LDS Church leader, Russell Nelson, has for decades wanted to do away with the nickname of the church. It seems to have been a pet peeve of his, and he single-handedly announced a plea to use the full name of the church in 1990 when he was a junior apostle. The next conference, however, President Hinckley, minimized Nelson’s remarks and stated that the term Mormon is harmless and simply means more good. President Hinckley and later President Monson both presided over large media campaigns promoting the term Mormon to the world.
As soon as Nelson became the de facto leader of the church and new president in 2018, he resurfaced his plea, and this time, since he is at the head of the First Presidency and most senior of all the apostles, his word is the same as God’s word. The church leadership and all members are obligated not only to listen but to follow the prophet.
Russell M. Nelson’s 1990 “Thus Shall My Church Be Called”
He urges church members to “consider the feelings of the Heavenly Parent who bestowed that name” when they refer to the church. He’s saying that technically we shouldn’t use the Mormon nickname because it would hurt God’s feelings. And that some people are misled, presumably into thinking that the church is not a Christian entity. He then goes into a detailed examination of each of the parts of the church name and urges members to use the name since that’s what God said to use.
Note carefully the language of the Lord. He did not say, “Thus shall my church be named.” He said, “Thus shall my church be called.” Years ago, its members were cautioned by the Brethren who wrote: “We feel that some may be misled by the too frequent use of the term ‘Mormon Church.’” Before any other name is considered to be a legitimate substitute, the thoughtful person might reverently consider the feelings of the Heavenly Parent who bestowed that name.
“Thus Shall My Church Be Called” By Elder Russell M. Nelson, General Conference, April 1990
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1990/04/thus-shall-my-church-be-called
Hinckley in 1990
Hinckley negates Nelson’s talk and even references it specifically. He commends Nelson for a good talk and immediately states that “The Mormon church, of course, is a nickname” and that “regardless of our efforts, we may never convert the world to general use of the full and correct name.” He even shares a story of himself as a young missionary trying to get people to use the full name of the church when he came to the conclusion back then that it can’t be done and shares his inspiration that it isn’t even important to do. Rather than try to force the world to properly reference the church, he urges members to redefine Mormon to mean “more good.” He then elaborates on this for a full talk as President of the church! He states that not to be “ashamed of the nickname Mormon” and sees the nickname as a “compliment”.
Many of our people are disturbed by the practice of the media, and of many others, to disregard totally the true name of the Church and to use the nickname “the Mormon Church.”
Six months ago in our conference Elder Russell M. Nelson delivered an excellent address on the correct name of the Church. He quoted the words of the Lord Himself: “Thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” He then went on to discourse on the various elements of that name. I commend to you a rereading of his talk.
The Mormon church, of course, is a nickname. And nicknames have a way of becoming fixed… I suppose that regardless of our efforts, we may never convert the world to general use of the full and correct name of the Church. Because of the shortness of the word Mormon and the ease with which it is spoken and written, they will continue to call us the Mormons, the Mormon church, and so forth.
They could do worse. More than fifty years ago, when I was a missionary in England, I said to one of my associates, “How can we get people, including our own members, to speak of the Church by its proper name?” He replied, “You can’t. The word Mormon is too deeply ingrained and too easy to say.” He went on, “I’ve quit trying. While I’m thankful for the privilege of being a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of the Church which bears His name, I am not ashamed of the nickname Mormon.”
“Look,” he went on to say, “if there is any name that is totally honorable in its derivation, it is the name Mormon. And so, when someone asks me about it and what it means, I quietly say—‘Mormon means more good.’” (The Prophet Joseph Smith first said this in 1843)…
I leave with you the simple but profound thought: Mormon means “more good.” …
I testify that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that when people speak of us by the name of this book, they will compliment us, if we will live worthy of the name, remembering that in a very real sense Mormonism must mean that greater good which the Lord Jesus Christ exemplified.
