LDS Freedom Forum

SALT LAKE CITY — President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement Thursday afternoon regarding the name of the church:

"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.

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900 ... -uses.html

Interesting how much back-and-forth there's been, historically, on whether "Mormon" is an appropriate nickname to use or not.

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.

Man that is going to be a thumb twister typing that out one the phone!

"· 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."

Good. Corruption of language is one of the signs of a decaying society.

We should say what we mean.

The problem here is that the media rely upon the stylebooks of the AP, UPI and Reuters for their usage so unless you can persuade those agencies to change their stylebooks you're not going to make much headway here.

nightowl wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 1:55 pm Man that is going to be a thumb twister typing that out one the phone!

"· 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."

Are we keeping the "LDS Freedom Forum" title here, or are we going to change things up to "Latter Day Saints Freedom Forum" or "Freedom Forum for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"?

The meaning of this release is unclear to me. The name of the Church has changed a few times since its inception, and I agree that the name we go by is very important. I can't tell if he is referencing a future change in the name itself, or just reminding us to use the Church's full name instead of "Mormon" or "LDS" like they requested several years ago. It sounds more like the latter, but I'm not sure that would warrant a news release, which then makes me wonder if it is the former.

Anyone else find this kind of disturbing:
“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.”

illyume wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 2:14 pm

nightowl wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 1:55 pm Man that is going to be a thumb twister typing that out one the phone!

"· 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."

Are we keeping the "LDS Freedom Forum" title here, or are we going to change things up to "Latter Day Saints Freedom Forum" or "Freedom Forum for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"?

I was wondering the same thing! Although, a fair number of active posters on LDSFF are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so Brian really can't go with the last option.

So the whole 'I'm a mormon' campaign is scratched now ?

So I am not a Mormon. And i am not a minister. But I can use the Book of Mormon to do my ministering?

illyume wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 2:14 pm Are we keeping the "LDS Freedom Forum" title here, or are we going to change things up to "Latter Day Saints Freedom Forum" or "Freedom Forum for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"?

This is hilarious.

LucianAMD wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 3:19 pm Anyone else find this kind of disturbing:
“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.”

Joseph Smith taught that “Truth is Mormonism” in 1839.[1] And between 1862-1870, Brigham Young, in educating the saints said that, “If there is a truth among the ungodly and wicked it belongs to us, and if there is a truth in hell it is ours.”[2] “Mormonism,” said Young, “is all truth in heaven, on earth or in hell. … All truth is ours. Now if anybody wants to make a trade, come on! If you have truths, and I have errors, I will give ten errors for one truth … bring on your truth.”[3] For “Mormonism embraces all truth that is revealed and that is unrevealed, whether religious, political, scientific, or philosophical.”[4] “Mormonism includes all truth,” he said.[5]

[1] Dean C. Jessee, comp. and ed., The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1984), 389, emphasis added.

[2] Brigham Young, January 12, 1868, in Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. (London and Liverpool: LDS Booksellers Depot, 1854-86), 12:155.

[3] Brigham Young, July 3, 1870, Ibid., 14:280-81.

[4] BY, January 12, 1862, Ibid., 9:149.

[5] BY, April 8, 1867, Ibid., 11:375.

It won't work... it never has.
Every so often the church issues guidelines on this, but it doesn't work because they have no ability to control what people say or write.
Frankly, I think it's futile to try.

Personally, I'm happy with being a "Mormon" and the church being referred to as the Mormon Church. I understand President Nelson is concerned about this issue. If so, perhaps he could petition the Lord for a new name; one that isn't such a mouthful!

I always thought the Reorganised Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints changing their name to Community of Christ was a good idea.

illyume wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 2:14 pm

nightowl wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 1:55 pm Man that is going to be a thumb twister typing that out one the phone!

"· 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."

Are we keeping the "LDS Freedom Forum" title here, or are we going to change things up to "Latter Day Saints Freedom Forum" or "Freedom Forum for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"?

It is my understanding that this forum is for discourse about the LDS movement and anyone involved, i.e. Community of Christ, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Church of the Firstborn, etc. So correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that ldsfeedomforum is an appropriate name.

Whoa Nelson is going to push you. Where Hinkley seemed to be a book end of an era by celebrating the past, Nelson appears bound to be the front cover of a new era where the church resets all of its institutions.

If you find comfort in the predictability of the LDS church you are not going to be comfortable anymore.

Someone from our Stake leadership said that "investigators" are now to be called "new people".

I always thought the term "investigator" was weird, because their perception was most likely that THEY were the ones being investigated by the missionaries in suits.

Joel wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 5:25 pm

Oh good, we can go back to this one!

illyume wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 5:48 pm

Joel wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 5:25 pm

Oh good, we can go back to this one!

Hell yeah go for it!

I always assumed that the recent embrace of "Mormon"—besides just being good marketing—was in part an effort to claim ownership of the term in order to dissuade the media from using it to describe other sects.

It was rather ridiculous for the church to simultaneously hold the positions that we don't want to be called Mormon, but it still belongs only to us, so you aren't allowed to call polygamists and other fundie sects Mormon. It just makes sense if we want to exercise ownership over the term, that we actually have to own it.

I guess we're going back to that? Or will we no longer care if Warren Jeff types are called "Mormon" since we don't identify ourselves that way anymore?

Are they going to change the domain names of Mormon.org and LDS.org? If they don't, then this is all for naught.

I never liked the term Mormon. They have tried to do this in the past but it never sticks as the media doesn't stick to the guidelines provided by the church.

"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," President Nelson said in a statement.
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900 ... -uses.html

We are members of "The Church of Jesus Christ". I feel as though this is the Lord specifically speaking to the prophet of our day to clarify this issue. All the other "nicknames" for the church are incorrect. I think it's good that the term "Mormon" is dropped in most instances as I feel it's become tainted, especially by the modern day media.

Lizzy60 wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 6:26 pm Are they going to change the domain names of Mormon.org and LDS.org? If they don't, then this is all for naught.

I agree, especially mormon.org

LucianAMD wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 3:19 pm Anyone else find this kind of disturbing:
“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.”

There is nothing disturbing at all. It is a lot more accurate than what has been used in recent years. I generally use the term "gospel of Jesus Christ" in lessons and talks, so "the restored gospel of Jesus Christ" is just putting more emphasis on the fact that the gospel principles and ordinances are once again on the earth.

Sunain wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 6:42 pm

LucianAMD wrote: ↑August 16th, 2018, 3:19 pm Anyone else find this kind of disturbing:
“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.”

There is nothing disturbing at all. It is a lot more accurate than what has been used in recent years. I generally use the term "gospel of Jesus Christ" in lessons and talks, so "the restored gospel of Jesus Christ" is just putting more emphasis on the fact that the gospel principles and ordinances are once again on the earth.

Culture and lifestyle are not the gospel. I think it is a dangerous precedent to set.

3 Nephi 11:40
40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.