Commenting
on the reason for changing the name of the Church from “Church of Christ” to “Church
of the Latter Day Saints,” K. Shane Goodwin noted the reason for Saints being used in the name of
the Church:
(3) distance the
Church from terms such as Mormon and Mormonite. Sometimes it is
challenging to decide whether a term is spoken out of contempt, since context,
intent, and especially tone of voice have great weight. The terms Mormon and
Mormonite most likely were viewed with different levels of comfort by
various leaders and members of the Church, as is the case today. For example,
Joseph used the terms Mormon and Mormonism occasionally, as
evidenced by his reflections on July 9, 1843: “If it has been demonstrated that
I have been willing to die for a Mormon, I am bold to declare before heaven
that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a
Baptist or a good man of any other denomination.” Later in that day’s journal
entry, he states, “One of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism is to
receive truth, let it come from whence it may.” [31]
On the other hand,
some leaders were not as comfortable with the nickname, as can be inferred from
Oliver Cowdery’s editorializing after the May 1834 name change, which stated
that “the world, either out of contempt and ridicule, or to distinguish us from
others, have been lavish in bestowing the title of ‘Mormonite.’ . . . But WE
do not accept the above title. nor shall we wear it as OUR name.” [32] Lest one
consider that Cowdery merely considered “Mormonite” as the only derisive name
of the two, we read three months later in the same paper: “Whereas the church
of Christ, recently styled the church of the Latter Day Saints, contumeliously
called Mormons, or Mormonites, has suffered many privations, afflictions,
persecutions and losses on account of the religious belief and faith of its
members.” [33]
Undoubtedly,
a name change alone would not necessarily dissuade critics of the Church from
using derisive terms to label its followers, but the new appellation “Latter
Day Saints” would definitely rise to greater public prominence. From the Joseph
Smith Papers, we read, “Despite the name change, some—both within and without
the church— continued to refer to the organization as the Church of Christ and
its members as Mormonites or Mormons, but after this conference, the use of the
name Church of the Latter Day Saints became increasingly prevalent.” [34]
Notes for the Above
31. “History,
1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844],” 1666, Joseph Smith Papers,
accessed July 18, 2019, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper
-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-e-1-1-july-1843-30-april-1844/36. Although
both terms Mormon and Mormonism have quote marks around them in
the josephsmith.net rendition of these comments from the Prophet, in the original
document, published by the Joseph Smith Papers (handwriting of Robert L.
Campbell), there are no such marks. This, of course, only amplifies the nuance.
32. Editor of the
Star, “The Saints,” Evening and the Morning Star 2, no. 20 (May 1834):
317, accessed July 18, 2019, https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/
collection/NCMP1820-1846/id/28070, emphasis in original.
33.
“An Appeal,” Evening and the Morning Star 2, no. 23 (August 1834): 361,
accessed July 18, 2019, https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/
NCMP1820-1846/id/28093. See also History of the Church, 2:126; and
“Style Guide—the Name of the Church.”
34.
“Minutes, 3 May 1834,” 43.
Source: K.
Shane Goodwin, “The History of the Name of the Savior's Church: A Collaborative
and Revelatory Process,” BYU Studies
58/3 (2019): 4-41, here, pp. 17-19
We can see
that, even as early as 1834, a desire among members of the Church to distance
themselves from the name “Mormon” (and “Mormonite”). One was reminded of a blog
post by my friend Stephen Smoot:
A "Mormon" By Any Other Name