Annotated Book of Mormon
Evaluated According To My Current Knowledge

Use of the word “Mormon” and other victories for Satan

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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.
~ President Russell M. Nelson

When referring to Church members … we ask that the term “Mormons” and “LDS” not be used. … The term “Mormonism” is inaccurate and should not be used.
~ Church’s Style Guide

This emphasis to refrain from using nicknames like “Mormon” was put in place August 2018, yet I often use these nicknames instead of the official moniker, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Am I doing this because I’m a faithless, disrespectful heathen? I may be a faithless heathen, but my use of the nicknames is not out of disrespect. I’m just trying to be succinct. In fact, if you’re a devout, believing member of the Church, I bet you’ll think I’m in good company when you consider the history of the Church’s use of the term “Mormon” and other names for the Church.

“On 3 May 1834, official action modified the name of the Church. In a priesthood conference presided over by Joseph Smith, a motion passed ‘by unanimous voice’ that the Church be known as ‘The Church of the Latter Day Saints.’” Prior to this, the official name of the Church had been “The Church of Christ,” so this 1834 official action removed the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church.
(“I Have a Question” article, January 1979)

“I testify that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that when people speak of us by the name of this book, they will compliment us, if we will live worthy of the name, remembering that in a very real sense Mormonism must mean that greater good which the Lord Jesus Christ exemplified.”
(President Gordon B. Hinckley, 1990)

In 2010, under the direction of President Thomas S. Monson, The Church launched its “I am a Mormon” campaign in the United States. The Church later made the campaign international with advertisements and promotions in various countries. How many millions of dollars in tithing were spent on this?
(Official Church News Article)

This is a photo in the Deseret News newspaper (owned by the LDS Church) in 2013 showing the “I’m a Mormon” campaign launch in the United Kingdom and Ireland
(News Article)

In 2014 the Church was fighting a legal battle with an internet dating site called Mormon Match because the Church claimed it had exclusive rights to what President Nelson now says is an improper nickname.
(BBC News Article)

Again, brought to the world under the direction of President Thomas S. Monson, “‘Meet the Mormons’ is a feature-length documentary film produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that [was] released in select theaters on 10 October 2014.”
(Official Church News Article)

As late as October of 2015, the Deseret News (owned by the Church) promoted the Associated Press Stylebook guidance that “Mormon” is a proper term exclusively for the Salt Lake City based branch of the restorationist movement started by Joseph Smith. “The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other Latter Day Saints churches that resulted from the split after (Joseph) Smith’s death.”
(DeseretNews Article)

So, if you take President Nelson’s words as the gospel truth, it seems the Church itself has been providing victory after victory for Satan. If it was okay for previous prophets of the Church to use the terms Mormon, LDS, Mormonism, etc. as they did, I think anybody taking offense at the way I use these terms is just choosing to be offended.

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