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| Mormons are good people. Joseph Smith didn't invent the Book of Mormon it was given to him by God the Father. | |||
| {{other uses|Mormon (disambiguation)}} | |||
| <!--DO NOT replace "Latter Day" with the hyphenated "Latter-day." Please see talk for explanation. | |||
| ]--> | |||
| ] as printed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2009)]] | |||
| The word or term "'''Mormon'''" most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of ] in ]. "Mormon" also commonly refers, specifically, to a member of ] (LDS Church), which is often ], but imprecisely, referred to as the "Mormon Church". In addition, the term "Mormon" may refer to any of the relatively small sects of ], and any branch of the Latter Day Saint movement that recognizes ] as the successor to founder ] The term "Mormon" applies to the religion of Mormonism, as well as its culture, texts, and art. | |||
| The term derives from the ], a ] published in 1830 regarded by the faith as a supplemental Testament to the ]. Adherents believe that the book was translated from an ancient record by Joseph Smith by the gift and power of God. The text claims to be an ancient chronicle of a fallen and lost ] nation, compiled by the prophet–warrior ] and his son ], the last of his ] people. The term "Mormon" was initially a derogatory term applied to ] in the 1830s, but soon was embraced by the faith. Because the term became identified with ] in the mid-to-late-19th century, some Latter Day Saint denominations who never practiced polygamy have renounced the term. | |||
| ==Origin of the term== | |||
| {{See also|Book of Mormon}} | |||
| The term "Mormon" is taken from the title of the ], a ] adherents believe to have been translated from ] which had their location revealed by ] to Joseph Smith and published in 1830. According to the text of the Book of Mormon, the word Mormon stems from the ],<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://webdevilaz.com/religion/where-do-mormons-get-their-name-from |title=» Where do Mormons get their name from? |publisher=WebDevilAZ |date=March 25, 2009 |accessdate=October 28, 2012}}</ref> where the prophet ] preached the gospel and baptized converts. ]—who was named after the land—was a 4th-century prophet–historian who compiled and abridged many records of his ancestors into the Book of Mormon.<ref>{{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|book=3 Nephi|chapter=5|verse=12}}</ref> The book is believed by Mormons to be a literal record of God's dealings with ] civilizations in the ] from approximately 2600 BC through AD 420,<ref>], ''A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon'' p. 117, quoted in ] (1996, rev. ed.). (Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), ch. 6.</ref> written by ]s and followers of ]. The book records the teachings of Jesus Christ to the people in the Americas as well as Christ's personal ministry among the people of ] after his ].<ref>, from scriptures.lds.org, an official website of the ]</ref> Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ, "holy ] comparable to the ]".<ref></ref> | |||
| According to the '']'', one of the earliest published usages of the term "Mormon" to describe believers in the Book of Mormon was in 1833 by the ] (]) ''Daily Herald'' in an article, "The Mormons and the Anti-Mormons".<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary'', s.v. "Mormon".</ref> | |||
| ==Popular usage== | |||
| The terms "Mormon" and "Mormonite" were first used in the 1830s as ]s to describe those who followed Joseph Smith and believed in the divine origin of the Book of Mormon. The term was soon adopted by ] themselves, however, and has lost its generally pejorative status.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jan|first=Shipps,|date=2001|title=Signifying Sainthood, 1830-2001|url=https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/arrington_lecture/6/|language=en}}</ref> | |||
| The term "Mormon" is most often used to refer to members of ] (LDS Church). However, the term is also adopted by other adherents of ], including adherents of ]. The term "Mormon" is generally disfavored by other denominations of the ], such as the ], which have distinct histories from that of the LDS Church since ] in 1844. | |||
| The term is particularly embraced by adherents of ], who continue to believe in and practice ],<!-- | |||
| FOOTNOTE--><ref>The term "Mormon fundamentalist" appears to have been coined in the 1940s by LDS Church ] ]: Ken Driggs, "'This Will Someday Be the Head and Not the Tail of the Church': A History of the Mormon Fundamentalists at Short Creek", ''Journal of Church and State'' '''43''':49 (2001) at p. 51.</ref><!-- | |||
| --> a practice that the LDS Church ] in 1890.<!-- | |||
| FOOTNOTE--><ref>The LDS Church now strictly prohibits polygamy and any member practicing it is subject to ]. For description of the dispute over the term "Fundamentalist Mormon," see {{cite news|title=Plural lives: the diversity of fundamentalism | url=http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,645199994,00.html | author=Carrie Moore and Elaine Jarvik| publisher='']'' | date= 2006-09-09}}</ref> Seeking to distance itself from ] and ], the LDS Church has taken the position that the term ''Mormon'' should only apply to the LDS Church and its members, and not other adherents who have adopted the term.<ref>, LDS News Room.</ref> The church cites the '']'', which states, "The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other Latter Day Saints churches that resulted from the split after Smith’s death."<ref>"Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The," Associated Press, ''The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law'', 2002, {{ISBN|0-7382-0740-3}}, p.48</ref> Despite the LDS Church's position, the term ''Mormon'' is widely used by journalists and non-journalists to refer to adherents of ]. | |||
| ==="Mormon Church"=== | |||
| The official name of the ], ]-based church is ]. While the term "Mormon Church" has long been attached to the church as a nickname, it is an unauthorized title, and the Church's style guide says, "Please avoid the use of 'Mormon Church', 'LDS Church' or the 'Church of the Latter-day Saints.'"<ref>.</ref><ref name = hinckley>], " '']'', November 1990, p. 51.</ref><ref>See {{cite web |url=http://www.lds.org/newsroom/page/0,15606,4043-1---15-168,00.html |title=Style Guide - The Name of the Church |accessdate=2006-12-04}}</ref> The use of "Mormon" in other contexts is not generally considered offensive and is commonly used by the church's members. Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have encouraged members to use the church's full name to emphasize the church's focus on ].<ref>], , ''Ensign'', May 1990, p. 16.</ref> | |||
