In an online article, Our Motto: Mormon means More Good, "Ask Gramps," a Latter-day Saint addressed the purported meaning of "Mormon." Patrick Hussey, a former Latter-day Saint who I know personally, "responsed" thusly:
The Question has not been answered. What does the word MORMON mean exactly? Pres. Hinckley said Mormon DOES NOT actually mean 'More Good' but he was quite happy to still use that explanation anyway!! Does that mean that nobody actually knows what it means? Joseph Smith said it was a combination of The English word More and the reformed Egyptian word Mon allegedly meaning good.. so the word means More-good. President Hinckley acknowledged that Linguists conclude that Mormon could not and does not mean 'More Good'. Therefore what are we left with?? Joseph Smith was mistaken? Joseph Smith was a liar or a fraud? This is a bit like his false 'translation' of the Book of Abraham I think. I think it is more likely that Joseph Smith or a conspirator in writing the book of Mormon came across the word Mormo (the greek demon or king of the ghouls) and thought that would be an interesting name if you added an n to the end. One other less likely alternative is that it has to do with the French word for a bird called Mormon of the puffin family I think. Is there no end to the amount of lying and deception that Joseph Smith engaged in??
For those who know Patrick and have had to deal with him, whether online and/or in person, will know that such ignorance and bald assertions passing as "arguments" is par for the course. However, it is all misinformed and reflective of a great level of ignorance of scholarship.
Here is the following letter that is the source of the controversy:
In the Times and Seasons, vol. 4, no. 13, p. 194, we read the following:
To the EDITOR of the TIMES & SEASONS.
SIR:-Through the medium of your paper, I wish to correct an error among men that profess to be learned, liberal and wise; and I do it the more cheerfully, because I hope sober thinking and sound-reasoning people will sooner listen to the voice of truth, than be led astray by the vain pretensions of the self-wise. The error I speak of, is the definition of the word "MORMON." It has been stated that this word was derived from the Greek word mormo. This is not the case. There was no Greek or Latin upon the plates from which I, through the grace of God, translated the Book of Mormon. Let the language of that book speak for itself. On the 523d page, of the fourth edition, it reads: "And now behold we have written this record according to our knowledge in the characters, which are called among us the Reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech; and if our plates had been sufficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew: but the Hebrew hath been altered by us, also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold ye would have had no imperfection in our record, but the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also, that none other people knoweth our language; therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof."
Here then the subject is put to silence, for "none other people knoweth our language," therefore the Lord, and not man, had to interpret, after the people were all dead. And, as Paul said, "the world by wisdom know not God," so the world by speculation are destitute of revelation; and as God in his superior wisdom, has always given his saints, wherever he had any on the earth, the same spirit, and that spirit, as John says, is the true spirit of prophesy, which is the testimony of Jesus, I may safely say that the word Mormon stands independent of the learning and wisdom of this generation.-Before I give a definition, however, to the word, let me say that the Bible in its widest sense, means good; for the Savior says according to the gospel of John, "I am the good shepherd" and it will not be beyond the common use of terms, to say that good is among the most important in use, and though known by various names in different languages, still its meaning is the same, and is ever in opposition to bad. We say from the Saxon, good; the Dane, god; the Latin, bonus; the Greek, kalos; the Hebrew, tob; and the Egyptian, mon. Hence, with the addition of more, or the contraction, mor, we have the word MORMON; which means, literally, more good.
Yours,
JOSEPH SMITH.
Firstly, it should be noted that many (e.g., John Tvedtnes) have argued, and I agree with them, that the author (see below) is simply “pulling the leg” of the critics of the Book of Mormon to show their desperation at claiming that the name “Mormon” is derived from a Greek word meaning “bug bear” (a silly argument in attempt to explain away the entire Book of Mormon text if you think about it)—he seems to be fighting (serious) inanity with (comedic) inanity.
Secondly, and perhaps most important, is that many historians have argued rather convincingly that, during this time, William Wines Phelps was the “ghost writer” for Joseph Smith. For a full-length discussion, see Samuel M. Brown, "The Translator and the Ghostwriter: Joseph Smith and William Phelps," Journal of Mormon History, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 26-62 (Winter 2008).
Thirdly, for a full-length discussion of the etymology of “Mormon,” see this article by the Book of Mormon onomasticon project which also addresses the claims of early 19th century critics who claimed Joseph Smith got the name from Greek and other sources.
Indeed, as the article notes:
Ben Urrutia has called attention to EGYPTIAN mr mn, “truly beloved,” or “love is established” , or “strong/firm love” or “love remains steadfast/firm”. The translation “love is established forever” brings to memory the words of Paul, “charity never faileth” (1 Corinthians 13:8). Interestingly, it is MORMON who uses the same words in a letter written to his son MORONI, adding, “But charity is the pure love of CHRIST, and it endureth forever” (Moroni 7:46–47)
Interestingly, and something supporting the Book of Mormon as a translation, is the word play the Book of Mormon text engages in with the name “Mormon” (as well as “Mary”) and Egyptian mr. See the discussion by Matthew L. Bowen, “Most Desirable Above All Things”: Onomastic Play on Mary and Mormon in the Book of Mormon
We also see the fundamentalist assumptions of the critic when he argues that it is preposterous to suggest, as a possibility, that Joseph Smith could have been wrong about something (although he was not in this situation). Also, one has to balk at the inanity he and other critics are postulating--Joseph Smith, while concocting the Book of Mormon which purports to be a text influenced by ancient Israelites, decided to put a random Greek work into his record which he got from some unknown source somewhere. It is pretty ludicrous if you think about it. Furthermore, the Book of Mormon contains genuine Hebrew names and words (see here, for instance) which support the text's claim to be a translation of an ancient text. I would like to see Hussey et al. interact with this and the other evidences supporting Book of Mormon historicity (I tried in person to get him to do such, and he refused).
The “argument” about the origin of “Mormon” deriving from the Greek term for “bug bear” and other suggestions are desperate. Furthermore, the arguments of Hussey are equally ignorant. In reality, the name “Mormon,” as Bowen’s article and the Book of Mormon onomasticon project shows, supports the Book of Mormon as a translated text, not one concocted by Joseph Smith.
