Why Do We Use the term “Mormon” in Our Writing?

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I recently received an e-mail that I thought was interesting. Because the concern expressed by this member may be shared by others, I thought it worth addressing. It is a valuable concern that shows insight, but I fear that the writer is missing the point. This is an excerpt from the e:mail:

I earlier mentioned my interest in writing a web page intro– I am going to back out of that now, sorry. I am uncomfortable with some of the web pages I have been browsing through. I understand your decision to intentionally use the term Mormon, but I don’t agree with it. We’ve been asked by the general authorities to minimalize the use of the term, especially “Mormon Church,” since we are the Church of Christ, not Mormon.

When asked to answer such comments, my short answer is to share the following conference address by President Hinckley, where he addressed the meaning of the term “Mormon”:

http://www.moregoodfoundation.org/GBH199010SM1.php

My long answer uses excerpts from the same talk. Now I am quoting President Hinckley:

Many of our people are disturbed by the practice of the media, and of many others, to disregard totally the true name of the Church and to use the nickname the Mormon Church. Six months ago in our conference Elder Russell M. Nelson delivered an excellent address on the correct name of the Church. He quoted the words of the Lord Himself: “Thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (D&C 115:4.)

There is no doubt about what the real name of the Church is; it is “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” However, President Hinckley continues by saying:

The Mormon Church, of course, is a nickname. And nicknames have a way of becoming fixed–I suppose that regardless of our efforts, we may never convert the world to general use of the full and correct name of the Church. Because of the shortness of the word Mormon and the ease with which it is spoken and written, they will continue to call us the Mormons, the Mormon Church, and so forth–They could do worse.”

So what should we do? Should we spend all of our time and effort insisting that people call us with the proper name, or should we spend our time making sure that, irrespective of the name people use to refer to the Church, we follow the example of Jesus Christ (and Mormon, perhaps, since he was a great prophet) to such an extent that people will “see our works and glorify God?” Teaching people through the Internet about our true beliefs is also a way of following the Savior. Don’t we all have the responsibility of sharing the Gospel?

The answer should be obvious, but let’s go back to what President Hinckley has to say:

More than fifty years ago, when I was a missionary in England, I said to one of my associates, “How can we get people, including our own members, to speak of the Church by its proper name?” He replied, “You can’t. The word Mormon is too deeply ingrained and too easy to say.” He went on, “I’ve quit trying. While I’m thankful for the privilege of being a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of the Church which bears His name, I am not ashamed of the nickname Mormon.” “Look,” he went on to say, “if there is any name that is totally honorable in its derivation, it is the name Mormon. And so, when someone asks me about it and what it means, I quietly say ‘Mormon means more good.’”

What does President Hinckley conclude based on this experience?

We may not be able to change the nickname, but we can make it shine with added luster (emphasis added). After all, it is the name of a man who was a great prophet who struggled to save his nation, and also the name of a book which is a mighty testament of eternal truth, a veritable witness of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our real goal needs to be to “add luster” to the name Mormon, since people will continue to call us with that name. This is the reason that we freely use the terms “Mormon” or “Mormon Church.” We should serve people in the language to which they are accustomed. If they search for us using the term “Mormon,” we should provide them answers using the term “Mormon”; this is the language with which they are comfortable.

The Savior taught: “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). He didn’t say: “insist that they call you with the proper name until they do it.”

One of our main responsibilities as members of the Church is to share the Gospel with the entire world. The staff at the More Good Foundation is committed to sharing our message with the world, in a way that the world needs to hear it.