Mormon Should Mean “More Good” By President Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference, October 1990
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1990/10/mormon-should-mean-more-good
Nelson Declares that saying Mormon is a Major Victory for Satan, 2018
Nelson, as new church President, gets to set the record straight since living prophets always override or trump dead prophets and both Hinckley and Monson by this time are not living. Nelson has all the authority to make his ideas the undisputable doctrine of the church. Here he forcefully states that God “is offended” when we “allow nicknames to be used” (or even sponsor them ourselves) he states that these nicknames remove the name of Jesus from the church and that’s a “major victory for Satan”! He made it so members no longer refer to themselves as Mormons, and barely know how to use the term anymore.
Thus, the name of the Church is not negotiable. When the Savior clearly states what the name of His Church should be and even precedes His declaration with, “Thus shall my church be called,” He is serious. And if we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended.
What’s in a name or, in this case, a nickname? When it comes to nicknames of the Church, such as the “LDS Church,” the “Mormon Church,” or the “Church of the Latter-day Saints,” the most important thing in those names is the absence of the Savior’s name. To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan.
“The Correct Name of the Church” By President Russell M. Nelson, General Conference, October 2018
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/general-conference/2018/10/the-correct-name-of-the-church
These are very strong words for a brand new church president following multiple presidents who personally rebuked him during General Conference, embraced the nickname, and even sponsored it with the “I’m a Mormon” ad campaign and “Meet the Mormons” feature film!
Official Sponsorship and Promotion of Mormon Nickname
We can’t forget what happened between those talks in 1990 and Nelson’s Presidency and first talk in 2018. Through the 1990’s, 2000’s and even the 2010’s the church officially sponsors and promotes the Mormon nickname. The church spends millions of tithing funds on ad campaigns and websites and more to promote the church with the mindset from Hinckley that Mormon is nothing to be ashamed of and it’s actually a nice way to promote the church with missionary work. The church administration moved forward and with the internet age, the church even launched a website at mormon.org in 2001 as a missionary tool and over time developed it into a site where members can post their own testimony of the church and include a photo of themself and even links to their social media accounts. Note that President Nelson declared the site a victory for Satan and mormon.org was completely deleted, and now redirects to the new church website (which is still not the complete name of the church, but is closer).
I’m a Mormon was an advertising and outreach campaign by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2010[1] to 2018 that aimed to combat stereotypes and misconceptions about the church by featuring short profiles from church members (also known as Mormons).
In October 2018, the church president Russell M. Nelson said that the use of nicknames such as Mormon was “a major victory for Satan.”[10][11][12] The outreach campaign thus ended.
I’m a Mormon, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_a_Mormon
In 2010, under the direction of President Thomas S. Monson, The Church launched its “I am a Mormon” campaign in the United States. The Church later made the campaign international with advertisements and promotions in various countries. How many millions of dollars in tithing were spent on this?
The church sponsored these campaigns and all this use of the nickname Mormon! According to President Nelson, all this has offended God! He stated in 2018 that “if we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended.” The church itself has sponsored the nickname in every sense of the word. President Nelson knows this fully and is throwing his predecessors (who previously rebuked him publicly) under the bus. He’s calling them out for offending God and for perpetual “major victories for Satan!” He must have been squirming in his seat ever since 1990 and watching all these “I’m a Mormon” campaigns feeling like it was an offense to God!
This is all very well documented by the church itself. The church published article after article announcing this sponsorship of the Mormon nickname. There were full talks and testimonies in sacrament meetings, special Sunday School lessons, 3rd-hour meetings, family night lessons, and missionary discussions dedicated to getting church members to create profiles on the mormon.org website and participate in this campaign. After all this effort and work in the church by many many of the members and funds of the church have, according to Nelson, offended God. All this effort and time President Nelson would not only throw out the window but also call a major victory for Satan and an offense to God!
The following are official news releases published by the church and can still be found on the church website (though many links to them are broken since the church changed their website domains at Nelson’s direction).
In a revolutionary new launch of Mormon.org 4.0, 2,000 Mormons have completed profiles, 13,000 more are in process, explaining why they live their faith and why they are a Mormon. That number is expected to eventually jump to 100,000 as the Church continues to ask its members on LDS.org to consider sharing their faith on Mormon.org…
A significant media campaign will begin in late July to raise awareness of the new Web site. It will combine elements of traditional and nontraditional media including online, television and radio spots and billboards. “Like the new Mormon.org, that media campaign will put our membership as the face of the organization,” Swofford said.
