in The) "LDS Church" and "Mormon" or "Mormons" into the article so that it would have more of a chance of being found by a search. I can't remember using the "Church of Jesus Christ" as a reference for the Church and was never asked to do so. I am not sure what the current style is. A singular reference to "church" is never capitalized in the paper.

[Bikeemikey]

Exceptions are made for websites because of the realities of search engine optimization. We are, after all, competing with anti-Mormons for website visibility in Internet searches.

But that doesn't nullify the expressed preference of the Brethren for ordinary discourse, nor does it negate the doctrine pertaining to the Church being called in Christ's name.

So the church runs a whole marketing campaign that collects stories of interesting people and they all finish with them saying, my names xxx and I'm a mormon.

So saying hi I'm a mormon is fine but then clarifying that this is not the mormon church is necessary?

Sure ill do that coz Ballard wants me to... However, he may want to get on the same page as the PR-marketing program (or they may want to get on his page).

Also, I couldn't careless if people think in Christian. That's really a non-motivator for me. I would rather be known as mormon that Christian.

[cinepro]

I was going to make a joke about this, but I'm speechless.

[Bikeemikey]

I was going to make a joke about this, but I'm speechless.

That is awesome!

[The Nehor]

I was going to make a joke about this, but I'm speechless.

 

Meh, we used the name first. Get in line buddy.