What's in a name? - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Dear Readers,

One of the many controversies in the most recent General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is when President Russel M. Nelson closed the Sunday morning session by emphasizing the true name of the Church. This was echoing a letter that was issued a few months earlier.

When I read the original letter, it made sense to me. The name of the Church has been The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since it was revealed in 1838: "For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." (Doctrine and Covenants 115:4)

The reason why the Church embraced the term "Mormon" for a while was because of it being a derogatory term, much as Christian was used in persecuting followers of Christ, that most of the world knew or knows us by. In order to reach out and help settle these biases, "Mormon" was used to help correlate the Latter-day Saints or "Mormons" who believe in the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ that goes hand in hand with the Holy Bible with Christians that they most fundamentally are.  Mormon.org and Meet the Mormons were some of these efforts to help clear misconceptions.

Yet, I also see the need to return our focus on Jesus Christ, it is His church after all. "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 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 27:7-8)

However, from the letter I got another impression. As written in the Style Guide of the Church's News Room, the letter emphasized not using the "Mormon" to refer to the Church or to its members, and ended by focusing on how the Restored Church of Jesus Christ has no current affiliation with groups that practice polygamy. This was the key for me. While I was at the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Provo, Utah, I asked one of my teachers something along the lines of, "What are we supposed to say if an investigator [someone wanting to learn more about the Church] asks us about the practice of polygamy?" He essentially answered by dodging the question, which I did not appreciate.

This predicament became even more interesting when I entered the mission field in Montana where my first area, where I was stationed for six months and the first quarter of my two year mission, included a polygamist colony belonging to the AUB (Apostolic United Brethren). During my time there, I had the privilege of learning a little about their beliefs and how their church broke away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the same time that President Wilford Woodruff issued the Official Declaration 1 denouncing polygamy and upholding monogamy in 1890. (For more information on my views about Polygamy, you can check out my blog post.) Because of this break off, they too believe in both the Book of Mormon as the word of God and therefore call themselves Mormons. Wherefore, with this first hand life experience I can see the prophetic counsel as addressing a possible future need of separating ourselves more from those who practice polygamy and other break off groups that have broken off throughout the Church's history.

President Russel M. Nelson Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

For me, this seems to be a warning cry that the battle with Satan for the souls of all mankind is going to intensify. This was made all the clearer when President Nelson followed up with his General Conference address. "What's in a name or, in this case, a nickname? When it comes to nicknames of the Church, such as the "LDS Church," the "Mormon Church," or the "Church of the Latter-day Saints," the most important thing in those names is the absence of the Savior's name. To remove the Lord's name from the Lord's Church is a major victory for Satan. When we discard the Savior's name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us -- even His Atonement." (October 2018 General Conference: The Correct Name of the Church)

Also from this address I realized that there was something I didn't understand: why can't we use "LDS" as an abbreviation for the Church. President Nelson boldly declared, "...it is not inconsequential.."  Which means that even though this seems like a little annoyance, it is not something that we should overlooked.

Treebeard from 2002 Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

While praying and pondering about this, I had personal revelation as my mind recalled some lines from the movie, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Treebeard said to Merry and Pippin, "You must understand, young Hobbit, it takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say." Then it clicked, a more spiritual reason as to why the emphasis not only on having Christ in the name, but having the full longer name of the Church. There is a subliminal need for us to recognize how important and sacred it is to be members of Christ's church upon the earth. It needs to be something that we feel honored by, something worth saying even though it can feel like a mouth full. Not words to be spit out in haste, but to linger and even celebrate. Words, and a name that is worth "taking a long time to say".

May we all have the strength and determination to be true Christians and followers of Jesus Christ, in name and in deed. This I leave with you in His holy name. Amen

Love,
Jacobugoth