The Church will continue to collect member profiles on an ongoing basis. Profiles can be added to and edited on an ongoing basis by the Latter-day Saints who create them.
New Mormon.org Brings Mormons to the Forefront, News Release, 15 July 2010
https://web.archive.org/web/20110609034223/http://newsroom.lds.org/article/new-mormon-org-brings-mormons-to-the-forefront
Major victory for Satan.
With increased conversations about Mormons taking place in New York City, the Church launched the “I’m a Mormon” campaign there this week.
”Our Church is known for our efforts to share our message,” said Elder Richard G. Hinckley, Executive Director of the Missionary Department. “During the past several decades we’ve used media focusing primarily on what we believe. This effort focuses more on who we are because of what we believe.”
Billboards in Times Square, signs on taxi tops and ads in subways feature a few of the 14 million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the statement “I’m a Mormon.” The ads refer people to the mormon.org website, where they can read the profiles of more than 30,000 Mormons, chat live with representatives who will answer questions about the faith, and watch dozens of videos giving a glimpse into the lives of Latter-day Saints from all over the world.
Mormon.org “I’m a Mormon” Effort Launches in New York City, News Release, 16 June 2011 – New York
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormon-ads-new-york-city
God is offended.
The Church is continuing a national media campaign called “I’m a Mormon” that includes television spots, billboards, and ads on buses and on the Internet. The ads give a glimpse into the lives of Latter-day Saints from all over the world and refer people to the mormon.org website, where they can read the profiles of tens of thousands of Mormons, chat live with representatives who will answer questions about the faith and watch dozens of videos about members of the Church…
Originally launched in 2001, mormon.org has provided an inviting destination for people seeking online information about the Church. Over a million people visit the site each month. The “I’m a Mormon” media initiative has significantly increased the number of visitors to the site; in some cities where the ads have aired, the traffic is up as much as 300 percent.
“I’m a Mormon” Media Campaign Expands Across United States and Australia, News Release, 3 October 2011
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormon-media-campaign-expands-across-us-australia
Feelings of Heavenly Parent not considered.
Major victory for Satan.
In a revolutionary new launch of Mormon.org 4.0, 2,000 Mormons have completed profiles, 13,000 more are in process, explaining why they live their faith and why they are a Mormon. That number is expected to eventually jump to 100,000 as the Church continues to ask its members on LDS.org to consider sharing their faith on Mormon.org.
New Mormon.org Brings Mormons to the Forefront, News Release, 15 July 2010
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/new-mormon-org-brings-mormons-to-the-forefront
https://web.archive.org/web/20171216091115/https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/new-mormon-org-brings-mormons-to-the-forefront
Another major victory for Satan.
You see them everywhere in New York City these days: smiling, happy faces looking down from billboards, beaming from subway advertising placards, flashing by on top of hundreds of taxi cabs and illuminating Times Square on a huge video display.
Mormons. Everywhere….
The faces are part of the LDS Church’s “I’m a Mormon” advertising campaign, which was tested in nine different U.S. cities during the summer of 2010 and launched two weeks ago in New York City…
Once the website was populated in 2010, elements of the “I’m a Mormon” campaign were originally tried out in nine markets around the United States: Baton Rouge, La.; Colorado Springs, Co.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Oklahoma City, Ok.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Rochester, NY; St Louis, Mo.; and Tucson, Ariz.
LDS advertising campaign elicits ‘significant increase’ in website visitors, Deseret News (via the web.archive.org, due to the church owned news site removing the post)
https://web.archive.org/web/20180924081528/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705387614/LDS-advertising-campaign-elicits-significant-increase-in-website-visitors.html
Victories for Satan are everywhere! The church tested these victories for Satan in nine US markets, and then hit New York in huge video displays illuminating Time Square!
The mormon.org website, first launched in 2001, was overhauled in 2010 to make individual Church members the focus. Rather than just a resource to learn what Mormons believe, the site now introduces curious visitors to thousands of Mormons who share what they believe and how their faith impacts their lives. Mormon.org has as many as one million unique visitors per month…
Following the effort in New York City this summer, the Church will launch ads in additional U.S. cities this fall.
