SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 21, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Officials have released video of President Russell M. Nelson discussing what he calls a name “correction” for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a possibility that was hinted at last week.
During a three-day trip to central and eastern Canada, Nelson spoke about a statement in which officials said they prefer the media stop using the terms “LDS” and “Mormon” when referencing Church members.
“Last Thursday we released a small statement to the press that we want to be called by the right name, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Nelson says in the video, which is about 90 seconds long.
“My goodness it caused a big furor. One of the papers even said we disavow Mormon. We just want to correct an error, that’s all. The Lord said the name of the Church shall be the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, period, and that’s non-negotiable. So these errors that have crept in are only to be corrected. It’s not Mormon’s Church, it’s not Moses’ Church, it’s The Church of Jesus Christ. The suffix of Latter-day Saints simply distinguishes us from those earlier forms of the Lord’s true Church.
“We revere Mormon, we honor Mormon, what a great man, what a great prophet, record keeper, one of the four principal writers of the ‘Book of Mormon.’ We don’t disavow him in any way, we honor him and we’ve got to protect his name too. So I guess with the precision of a surgeon, we just want to correct an error.”
Speaking in Montreal Saturday, Nelson said he wasn’t surprised by the media’s response to the statement released Thursday by the First Presidency clarifying the Church’s official name.
“We know that it’s going to be a challenge to undo tradition of more than a hundred years,” Nelson said. “The Lord has told us what His Church shall be called. So, we’re not changing names, we’re correcting a name.”
Nelson also spoke about the name of the Church with an audience in Hamilton.
Speaking to the media, he added: “We have to be careful to protect the name ‘Mormon.’ The media will think that we are tossing it out. We aren’t. We just want to be accurate. Mormon was a man. He was a prophet. He was a writer, a record keeper. We honor him and treasure the book that bears his name. We’re talking about the name of the Church.”
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who was traveling with Nelson, noted the importance of taking the long view on this name adjustment.
“There is such unity in the First Presidency and the Twelve on this subject. The president has spoken; the Lord has spoken to the president. And this is going to be an extended, multi‑year effort, but this will not be something that will be attempted and then pulled back on.”
The Church’s statement on Thursday, is shown below in its entirity:
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made the following statement 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.
“See the updated Newsroom style guide, which provides direction on how to properly refer to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the coming months, Church websites and materials will be updated to reflect this direction from President Nelson.”
The media style guide reiterates existing church preferences for the style of its name, and ask that the terms the terms “Mormons” and “LDS” not be used to describe Church members.
It also asks that when referring to any people or organizations of any faith that practice polygamy, the phrase be added: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not affiliated with polygamous groups.”
