{"id":9817,"date":"2022-02-11T17:23:04","date_gmt":"2022-02-12T00:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicsquaremag.org\/?p=9817"},"modified":"2022-02-12T19:24:15","modified_gmt":"2022-02-13T02:24:15","slug":"call-us-by-our-name-a-reasonable-request-in-the-age-of-authenticity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicsquaremag.org\/uncategorized\/call-us-by-our-name-a-reasonable-request-in-the-age-of-authenticity\/","title":{"rendered":"To Call Us By Our Name (A Reasonable Request In the Age of Authenticity)"},"content":{"rendered":"

At age seventeen I was introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and baptized\u2014this in the town where I grew up, where Latter-day Saints represented only about seven percent of the population. I knew of the Church in only a cursory way prior\u2014and only by the name \u201cMormon.\u201d In the fifth grade, I briefly befriended a member of the Church, a mischievous, fun-loving boy. Two things I remembered most about him were his large, strong family, and the name of their religion: \u201cMormon.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Or so I thought. I had no idea what that meant; the term seemed obscure and a bit strange\u2014though by all appearances they were as mainstream as anyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Later, when I was formally introduced to the Church and\u2014under the influence of the Holy Ghost\u2014taught by missionaries, I was gobsmacked. I had no idea that the so-nicknamed \u201cMormon Church\u201d was in fact the original Church of Jesus Christ\u2014the one He established anciently\u2014restored anew in our day by Jesus himself. Nor was I aware, consequently, that the \u201cgospel\u201d\u2014the teachings as contained in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints\u2014was no less than God\u2019s plan for the happiness of all His children, all humankind upon the earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, I rejoiced in the autumn of 2018 when <\/span>President Russell M. Nelson introduced the Church\u2019s name correction<\/span><\/a> and the direction for all, from that point forward, to use the full name of the Church\u2014that the word \u201cMormon\u201d is not to be used to describe us, and the phrase \u201cMormonism\u201d is also inappropriate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And can you imagine, after my own experience, how particularly significant was his statement that \u201cFor much of the world, the Lord\u2019s Church is presently disguised as the \u201cMormon Church\u201d?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another distinctive thing in <\/span>President Nelson\u2019s talk<\/span><\/a> that caught my attention was a footnote discussing the ancient Church of Jesus Christ, suggesting a striking parallel to what we see happening today with the modern Church\u2014nicknames applied to its members, often as pejoratives. As he wrote:<\/span><\/p>\n

Other epithets seem to have occurred in New Testament times. During the Apostle Paul\u2019s trial before Felix, Paul was said to be \u201ca ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes\u201d (<\/span>Acts 24:5<\/span><\/a>). Regarding the use of the phrase \u201cof the Nazarenes,\u201d one commentator wrote: \u201cThis was the name usually given to Christians by way of contempt. They were so called because Jesus was of Nazareth.\u201d Similarly, another commentator states: \u201cAs our Lord was contemptuously called \u2018The Nazarene\u2019 (<\/span>Matt. xxvi. 71<\/span><\/a>), so the Jews designated his disciples \u2018Nazarenes.\u2019 They would not admit that they were Christians,\u00a0<\/span>i.e.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0disciples of the Messiah\u201d (Albert Barnes,\u00a0<\/span>Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles<\/span><\/i>\u00a0[1937], 313, and <\/span>The Pulpit Commentary: The Acts of the Apostles,<\/span><\/i>\u00a0ed. H.\u00a0D.\u00a0M. Spence and Joseph\u00a0S. Exell [1884], 2:231).\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The word \u201cMormons,\u201d invented in the 1830s by bitter detractors, was used in the same way the word \u201cNazarenes\u201d labeled the members of the ancient church\u2014hurled forth as an epithet, a denigration, a sometime demonization, and consistently employed for the same purposes by their successor critics for over 190 years, even to this day. Meanwhile, the Church, whom God referred to as the \u201cChurch of Christ\u201d in initial revelations and then as \u201cThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,\u201d was officially and unmistakably titled with the <\/span>name<\/span><\/i> of Christ\u2014even from its beginning, even throughout. This is documented history.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The footnote also calls to mind the odd comfort which some seem to have in referring to members of the Church by any other name than the authorized one that includes the name of deity\u2014particularly the Son of God; and similar comfort with pejoratively used nicknames.