Mormon.org “I’m a Mormon” Effort Launches in New York City, News Release, 16 June 2011
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormon-ads-new-york-city
https://web.archive.org/web/20170629200007/http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-ads-new-york-city
So many major victories for Satan, in so many cities, and all sponsored by the church! The One True Church, led by prophecy and priesthood authority, is enthusiastic about offending God!
There is a widespread conversation taking place about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members, and starting Monday, 3 October 2011, Mormons in 13 major cities in the United States and Australia will be taking part in that conversation in a more direct way.
The Church is continuing a national media campaign called “I’m a Mormon” that includes television spots, billboards, and ads on buses and on the Internet. The ads give a glimpse into the lives of Latter-day Saints from all over the world and refer people to the mormon.org website, where they can read the profiles of tens of thousands of Mormons, chat live with representatives who will answer questions about the faith and watch dozens of videos about members of the Church.
“I’m a Mormon” Media Campaign Expands Across United States and Australia
https://web.archive.org/web/20171015120435/http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-media-campaign-expands-across-us-australia
Major victories for Satan in 13 major US cities and Australia.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “I’m a Mormon” campaign expanded at the beginning of October to run in 12 major cities in the United States and Australia. With the Church in the national spotlight for a variety of reasons, the ads are generating buzz.
Church Public Affairs managing director Michael Otterson uses his Washington Post “On Faith” forum space this week to explain why these glimpses into the lives of everyday Mormons are successful and what Latter-day Saints mean when they say, “I’m a Mormon.”
The ads are successful, Otterson says…
‘On Faith’ Blog: The Real Mormons Behind TV Advertising, Mormon Newsroom Article, 31 October 2011
https://web.archive.org/web/20180914050855/https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/on-faith-blog-real-mormons-behind-tv-advertising
The Church Public Affairs managing director says the ads are successful, but President Nelson says they are major victories for Satan. Who is the church public affairs working for then?
Two months after the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints launched its “I’m a Mormon” media campaign in Great Britain, LDS officials say they are seeing significant increases in British interest in the church.
The intense media element of the campaign, with ads at tube stations, the Charing Cross mainline station and on double-decker buses, ran for four weeks from early April into May. Online advertising will continue in the United Kingdom and Ireland through the end of 2013…
As a consequence of the campaign, Droubay said, church officials on both sides of the Atlantic are pleased…
The “I’m a Mormon” campaign in Great Britain is similar to the successful campaign the LDS Church staged in a number of U.S. cities during the past couple of years.
LDS Church pleased with positive response to ‘I’m a Mormon’ in Great Britain, Deseret News
https://www.deseret.com/2013/6/22/20521439/lds-church-pleased-with-positive-response-to-i-m-a-mormon-in-great-britain
Then LDS Church is pleased with the media campaign, but God is offended and Satan chalks another victory, this time across the UK!
“There is a great amount of interest in Mormons right now in the UK and Ireland,” said Church leader Elder Clifford Herbertson. “People are asking the question, ‘Who are the Mormons?’ and when people are asking questions, we want to be here to provide them with the answers of how and why we follow Jesus Christ.”
“I’m a Mormon” adverts first ran in selected cities in the United States in 2010. A similar campaign to the one running in London was centred in New York City’s Times Square in 2011. Both of these campaigns coincided with the launch of The Book of Mormon Musical in each respective city…
In London, 250 double-decker buses will feature advertisements as will Charing Cross mainline station and ten tube stations including Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus, for the next four weeks. Throughout the rest of the UK and Ireland, the effort will be focused on the Internet, where people will see “I’m a Mormon” ads through the end of 2013…
Since 2012, the Church has produced 155 video portraits of Mormons as part of this campaign. Fifteen of those videos feature Mormons from the UK and Ireland. In addition to the 155 video portraits, there are 130,000 profile pages on Mormon.org created by individual Mormons who want to share their faith…
In addition to the “I’m a Mormon” advertisements, the Church is also running adverts in theatre Playbills for The Book of Mormon Musical. They read, “You’ve seen the play, now read the book” or “The book is always better.”
