You will not find the name “Mormon Church” as a registered organisation.
The official name of the ‘so-called’ Mormon Church is, and has always been, since its organisation on the 6th April 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
However, because members of this church believe in the book of Mormon – another Testament of Jesus Christ, the name ‘Mormon’ is the term others have used to refer to its members.
This was so even in the beginning of the Church as the prophet Joseph Smith’s mother testified “I told you that we were Mormons because that is what the world calls us, but the only name we acknowledge is Latter-day Saints” (The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother – p 291″)
The leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have long recognised the fact that so many people in the world today refer to its members as Mormons so this name has been “adopted” by the Church. The Church even has a website called Mormon.org which focuses on the doctrine taught by Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for all mankind.
The world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir, (shown above) has also adopted the name Mormon, although it is composed of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whose sacred music is featured every Sunday – in the world’s longest continuing network broadcast known as “Music and the Spoken Word”
Just as the early members of the ancient Christian Church established by Jesus Christ were called “Christians” by non-believers, so the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ever since 1830 have been called “Mormons” by non-believers.
Mormon also testifies in the book of Mormon, that all those who were true believers in Christ in his day, took upon themselves, gladly, the name of Christ, and that they were called Christians by those who did not belong to the church, because of their belief in Christ who should come. (see Alma 46:14-15)
This is despite the fact that members of the Church both anciently and in modern times refer to themselves as “saints” a fact which is testified in both ancient and modern scripture. Both ancient & modern saints, members of the church of Jesus Christ, are happy to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, and are not ashamed to be called Christians or for that matter Mormons.
In addition to their belief in the book of Mormon, Latter-day Saints also believe in the Bible. The book of Mormon affirms the teachings of the Bible, as taught by ancient prophets of the Holy Land.
Mormon was an ancient prophet who strongly believed in Jesus Christ. His writings are on a par with any wriiten by ancient prophets such as Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Matthew, Mark, Luke, the apostles Peter James and John, or the later writings of Paul. All these men testified of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Mormon’s testimony of Jesus Christ as documented in the book of Mormon is repeated here so you will know that he had great faith in Jesus Christ and knew that He was his Savior & Redeemer.
I write unto you, Gentiles, and also unto you, house of Israel, when the work shall commence, that ye shall be about to prepare to return to the land of your inheritance;
Yea, behold, I write unto all the ends of the earth; yea, unto you, twelve tribes of Israel, who shall be judged according to your works by the twelve whom Jesus chose to be his disciples in the land of Jerusalem.
And I write also unto the remnant of this people, who shall also be judged by the twelve whom Jesus chose in this land; and they shall be judged by the other twelve whom Jesus chose in the land of Jerusalem.
And these things doth the Spirit manifest unto me; therefore I write unto you all. And for this cause I write unto you, that ye may know that ye must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, yea, every soul who belongs to the whole human family of Adam; and ye must stand to be judged of your works, whether they be good or evil;
And also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you; and also that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they slew, was the very Christ and the very God.
And I would that I could persuade all ye ends of the earth to repent and prepare to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. (Mormon 3:17-22)
This is a great post and enforces a thought I just gave about Jesus Christ talking to his disciples in the America’s. They had asked him what the name of his church should be known as. (3 Nephi 27). Jesus appeared to them and advised them that the church should be called in his name, and that everything we go to our Heavenly Father about, should be in Jesus name. He told them that if the church was called in somebody else’s name, then the church would be their church. It is important that we let people know that we are members of the “Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints”. We are not the church of Mormon. Even the term LDS, leaves out the most important part of our name.
How profound! Remarkable!