The Associated Press has updated its style guide to replace "LDS Church" and "Mormon Church," according to a tweet.
In the past, the Associated Press Stylebook, a guide used by some news outlets, has listed the shorthand "Mormon" and "LDS church" as references to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members.
However, in light of the announcement made by President Russell M. Nelson in 2018, the style guide has updated some references to the church and its members.
We are changing our style on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church in 2018 began moving away from the widely recognized terms Mormon church and LDS church, and now prefers that its full name be used and that members be referred to as Latter-day Saints. (1/4) — AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) March 8, 2019
According to the tweet, here are the updates to the style guide:
1. "Use the full name of the church on first references. Phrasing such as 'the church,' 'church members,' 'members of the faith' (without quote marks) is preferred on second and later reference."
2. "When necessary for space or clarity or in quotations or proper names, 'Mormon,' 'Mormons' and 'Latter-day Saints' are acceptable."
3. "The term Mormon is based on the church's sacred Book of Mormon and remains in common use by members of the faith. When using the church’s full name, include a short explanation such as: 'the church, widely known as the Mormon church. . . '"
For more about the change, visit Deseret News.
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