The advertisements in the UK invite viewers to “ask a Mormon,” and include statements of faith by Mormons such as “Jesus Christ is my compass” and “When I lost my way, God helped me find it.” The Church invites anyone with questions to “ask a Mormon” via mormon.org.uk or Twitter at twitter.com/AskAMormon.
“I’m a Mormon” Integrated Media Campaign launches in UK and Ireland in response to increased interest in faith
https://web.archive.org/web/20170922050852/http://www.mormonnewsroom.org.uk/article/im-a-mormon
So many major victories for Satan! 250 Double-decker buses, each a major victory for Satan. 155 video church-produced video portraits, each a major victory for Satan. Church adverts in The Book of Mormon Musical playbills, each a major victory for Satan. Inviting viewers to “ask a Mormon” and simultaneously offend God!
The Church’s national media campaign called “I’m a Mormon” includes television spots, billboards, and ads on buses and on the Internet. The ads give a glimpse into the lives of Latter-day Saints from all over the world and refer people to the mormon.org website, where they can read the profiles of tens of thousands of Mormons, chat live with representatives who will answer questions about the faith and watch dozens of videos about members of the Church.
‘I’m a Mormon’ Campaign, Church Newsroom Website (for Cambodia – since others have been since deleted)
https://news-kh.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/-i-m-a-mormon-campaign
The church’s national media campaign offended God and was a major victory for Satan.
Mormon Helping Hands
The Helping Hands program brings together members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their neighbors to provide community service. These volunteers in their trademark yellow shirts help people whose lives have been affected by natural disasters and other emergencies. Helping Hands volunteers also partner with government and nonprofit organizations to support and improve the communities where they live.
The Helping Hands program reflects the desire of Latter-day Saints to follow the example of Jesus Christ by serving others. The effort receives resources from Church humanitarian services, and the projects are coordinated by local Church leaders.
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/helping-hands
Mormon Helping Hands Volunteers in trademark yellow shirts helped victims of natural disasters and other emergencies, this apparently was an offense to the Mormon God because the nickname was used which is a major history for Satan. The thousands of hours of volunteer work and helping hands went rather to help Satan.
Mormon Helping Hands (or, more recently, simply Helping Hands) is a name under which members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) perform volunteer community service. The name and its logo are worn on t-shirts and vests worn by LDS Church members while providing the service. The shirts and vests are bright yellow or white…
The Helping Hand Mormons, as of 2017, were asked to, as the name applies, help out with the cleanup of Hurricane Harvey and were featured on the news.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Helping_Hands
Now that lds.org is no more, the Tabernacle Choir is absolved itself of “Mormon” in its name, and President Nelson has dissuaded us from even calling ourselves “Mormons,” it seems there are few frontiers left to cross in this effort. Mormon Helping Hands still yields search results, but it was quietly renamed to—you guessed it—Helping Hands.
In this spirit, I propose we ditch the identifier on everything. We believe in the Bible and in the Book. At Welfare Square you can learn about the great work of Charities. Heck, we should even lobby state governments to change place names. Arizona’s Mormon Lake will, from this point on, be called “Lake” and history books will refer to that little sojourn along the Platte River as simply “The Trail.”
https://www.thisweekinmormons.com/2019/08/church-announces-lds-family-services-now-named-family-services/
Meet the Mormons Film in 2014
Meet the Mormons is a 2014 American documentary film directed by Blair Treu and produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The film documents the lives of six devout Mormons living in the United States, Costa Rica, and Nepal. The LDS Church donated all net proceeds from the theatrical release of the film to the American Red Cross…
Beginning January 2015, the LDS Church began showing the film in all of its visitors’ centers and historical sites.
Meet the Mormons, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_the_Mormons
Major victory for Satan, produced by the church, which generated proceeds donated to the American Red Cross. God was offended.
“Meet the Mormons” is a feature-length documentary film produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that will be released in select theaters on 10 October 2014.
Meet the Mormons Movie, Article on Church Official Newsroom Website
https://web.archive.org/web/20140828150238/https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/meet-the-mormons-movie
For the first time in its history, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will release a feature-length documentary commercially on Oct. 10.