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It has been fascinating to observe the reaction of those both in and out of the Church to this major adjustment\u2014mostly positive, some negative; and the peculiar reluctance of some to willingly adapt. For focus here I\u2019ll divide the response of those critical of the name correction into three groups: First, a minority of people external to our faith who customarily express loud criticism of the Church and take hard shots at it on a regular basis; and second, a similar minority <\/span>internally<\/span><\/i> who do the same\u2014some to a lesser degree. A third group would be all those who expressed relatively mild, sincere concerns. The first two groups openly resisted the change, and it is remarkable how similar are their arguments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A closer look at each is helpful for clarity. Situated on the extreme end of both of these first two groups are those who, for inexplicable reasons, seem obsessed with habitually criticizing, pounding, and denigrating the restored Church of Jesus Christ\u2014its leaders, history, practices, culture, and active members, even engaging in mockery and religious bigotry. They are found on websites, blogs, podcasts, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media channels, hurling ridicule and castigations\u2014in some cases for profit. They dress up videos with dark memes and sinister music. They throw in misleading catchlines as clickbait for the ignorant and unwary. They create juvenile jump scares casting doubt on the Church and its history, portraying everything related to the Church in the worst possible light.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some\u2014with the same objectives\u2014use tamer approaches. They present dubious arguments under soft voices of seeming thoughtfulness, with favorite-aunt\/uncle-like personas. They portray images of unbiased, arms-length, caring commentators\u2014this while engaged in Oprah-like, exhausting, tell-all \u201cinterviews\u201d with the disgruntled and disaffected. They trot out supposed historical and scientific \u201cauthorities\u201d who carry with them their obvious agendas and veiled angst against the Church\u2014always with preconceived negative assumptions about its divine authenticity, always leading to predictably false conclusions. Many assume credibility by citing their previous or current membership in the Church; some tout their academic credentials. Yet these \u201chosts,\u201d united with their \u201cguests,\u201d offer little substance, only variations-on-a-theme: carping criticism of the Church.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All these, day after day, pummel away\u2014in some respects like bullies in a schoolyard.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is one of the singular characteristics of the everyday campus bully? <\/span>He won\u2019t use your name<\/span><\/i>. He calls you by a pejorative nickname, to depersonalize, diminish and marginalize you, and to seemingly justify his abuse\u2014to signal to all that, given who <\/span>he<\/span><\/i> says you are, you deserve it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And isn\u2019t it revealing that the same antagonist never wants to let go of those labels?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And now consider the effect of those labels becoming increasingly obsolete \u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Deep detractors, who once held a full grip on this heavy bashing tool\u2014the words \u201cMormonism\u201d and “Mormon”\u2014are incredulous today finding it suddenly pulled out of their hands. Now you see them flailing semi-desperate to re-grasp it or frenetically reaching for other clubs, and immediately finding those weapons less useful, less effective, and\u2014for those deliberately ignoring the name correction\u2014finding themselves, rhetorically speaking, sidelined\u2014hopelessly out of context. <\/span>It’s as if they must have those \u201cm\u201d words, those labels, to keep the gig going<\/span><\/i>. And perhaps, they believe, for relevance?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Those inside the faith who on a milder basis critique or criticize the Church are found in the same forms of media, and some in the press. As practicing members, many engage in reasoned discussion and commentary about cultural or social issues within the faith\u2014much of it positive. They run the gamut from benign observers to more vigorous commentators with larger audiences; a number of these, too, exhibited skepticism and even some resistance to the name correction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet when examining in-depth the arguments made against the name adjustment or its feasibility\u2014by <\/span>any<\/span><\/i> of these groups\u2014one discovers that not only are they basically the same but contain much of the same shaky reasoning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1) \u201cUsing the full name is not practical; the older, shorter references were <\/span>so<\/span><\/i> handy.\u201d (\u201cMormon\u201d and \u201cMormonism\u201d were convenient little words for all of us, weren\u2019t they?) Yet to date, friendly or neutral writers and commentators seem to have little problem adjusting to the longer, authentic name. For journalists, the common, long-standing practice when handling lengthier proper names in a news story or essay is to simply cite the longer name first\u2014once\u2014and then shorter, acceptable, secondary names thereafter. And when we think of the meaning of \u201cacceptable\u201d we also, in all fairness, assume this means acceptable to the organization or church of mention. For this purpose, the Church sincerely yet specifically asks that the alternatives \u201cLatter-day Saints\u201d or \u201cthe Church\u201d be used.

