Six
days ago, the current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, Russell M. Nelson, released the following official statement:
The
Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for
His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have work
before us to bring ourselves in harmony with His will. In recent weeks, various
Church leaders and departments have initiated the necessary steps to do so. Additional
information about this important matter will be made available in the coming
months. (LINK ;
alternate source HERE)
From
the Newsroom topic, "Style Guide - The Name of the Church", we read:
•
In the first reference, the full name of the Church is preferred: "The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
•
When a shortened reference is needed, the terms "the Church" or the
"Church of Jesus Christ" are encouraged. The "restored Church of
Jesus Christ" is also accurate and encouraged.
•
While the term "Mormon Church" has long been publicly applied to the
Church as a nickname, it is not an authorized title, and the Church discourages
its use. Thus, please avoid using the abbreviation "LDS" or the
nickname "Mormon" as substitutes for the name of the Church, as in
"Mormon Church," "LDS Church," or "Church of the
Latter-day Saints."
•
When referring to Church members, the terms "members of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" or "Latter-day Saints" are
preferred. We ask that the term "Mormons" not be used.
•
"Mormon" is correctly used in proper names such as the Book of Mormon
or when used as an adjective in such historical expressions as "Mormon
Trail."
•
The term "Mormonism" is inaccurate and should not be used. When
describing the combination of doctrine, culture and lifestyle unique to The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the term "the restored gospel
of Jesus Christ" is accurate and preferred.
•
When referring to people or organizations that practice polygamy, it should be
stated that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not affiliated with
polygamous groups. (LINK)
Concerning
Nelson's official statement, and the related information provided in the online
"Style Guide - The Name of the Church", I would like to share a
couple of my initial thoughts:
First,
this seems to be a 'conservative' development advanced by the current
leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Personally, I
find it to be somewhat refreshing, given what I have perceived to be a
liberal/progressive trend among a good number of Latter-day Saints—especially
by many of their scholars—over the last couple of decades.
Second,
I suspect that the implementation of the guidelines delineated in the "Style
Guide - The Name of the Church" will take a good deal of time, due to the
fact that the positive use of the terms which are now to be avoided—e.g. LDS,
Mormon, Mormons, Mormonism—has been a long held tradition among many Latter-day
Saints, including General Authorities.
Now,
with the above in mind, I have made the decision to adopt the guidelines
presented within the "Style Guide - The Name of the Church" for
future posts concerning The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints here at
AF. I have also changed the
'LABEL', "Mormonism" to "The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.
Grace
and peace,
David