The new feature-length film, “Meet the Mormons,” highlights the lives of six Latter-day Saints who live across the globe…
Charged with producing the film for the Legacy Theater in Salt Lake City and for visitors’ centers across the globe, [the film’s writer and director, Blair] Treu pitched the project to the LDS Church’s First Presidency in late 2010. After the project was finished, church leaders decided to expand the film’s release due to the positive response from both LDS and non-LDS sample audiences…
He hopes his life will be representative of the life of all Mormons; that after seeing the film, when viewers hear the word Mormon, “they will imagine a family like mine.”
“For more information about “Meet the Mormons” go to www.meetthemormons.com.
LDS Church announces feature-length documentary, ‘Meet the Mormons’, Deseret News
https://www.deseret.com/2014/8/19/20546956/lds-church-announces-feature-length-documentary-meet-the-mormons
In video posted to Instagram Aug. 21, Sullivan, who is one of the six Latter-day Saints featured in an upcoming documentary called “Meet the Mormons,” leads Archuleta in a step routine, involving rhythmic footwork and hand claps, at a screening of the film.
At the time the documentary was filmed, Sullivan was a bishop; he is now serving as president of the Atlanta Georgia Stake.
David Archuleta also played in role in the documentary. He performs a song titled “Glorious,” by Stephanie Mabey, in the film.
Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, announced the release of “Meet the Mormons” this week.
The feature-length documentary produced by the LDS Church will hit theaters Oct. 10.
The film was financed by the LDS Church…
LDS bishop featured in ‘Meet the Mormons’ teaches David Archuleta how to step dance, Deseret News
https://www.deseret.com/2014/8/21/20546979/watch-lds-bishop-featured-in-meet-the-mormons-teaches-david-archuleta-how-to-step-dance
Again, brought to the world under the direction of President Thomas S. Monson, the “Meet the Mormons” feature-length documentary film was produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and shown at movie theaters across the nation. Each one was a major victory for Satan. The living prophet was actively engaged and approved this production which offended God.
Besides these obvious sponsored uses of Mormon by the church itself found in the “I’m a Mormon” global ad campaign and the “Meet the Mormons” film, there are more examples of the church saying one thing via Church President Russell M. Nelson, and doing another via the Kirton McKonkie law firm and others.
Mormon Match and the Church’s Trademark
In 2014 the Church fought a legal battle with an internet dating site called Mormon Match because the Church claimed it had exclusive rights to this nickname, which President Nelson today calls an offense to God and a major victory for Satan.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is currently waging a legal battle with a dating site called Mormon Match over its use of the word “Mormon”.
Intellectual Reserve Inc., the holding company for the LDS church, has a trademark on the word, as well as “Book of Mormon”, “Mormon.org”, “Mormon Tabernacle Choir”, “The Mormon Church”, “Mormon handicraft” and an outline of the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City, Utah…
“When is a Mormon not a Mormon?” asks the consumerist’s Kate Cos. “When he’s a ‘Mormon (trademark).'”
Jezebel’s Kelly Faircloth says that it seems the LDS Church doesn’t want anyone “making bank” off the Mormon name.
A trademark fight over the word ‘Mormon’, 6 June 2014, BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27708734
As late as October of 2015, the Deseret News (owned by the Church) promoted the Associated Press Stylebook guidance that “Mormon” is a proper term exclusively for the Salt Lake City based branch of the restorationist movement started by Joseph Smith. They claim exclusively that the term Mormon applies to the Brighamite church and to no other splinter groups or fundamentalist sects (and they also claim erroneously that there is no such thing as Mormon Fundamentalists in an attempt to distance themselves from Mormon Fundamentalists like Warren Jeffs.
There is no such thing as a ‘Mormon Fundamentalist.’ It is a contradiction to use the two words together.”
For journalists the distinction should also be completely clear. The Associated Press Stylebook (which most media outlets follow) says in reference to splinter groups of the LDS faith, “The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other Latter Day Saints churches that resulted from the split after (Joseph) Smith’s death. This includes polygamous groups. The LDS Church renounced polygamy in 1890.”