What is one of the singular characteristics of the everyday campus bully? He won\u2019t use your name<\/i>.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div><\/span>Those grumbling about eleven syllables can hardly argue with four\u2014or two.<\/p>\n

2) Some writers take issue with the phrase \u201cthe Church\u201d saying it implies the <\/span>only<\/span><\/i> church or the \u201cone true church\u201d\u2014and that \u2018<\/span>it is not their job to promote the truth claims of any faith<\/span><\/i>.\u2019 Yet witness how the media typically covers the Catholic Church. In-depth articles include repeated references such as \u201cthe church\u201d or \u201cwithin the church\u201d etc.\u2014but by doing so journalists are hardly accused of advocating or adjudicating faith claims of one church over another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some quibble with using the shorter title \u201cthe Church of Jesus Christ\u201d for the same reason\u2014and also, for some, because they think the reference fails to distinguish us as a church, given that hundreds of churches around the world use the name of Christ in their titles. Yet if the full, distinctive name is first cited, this is clearly a moot point, especially given that it is only recommended as one choice among appropriate secondary references.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Some say, \u201cThe previous, more familiar terms are what our readers (or listeners) already know. Our job is to serve them.\u201d Yet <\/span>is it not for readers to know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the actual name of this Church<\/span><\/i>? <\/span>Should<\/span><\/i> the public audience consistently be given substitute references, names not currently authorized by the church of note? And references that not only can potentially confuse the audience, but also mislabel an entire global church and its individual members, and may well <\/span>invite<\/span><\/i> unwary, unintentional disrespect? Could it be that, by so doing, many readers are in fact misled?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Al Tompkins, who teaches both journalism and ethics as Senior Faculty at the Poynter Institute<\/span><\/a>\u2014a globally-renowned school for journalism\u2014commented on the Church\u2019s name correction and its specific, related guidance, advising writers: \u201cYou may say, \u2018Wait, who are you to tell me what to call it?\u2019 I\u2019m only telling you to call it what it is, what the proper noun of it is. Who am I (as a journalist)? I\u2019m here to identify you. If it\u2019s your name, it\u2019s your name \u2026 this is an issue of accuracy, an issue of clarity, and in some ways an issue of respect.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a society insistent on the absolute necessity of calling individuals by their preferred pronoun (even if those preferences shift), surely the same courtesy can be given to an entire church.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Another claim: \u201cThe Presidents of the Church contradict each other on this issue, particularly President Gordon B. Hinckley and the current prophet, President Nelson.\u201d It is evident from President Hinckley\u2019s writings and speeches that he seriously reflected on this matter over the years\u2014with a variety of related thoughts. While exhibiting an expansive, media-friendly outreach, he clearly sought for the Church to be known throughout the world by the full name that the Lord himself gave it (<\/span>see Doctrine and Covenants 115:4<\/span><\/a>). In <\/span>an interview with Suzanne Evens of BBC Radio 5 in the fall of 1996<\/span><\/a>, he personally declared: \u201c<\/span>We are Christians<\/span><\/i>. No church in the world speaks up with a stronger witness of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world than does <\/span>this Church, which carries His name\u2014The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/span><\/i>.\u201d (italics added).<\/span><\/p>\n

The fact that Latter-day Saints believe the Lord, for His own reasons, moved inspirationally upon His current prophet\u2014President Nelson\u2014to this degree on this issue at this time does not put our leaders in contradiction with each other. After all, Latter-day Saints believe in <\/span>living<\/span><\/i> prophets for a <\/span>living<\/span><\/i> church.<\/span><\/p>\n