| == Scholarly usage == | |||
| ], in his ''Encyclopedia of American Religions'', subdivides the Mormons into ''Utah Mormons'', ''Missouri Mormons'', ''Polygamy-Practicing Mormons'', and ''Other Mormons''.<ref>] (1996, 5th ed.). ''Encyclopedia of American Religions''. (Detroit: Gale, {{ISBN|0-8103-7714-4}}) pp. 561–585.</ref> In this scheme, the '''Utah Mormon''' group includes the non-polygamous organizations descending from those Mormons who followed ] to what is now ]. ] is by far the largest of these groups, with a membership count totaling over 15,000,000 worldwide, and the only group to initially reside in Utah. The '''Missouri Mormon''' groups include those non-polygamous groups that chose not to travel to Utah and are currently headquartered in Missouri, which Joseph Smith designated as the future site of the ]. These organizations include ], ], ], and others. '''Polygamy-Practicing Mormon''' groups are those that currently practice polygamy, regardless of location. Most notably, this category includes the ] (FLDS Church) and the ] (AUB). '''Other Mormon''' groups include those that are not headquartered in Utah or Missouri and do not practice polygamy, such as ] and the ]. | |||
| The terms "Utah Mormon" and "Missouri Mormon" can be problematic if interpreted to mean more than the location of the various groups' headquarters.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} The majority of members of "Utah Mormon" groups and "Missouri Mormon" groups no longer live in either of these U.S. states. Although a majority of Utahns are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the LDS Church has a worldwide membership with the majority of its members outside the ]. Nor do most "Missouri Mormons" live in Missouri. | |||
| ==Meaning of the word== | |||
| The May 15, 1843 issue of the official Mormon periodical '']'' contains an article, purportedly written by Joseph Smith, deriving the etymology of the name "Mormon" from English "more" + Egyptian ''mon'', "good", and extolling the meaning as follows: | |||
| <blockquote> | |||
| 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'' ... none other people knoweth our language; therefore hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof." ... 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 Goth, ''goda''; the German, ''gut''; the Dutch, ''goed''; 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 MOR-MON; which means, literally, ''more good''.<ref>, '']'' (]), vol. 4, no. 13, p. 194] (May 15, 1843); quoted in Joseph Smith (] ed., 1938) '']'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book) pp. 299–300.</ref> | |||
| </blockquote> | |||
| Whether Smith was the actual author of this passage is uncertain. ] ] removed the quote from his '']'' compilation, saying he found evidence that ] wrote that paragraph and that it was "based on inaccurate premises and was offensively pedantic."<ref>''Defender of the Faith: The B. H. Roberts Story'', pp. 291–292</ref> LDS Church ] ] noted that the "more good" translation is incorrect but added that "''Mormon'' means 'more good'" is a positive motto for members of the LDS Church.<ref name = hinckley/> | |||
| ===Meaning in the Book of Mormon=== | |||
| According to the Book of Mormon, a man named ] compiled nearly 1000 years of writings as well as chronicled events during his lifetime. Most of the text of the Book of Mormon consists of this compilation and his own writings, which may account for its title.<ref></ref> However, the name "Mormon" is also used in the Book of Mormon as a place name (e.g. ]), which "Ancient America Foundation" scholar David Lamb uses to offer an alternate explanation for the title: | |||
| :: ] was not named after his father; he was named after the land of Mormon. He had been taught about his heritage by his parents and understood the sacred significance associated with the name Mormon. No doubt his father also bore the name Mormon for the same reason. In {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|book=3 Nephi|chapter=5|verse=12}} he gives us a clear indication that the name Mormon is symbolically synonymous with the restoration of the covenant which took place in the land of Mormon by Alma and his people. | |||
| ::A study of the {{Sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|book=Introduction}} of the Book of Mormon tells us its main purpose is to restore a knowledge of the covenants to the house of Israel. This adds weight to the understanding that the name Mormon was always associated with the place of the restoration of the covenant to the Nephites. In fact, the name Mormon became synonymous with the concept of restoring the covenants. | |||
| ::In light of this understanding, the Book of Mormon is not named for a man. It is named for the place where the covenant was restored. Symbolically, the Book of Mormon bears the name "Book of the Restoration of the Covenant."<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201232510/http://www.meridianmagazine.com/articles/040507mormon.html |date=February 1, 2010 }}</ref> | |||
| ==Trademark== | |||
| In some countries, ''Mormon'' and some phrases including the term are ]s owned by ] (a holding company for the LDS Church's ]).<ref>For example, "Mormon Tabernacle Choir" is registered as United States Federal TM Reg. No. 2766231, and "Mormon" is registered in the ] serial number EC004306701, registered July 6, 2006</ref> In the United States, the LDS Church has applied for a trademark on "Mormon" as applied to religious services; however, the ] rejected the application, stating that the term "Mormon" was too generic, and is popularly understood as referring to a particular kind of church, similar to "]" or "]", rather than a service mark.<ref>. {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The application was abandoned as of August 22, 2007.<ref>: "Current Status: Abandoned after an ex parte appeal. Date of Status: 2007-08-22"</ref> In all, the Intellectual Reserve, Inc. owns more than 60 trademarks related to the term Mormon. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{Portal|Christianity|Latter Day Saints|LDS Church}} | |||
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Revision as of 03:17, 27 March 2018
Mormons are good people. Joseph Smith didn't invent the Book of Mormon it was given to him by God the Father.