For Mormons the problem originates with the casual observer who doesn’t associate closely with members of the faith. If you live in Utah it can be an out-of-state business associate or someone you meet on vacation. If you live outside Utah it can be in everyday interaction with people unfamiliar with the faith. Understandably, people see the news reports and documentaries of multiple wives, pioneerlike dress, underage marriage and Warren Jeffs and immediately associate them with the red rock in Southern Utah, the skyline of Salt Lake City and the large missionary force of the Mormon faith. Very quickly, admirable traits of both the LDS Church and polygamous sects are forgotten because of Jeffs’ crimes.
Contrasting Religious Practice, Deseret News 2015
https://www.deseret.com/2015/10/2/20573474/contrasting-religious-practice
Still in 2023, the church worked to continue to own and block trademarks for others using the Mormon nickname. A book named Bad Mormon sought a trademark and the church got involved to block the book! They claim that it would damage the church if a book or merchandise around the book were allowed to be trademarked.
Although church President Russell M. Nelson has counseled against the use of the word “Mormon” to describe Latter-day Saints — calling that “a major victory for Satan” — the church’s foundational scripture remains the Book of Mormon. And the church retains its trademarks on multiple variations of the term “Mormon.”
The church declined to comment on the ongoing dispute, but, according to Mandour & Associates Intellectual Property Law, the church’s lawyers filed an opposition to Gay’s proposed Bad Mormon trademark, arguing it “would create a likelihood of confusion, trademark dilution, falsely suggest a connection to the church, and be otherwise deceptive.”
The filing went on to allege that the “applicant’s use of the generic word ‘bad’ is deceptive in that it falsely represents … the Church or its members are bad or otherwise behaving immorally … with an intent to advance its false suggestion of connection or by conveying stories of alleged former or existing members of the Church behaving immorally.”
Contrasting religious practice
https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/2023/02/01/is-lds-church-suing-real/
Last June, Heather Gay of the TV show “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” applied for an official trademark on the term “Bad Mormon,” which is the title of her new book and a brand she wants to print on bottles, mugs and clothing for sale.
Her application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is opposed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which holds trademarks with the office for the terms Mormon, Book of Mormon, Mormon Channel, Mormon Messages, Mormon.org and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
The attorney representing the church filed its opposition to the “Bad Mormon” mark in October…
“Because of the deceptive nature of the mark sought to be registered by (Gay), (the church) and the goodwill symbolized by its Mormon marks will be damaged in a cognizable way and registration of applicant’s alleged mark should be denied,” wrote the church’s attorney…
“Applicant’s use or registration of Bad Mormon will tarnish and denigrate … the church, its leaders, its members, its teachings and beliefs, and will otherwise bring opposer church into contempt and disrepute in connection with the goods and services listed in applicant’s application (that) will tarnish the goodwill symbolized by opposer’s Mormon marks,” Grow added.
President Russell M. Nelson reemphasized the use of the church’s official name over the nickname Mormon in 2018, and within a year the church had updated 95% of the its outward-facing references.
The court fight over the phrase ‘Bad Mormon’, Deseret News, Feb 8, 2023
https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2023/2/8/23590017/bad-mormon-court-fight-church-of-jesus-christ-heather-gay-real-housewives-salt-lake
The Church has been providing major victory after major victory for Satan. Was it okay for previous prophets, marketing departments, and legal departments of the Church to use the term Mormon? Why did prophets so recently seem unphased or flat-out disregard offending God? How is it that Russell M. Nelson spoke of this decades ago and out-ranking leaders disregarded his warning while running the church as apparent men of their times, and finally once Russell M. Nelson was the top-ranking church official, the church as a whole stopped giving so many major victories to Satan and paying millions of dollars in tithing funds to offend God? How can a church of God be run with this kind of flip-flopping plainly visible to the world and church membership? How can God have approved his prophets a few years ago to have let the church so astray and spent so much sacred funds on ad campaigns if they offended him? How would God, who will not permit leaders to lead the church astray, let his one true church give such major victories to Satan by sponsoring ad campaigns based on the offensive Mormon nickname?!
Or is it just that Russell M. Nelson is making his issues into God’s issues? Is he using his platform as president of the church and top-ranked priesthood authority to establish his personal views as God’s views? Is he using his time as church’s head to right the wrongs he took personally while serving as a junior apostle? Does he consider every thought he has to be a direct revelation from God?
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