On ‘Think Celestial’

In President Nelson’s pre-recorded conference address of October 2023, his goal seems to be to encourage members to have an eternal perspective when facing a challenge in life with his constant urging to “Think celestial!” He is upfront that his goal is for listeners to be spiritually minded, but it comes across as praising immature …

Deseret News in 2015 claims the term Mormon can only refer to the largest LDS church, and that Mormons have a problem controlling the public's opinion of them due to bad actors like Warren Jeffs. By 2018, new church president Russell M. Nelson said "If we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended... To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan." | wasmormon.org
Deseret News in 2015 claims the term Mormon can only refer to the largest LDS church, and that Mormons have a problem controlling the public's opinion of them due to bad actors like Warren Jeffs. By 2018, new church president Russell M. Nelson said "If we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended... To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan."
“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. Four years later, in October 2018, new church president Russell M. Nelson said "If we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended... To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan." This documentary was a major victory for Satan, not only sponsored by but also produced by the church, which generated proceeds donated to the American Red Cross. Living prophet insists that God was offended. | wasmormon.org
“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. Four years later, in October 2018, new church president Russell M. Nelson said "If we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended... To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan." This documentary was a major victory for Satan, not only sponsored by but also produced by the church, which generated proceeds donated to the American Red Cross. Living prophet insists that God was offended.
After The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints launched its “I’m a Mormon” media campaign in Great Britain in 2013, LDS officials say they are seeing significant increases in British interest in the church. These campaigns ended abruptly in 2018 when new church president Russell M. Nelson said "If we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended... To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan." | wasmormon.org
After the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints launched its “I’m a Mormon” media campaign in Great Britain in 2013, LDS officials say they are seeing significant increases in British interest in the church. These campaigns ended abruptly in 2018 when new church president Russell M. Nelson said "If we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended... To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan."
In New York City, the Church launched the “I’m a Mormon” campaign in 2011. The campaign ended abruptly in 2018 when new church president Russell M. Nelson said "If we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended... To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan." 
In New York City, the Church launched the “I’m a Mormon” campaign in 2010. The campaign ended abruptly in 2018 when new church president Russell M. Nelson said "If we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended... To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan." 
I'm a Mormon was an advertising and outreach campaign by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2010 to 2018 that aimed to combat stereotypes and misconceptions about the church by featuring short profiles from church members (also known as Mormons) on the mormon.org website. In October 2018, the church president Russell M. Nelson said that the use of nicknames such as Mormon was "a major victory for Satan." The outreach campaign thus ended. | wasmormon.org
I'm a Mormon was an advertising and outreach campaign by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2010 to 2018 that aimed to combat stereotypes and misconceptions about the church by featuring short profiles from church members (also known as Mormons) on the mormon.org website. In October 2018, the church president Russell M. Nelson said that the use of nicknames such as Mormon was "a major victory for Satan." The outreach campaign thus ended.
"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." - President Russell M. Nelson 2018 | wasmormon.org
"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." - President Russell M. Nelson 2018
"If we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended... To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan." - President Russell M. Nelson 2018 | wasmormon.org
"If we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended... To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan." - President Russell M. Nelson 2018

Major Victories for Satan

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 …

[In Seminary,] I put up Nelson's talk that he gave in [1990], and I contrast it with his talk in 2018. I say, "What's different?" and it's like "using the word mormon is bad," and the other one is "using the word Mormon is a victory for Satan." I'm like, "What do you guys see as different?" The kids were like "yeah, that's kind of interesting." Then, I literally put up pictures of the London Underground that had "I'm a Mormon" and Times Square with "I'm a Mormon" and I asked my students the question, "Tell me what you guys think about this?" They were very clear, "I don't think that's a victory for Satan, or else Monson would have been doing Satan's work, and how does that make sense?" I'm like, "Yep, sounds about right. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen" - Marc Oslund, Former Seminary Teacher, Mormon Stories #1424 | wasmormon.org
[In Seminary,] I put up Nelson's talk that he gave in [1990], and I contrast it with his talk in 2018. I say, "What's different?" and it's like "using the word mormon is bad," and the other one is "using the word Mormon is a victory for Satan." I'm like, "What do you guys see as different?" The kids were like "yeah, that's kind of interesting." Then, I literally put up pictures of the London Underground that had "I'm a Mormon" and Times Square with "I'm a Mormon" and I asked my students the question, "Tell me what you guys think about this?" They were very clear, "I don't think that's a victory for Satan, or else Monson would have been doing Satan's work, and how does that make sense?" I'm like, "Yep, sounds about right. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen" - Marc Oslund, Former Seminary Teacher, Mormon Stories #1424
"Thomas S. Monson dies and Russell M. Nelson takes over, and almost immediately ... after the "I'm a Mormon" campaign which the church spent millions on, after the movie "Meet the Mormons" that the church spent millions on... Some decisions made in Salt Lake headquarters that because people have negative associations with the word, Mormon and we're losing the SEO war with the term Mormon, let's be witty and smart and abandon the term Mormon because it's a loser anyway, and let's pivot toward Jesus. So then, Russell M. Nelson blows everyone away by saying, "To use the word Mormon to identify the Mormon church, or the Mormon people, is a victory for Satan". Which his predecessor and multiple predecessors before, had all done!" - John Dehlin, Host of Mormon Stories Podcast #1424 | wasmormon.org
"Thomas S. Monson dies and Russell M. Nelson takes over, and almost immediately ... after the "I'm a Mormon" campaign which the church spent millions on, after the movie "Meet the Mormons" that the church spent millions on... Some decisions made in Salt Lake headquarters that because people have negative associations with the word, Mormon and we're losing the SEO war with the term Mormon, let's be witty and smart and abandon the term Mormon because it's a loser anyway, and let's pivot toward Jesus. So then, Russell M. Nelson blows everyone away by saying, "To use the word Mormon to identify the Mormon church, or the Mormon people, is a victory for Satan". Which his predecessor and multiple predecessors before, had all done!" - John Dehlin, Host of Mormon Stories Podcast #1424

Don’t Say Mormon

Marc Oslund and John Dehlin discussed Russell M. Nelson’s “Victory for Satan” talk on Mormon Stories Episode #1424. They discuss that the blind belief in only the living prophet’s words is unsustainable and Nelson’s war on ‘Mormon‘ has been his own personal pet peeve from the beginning. The message from President Nelson that using the …

"I just saw that my profile was a Spotlight -- how cool is that? I've used the link to my story with Mormon (Victory for Satan) acquaintances who want to know why I left. Most think I have Mormon BO (Bitter and Offended), but when they read about how/why I left, it has caused a cognitive dissonance with their own journey about how the "one and only true church, led by the Lard" could do this to an upstanding member. THANK YOU for the work you put into this -- a growing community of us sharing our journeys." - wasmormon.org user testimonial
"I just saw that my profile was a Spotlight -- how cool is that? I've used the link to my story with Mormon (Victory for Satan) acquaintances who want to know why I left. Most think I have Mormon BO (Bitter and Offended), but when they read about how/why I left, it has caused a cognitive dissonance with their own journey about how the "one and only true church, led by the Lard" could do this to an upstanding member. THANK YOU for the work you put into this -- a growing community of us sharing our journeys." - wasmormon.org user testimonial

What happened to Mormon.org?

Do you remember the mormon.org website? Members were pestered relentlessly to create a profile online to share their testimony and answer gospel questions. Everyone was encouraged to share their personal url on social media too! Here are some example profiles: Some profiles even backfired and brave disaffected members posted what they actually thought until the …