My sense is that in the past when the Church embraced the nickname \u201cMormon\u201d (never officially or completely\u2014even the \u201cMeet the Mormons\u201d film and many \u201cI\u2019m a Mormon\u201d videos either mentioned or displayed the full name of the Church), one worthy purpose was to help give the old term an improved connotation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By design, so many who have insisted upon the negative, ubiquitous, substitute usage have attempted to cloud the real name and clear focus of the Church of Jesus Christ, and, to a degree, consequently clouded His name\u2014as similar detractors attempt today. Subsequent increasing tolerance for, familiarity with, and usage of these and related terms (though well-intentioned), nonetheless still left the real name obscured\u2014acting somewhat like a filter.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMormonism\u201d is out.<\/b> Another bold, specific, inescapable aspect of the announcement, with all the earmarks of a shoutout to historians (as well as other authors, writers, and speakers), was <\/span>the declaration of the First Presidency<\/span><\/a> that the word \u201cMormonism,\u201d previously put to use to describe the \u201cdoctrine, culture and lifestyle unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints\u201d is not appropriate and \u201cshould not be used.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And let us not forget: President Nelson also unflinchingly declared that all this direction, and these corrections, are a revelation from the Lord\u2014and \u201cHis will.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of those who expressed milder, understandable concerns are primarily people who felt sincere personal, cultural, identifying affinity with the previous nicknames used for so many years. Among these are members of the Church who always viewed themselves as disciples and followers of Christ. Perhaps we all can relate to the feelings of <\/span>Andrew Marshall of Silver Spring, M<\/span><\/a>D<\/span>, who, after the implementation of this change, said: \u201cWhen I was baptized, I believe I really did take the name of Jesus upon me. In some ways, my identity was subsumed in his. As I\u2019ve thought more about being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I felt that a bit more deeply.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As one studies <\/span>President Nelson\u2019s pivotal October 2018 Conference talk<\/span><\/a> and subsequent teachings, companion sermons, writings, and interviews of several other apostles<\/a> over three and one-half years, as well as <\/span>the initial announcement<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>accompanying style guide<\/span><\/a>, and other reference material available on the Church\u2019s website, it becomes clear that this change is not a mere plea for \u201cemphasis.\u201d Rather, it is a pointed, deep, permanent, macro change\u2014well thought out, and, to this day, thoroughly and persistently executed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though initially, some said, perhaps reflexively, \u201cIt won\u2019t last\u201d or \u201cWe\u2019ve seen this before,\u201d yet it\u2019s hard now <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> to observe <\/span>the many permanent, significant alterations and additions<\/span><\/a>. The vital <\/span>domain name change to churchofjesuschrist.com\/org<\/span><\/a>, the Christus image in the new Church symbol, the newly crowned, \u201cTabernacle Choir at Temple Square,\u201d and, as <\/span>Elder Neal L. Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said<\/span><\/a>, \u201cmore than one thousand products that had the name \u201cMormon\u201d or \u201cLDS\u201d attached to them \u2026 renamed,\u201d evidence only the beginning of efforts too lengthy to list.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The amount of work required is staggering<\/span><\/a>. As President Nelson said: \u201cIt\u2019s a challenge to undo tradition of more than 100 years.\u201d Think of the extraordinary efforts on the Internet and within vast knowledge databases\u2014altering innumerable lines of code and countless titles and naming conventions, this in a church that has long embraced advancing technology. This mission continues as an ongoing work in progress.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, more good news: the continuing reports of the courteous reaction among much of the press\u2014along with many fellow Christians and our friends in other faiths. Though\u00a0 some recent national Church-related stories contained the previous names in their headlines, nevertheless the clear, overall trend is one of adjustment and respect.