Living with the "Mormon" nickname
 
By Joel Campbell
Mormon Times
 
It seems that Latter-day Saints have learned to live with the title "Mormon" while still asking the world (and being largely ignored) to use the formal name of their church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Mormon Media Observer discussed the past 20 years of the official church's position in dealing with the usage of the Mormon brand during the recent "Mormonism in the Public Mind" conference held at Utah Valley University. Here is an abridged version:

Latter-day Saints have been constantly reminded of obligation to use the proper name of the church. In April 1990 General Conference, Elder Russell M. Nelson, said: "This church, established under the direction of Almighty God, fulfills promises made in biblical times. It is part of the 'restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.' (Acts 3:21.) It has been restored and given a name by the Lord Himself."

Six months later, President Gordon B. Hinckley said: "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.' The Mormon church, of course, is a nickname. . . 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."

"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; see Times and Seasons, 4:194; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 299-300.)"

"When I have seen the word Mormon used in the media to describe us -- in a newspaper or a magazine or book or whatever -- there flashes into my mind his statement, which has become my motto: Mormon means "more good."

In a Feb. 23, 2001 letter from the church's First Presidency to some 25,000 congregations worldwide, members and leaders were asked to refer to themselves as Latter-day Saints, rather than Mormons, and their church by its full name, or "The Church of Jesus Christ," or "the church" in shorter references. A press release issued that March called on media to follow a similar style. At the time, news directors and editors questioned how they would handle the change. One news director said that many Christians believe the term "The Church of Jesus Christ" is a universal name for Christianity and that some may be offended by its use directed toward the LDS Church.

As a result of the 2001 release, The Salt Lake Tribune now uses "Mormon church" less but has continued to use the church's full name and "LDS Church" on second reference and does not use the second reference "Church of Jesus Christ." The Associated Press style remains unchanged saying that the official name of the church should be used when an article deals with official church activities. Except for church publications, most have ignored the 2001 call for change. Even the church-owned Deseret News uses LDS Church in first reference in its reporting, headlines and adds LDS to the "Church News" section circulated inside Utah. The Deseret News has also recently added a Mormon Times section.

The New York Times and most media outlets, still widely use the name Mormon church, Mormon faith, Mormonism and Mormons, but many manage to get in the formal name of the church somewhere in articles about church activities.

So fast forward to April 2008 when an FLDS ranch was raided in Texas.

The media has widely used some of the following terms: fundamentalist Mormons, breakaway Mormon sect, renegade Mormon sect and mainstream Mormon church. The church attempted to reframe the media coverage by suggesting the use of "polygamist sects." That has been partially successful. Many U.S. newspapers now use the term, although with the recent FLDS arrests in British Columbia, the Canadian press continues to widely use "Mormon fundamentalists. " Of course some of the polygamist groups have asserted their right to be called Mormons. Some journalists have been careful to call them "self-described Mormons."

Elder Lance B. Wickman, general counsel of the church, sent publishers of major newspapers, TV stations and magazines a statement in June 2008 asserting intellectual property rights of the term Mormon. He asked journalists to respect the differences between the polygamist groups and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

So in summary, we see a time before the 2002 Olympics when church leaders reasserted its right to be called by its formal name and identified as a Christian faith. Some media outlets have modified usage, but Mormon church seems a moniker that Latter-day Saints will likely be forever saddled with. The media has largely ignored the request they use the full name of the church on first reference and the "The Church of Jesus Christ" on second reference. At the same time, the church is now also asserting a traditional right to the term "Mormon" so as to differentiate from polygamist groups such as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is an interesting position.

The official church now seems more comfortable owning and using both the formal name and the shorter nickname. Hence the Web site www.mormon.org, "Mormon Messages" on YouTube and "Mormon Helping Hands" T-shirts worn in disaster response.

While Latter-day Saints insist that the media include them in the Christian column, Latter-day Saints are also attempting to exclude others from the use of the Mormon moniker. As a solution, I suggest that reporters allow sources to identify themselves. This is the standard that is widely accepted in reporting about race and ethnicity. For example, reporters are advised to ask sources whether they prefer the term black or African-American. On the religion beat this is less emphasized. How about allowing a source to identify himself/herself as a Christian or a Mormon and then possibly note that other groups may disagree with that designation.

There are no simple solutions except for greater efforts to educate journalists and the public at large about the distinctions. Latter-day Saints ought to appeal to journalists' sense of ethics and right be arguing that good journalism that clarifies the differences between religious groups. And, in the end, as President Hinckley said: "We may not be able to change the nickname, but we can make it shine with added luster."
 
MormonTimes.com
Originally published Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2009
 
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