Latter-day Saint Life

The Beautiful Meaning of the Name Mormon + Why Latter-day Saints Are Not Tossing It Out Completely

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Do you know the different translations of the name Mormon? It's a word associated with good, love, charity, and one of our most sacred books of scriptures. Learn more about the meaning of this name and how it can still be significant in our worship even as we follow our prophet to refer to ourselves as Latter-day Saints and followers of Christ.

In August 2018, President Nelson declared, “We have to be careful to protect the name Mormon. He 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. But we’re talking about the name of the Church.”

Is Mormon a bad name?

With the recent emphasis on using the revealed name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, instead of popular nicknames like LDS Church and Mormon, many have wondered if the word Mormon is a bad word. Should the name Mormon be dropped from our speech, thought, and writing? Is God offended if the word Mormon slips from our tongue? Is Mormon a new swear word?

Where does the name Mormon come from?

The word Mormon comes from the prophet, editor, writer, and compiler of the Book of Mormon. His father was also named Mormon. And Mormon was the name of the location where some of the most significant events of the Book of Mormon took place. After having been convinced of the truth of Abinadi’s message, Alma the Elder fled the court of King Noah for the safety of the place of Mormon where there was “a fountain of pure water” (Mosiah 18:5).

Lead image from Wikimedia Commons

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