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, a review of world press coverage over the first six months following the announcement revealed a respectful approach to both the topic itself and the Church\u2019s view concerning it. As <\/span>Bob Smietana of Religion News Service reported<\/span><\/a>: \u201cOutsiders, researchers, and reporters respected the religion\u2019s right to self-identify, and many strived to follow its preferred style guide.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Richard J. Mouw, president emeritus of the Fuller Theological Seminary <\/span><\/a>and a leading Evangelical writer and speaker, apparently reacting to a few early naysayers, remarked: \u201cIt\u2019s hard to get worked up over this. Many churches \u2018own\u2019 labels expressing identities the rest of us also claim.\u201d <\/span>The Reverend Dr. Andrew Teal, Oxford chaplain and Christian religious scholar, said of the correction<\/span><\/a>: \u201cInitially, I thought, why use all these words when the singular Mormon might do? But now I see just how sloppy that would be, and the wisdom of that revelation to President Nelson.\u201d Dr. Teal sees it as an emphasis on \u201ceternal identity, that of belonging to the only name under Heaven conveying health and salvation.\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

The needle continues to move: <\/span>an in-depth study of news reports covering the first 24 months after the announcement<\/span><\/a> found that those writing neutral or favorable articles about the Church\u2014and there were many\u2014tended to use the authorized references, and those authoring critical or unfavorable stories were inclined to resurrect the old terms. As time moves forward, the shift is more and more visible. One very recent scholarly essay on a Church history topic, written by a respected historian who initially resisted the change, repeated the term \u201cLatter-day Saints\u201d throughout most of his references\u2014instead of the oft-used previous nicknames. For many members, it now feels strange that we ever called ourselves \u201cMormon,\u201d especially given the new feel and focus of our accurate identity. We experience this as a welcome, new and permanent reality.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And could it be, regarding social, information, and print media\u2014including books and television\u2014that we will soon arrive at the point (if we are not already there) where if one sees a new title or headline or content that includes the words \u201cMormon\u201d and\/or \u201cMormonism,\u201d they will know immediately that criticism is coming\u2014and likely from a source less-than-complimentary toward The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Where will this short-hand heuristic leave these authors or publications in the minds of their readers or listeners?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the vast majority of active Latter-day Saints, these name clarification efforts, and emphasis on the Savior Jesus Christ\u2014always so central to our faith\u2014were met with joy and enthusiasm. Corrine Stokoe, Co-Director of Mint Arrow Messages Podcast summed up the feelings of many<\/a>: \u201cIt seems like people right now are a little bit more open to making sure that they are correct in the way that they classify different groups. I feel like there\u2019s more sensitivity toward that and openness to making sure that things are done properly. We hope you\u2019ll understand why this is a really big deal to us.\u201d And Steve Evans said, \u201cI think that it really has caused me to focus a little bit more on Christ as the center point of my belief.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of the day, we all inherently know that any group or institution has the right to change or correct their self-identification. In the spirit of kindness and goodwill and friendship which we all seek earnestly in the world, I humbly suggest that it behooves each of us, as fellow travelers here, either of press or public, from scholars to ordinary observers, to forever drop the terms \u201cMormonism\u201d and \u201cMormon\u201d and willingly call The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its members, culture, and teachings\u2014past and present\u2014by their authorized names. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s taken as an absolute necessity to call individuals and groups by their preferred identifications, even if those preferences shift. 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