“Chapter 24: The Name of the Savior’s Church,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Russell M. Nelson (2023)

“Chapter 24,” Teachings: Russell M. Nelson

Chapter 24

The Name of the Savior’s Church

I promise you that our rigorous attention to use the correct name of the Savior’s Church and its members will lead to increased faith and access to greater spiritual power for members of His Church.

From the Life of Russell M. Nelson

Throughout President Russell M. Nelson’s time as a General Authority, the question of using the correct name of the Church was a recurring issue. President Nelson explained:

“Every time a department or Church organization wanted to use the word Mormon or the initials LDS in some way, this issue resurfaced. The ongoing debate about these ‘nicknames’ invariably revolved around the belief by many that Mormon and LDS were simply too ingrained in the Church’s lexicon to be discarded. The Church’s main website was lds.org; the emails of Church leaders and employees ended with @lds.org. The list of other usages was long—The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, LDS Social Services, the ‘I’m a Mormon’ campaign, Mormon.org, and the Mormon Channel being just a few examples.

“Conventional wisdom declared that emphasizing the correct name of the Church simply wasn’t doable—that the press would never go along with it, that in a digital age it was too late to effect such a massive change online, and that we as Church members were among the worst offenders. … None of this changed the fact, however, that many of us at Headquarters knew this was a problem we needed to address.”

In May 2018, President Nelson took a short trip with President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve. They discussed this issue at length. After returning home, President Nelson raised this issue again with his counselors, and they felt impressed it was time to address it. President Nelson then sent a letter to President Ballard giving the Quorum of the Twelve the charge to resolve this dilemma.

On August 16, 2018, President Nelson issued a statement about the importance of the name of the Church. Six weeks later, in the October 2018 general conference, he spoke about the importance of using the correct name of the Church. Under President Ballard’s leadership, within a year the names of the Church’s websites, email addresses, social media pages, and many other entities had been changed.

“If this had been a discussion about branding a man-made organization, [the arguments of our critics] might have prevailed,” President Nelson said. “But the Lord’s ways are not man’s ways. We felt confident that if we would be patient and do our part well, the Lord would lead us through this important task.”

Teachings of Russell M. Nelson

The Savior clearly states what the name of His Church should be

The Lord [has] impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He decreed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. …

Joseph Smith did not name the Church restored through him; neither did Mormon. It was the Savior Himself who said, “For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” [Doctrine and Covenants 115:4].

Even earlier, in AD 34, our resurrected Lord gave similar instruction to members of His Church when He visited them in the Americas. At that time He said:

“Ye shall call the church in my name. …

“And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church” [3 Nephi 27:7–8].

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.

Study Question

What difference has it made in your life as you have used the full name of the Church in your conversations?

Using the Church’s correct name is a vital way that we take the Savior’s name upon us

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. When we discard the Savior’s name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us—even His Atonement.

Consider this from His perspective: Premortally, He was Jehovah, God of the Old Testament. Under the direction of His Father, He was the Creator of this and other worlds [see Moses 1:33]. He chose to submit to the will of His Father and do something for all of God’s children that no one else could do! Condescending to come to earth as the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, He was brutally reviled, mocked, spit upon, and scourged. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Savior took upon Himself every pain, every sin, and all of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me and by everyone who has ever lived or will ever live. Under the weight of that excruciating burden, He bled from every pore [see Doctrine and Covenants 19:18]. All of this suffering was intensified as He was cruelly crucified on Calvary’s cross.

Through these excruciating experiences and His subsequent Resurrection—His infinite Atonement—He granted immortality to all and ransomed each one of us from the effects of sin on condition of our repentance.

Following the Savior’s Resurrection and the death of His Apostles, the world plunged into centuries of darkness. Then in the year 1820, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith to initiate the Restoration of the Lord’s Church.

After all He had endured—and after all He had done for humankind—I realize with profound regret that we have unwittingly acquiesced in the Lord’s restored Church being called by other names, each of which expunges the sacred name of Jesus Christ!

Every Sunday as we worthily partake of the sacrament, we make anew our sacred promise to our Heavenly Father that we are willing to take upon us the name of His Son, Jesus Christ [see Moroni 4:3]. We promise to follow Him, repent, keep His commandments, and always remember Him.

When we omit His name from His Church, we are inadvertently removing Him as the central focus of our lives.

Taking the Savior’s name upon us includes declaring and witnessing to others—through our actions and our words—that Jesus is the Christ. Have we been so afraid to offend someone who called us “Mormons” that we have failed to defend the Savior Himself, to stand up for Him even in the name by which His Church is called?

If we as a people and as individuals are to have access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ—to cleanse and heal us, to strengthen and magnify us, and ultimately to exalt us—we must clearly acknowledge Him as the source of that power. We can begin by calling His Church by the name He decreed.

We take the Lord’s name upon ourselves as individuals. We also take His name upon us as a people. Being passionate about using the correct name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a vital way that we as a people take His name upon us.

Study Question

What are some situations when you might witness of the Savior by using the full name of the Church?

The Church is the way by which the Master accomplishes His work

Surely, every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord is precious. So each word in [the name of the Church] must be important—divinely designated for a reason. If we study the key words in that name, we can better understand the name’s full significance. …

The first two words of the name the Lord chose for His earthly organization are The Church.

Note that the article The begins with a capital letter. This is an important part of the title, for the Church is the official organization of baptized believers who have taken upon themselves the name of Christ [see Doctrine and Covenants 18:21–25].

The foundation of the Church is the reality that God is our Father and that His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, is the Savior of the world. The witness and inspiration of the Holy Ghost confirm those realities.

The Church is the way by which the Master accomplishes His work and bestows His glory. Its ordinances and related covenants are the crowning rewards of our membership. While many organizations can offer fellowship and fine instruction, only His church can provide baptism, confirmation, ordination, the sacrament, patriarchal blessings, and the ordinances of the temple—all bestowed by authorized priesthood power. That power is destined to bless all children of our Heavenly Father, regardless of their nationality:

“The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth” [Doctrine and Covenants 65:2]. …

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.

He issued this solemn warning: “Let all men beware how they take my name in their lips.” “Remember,” He added, “that which cometh from above is sacred, and must be spoken with care” [Doctrine and Covenants 63:61, 64]. Therefore, just as we revere His holy name, we likewise revere the name that He decreed for His church.

As members of His church, we are privileged to participate in its divine destiny. May we so honor Him who declared, “Thus shall my church be called … The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” [Doctrine and Covenants 115:4].

Study Question

In what ways does the Savior accomplish His work and bestow His glory through His Church?

The title of the Church bears the sacred name of Jesus Christ

By divine directive, the title of the Church bears the sacred name of Jesus Christ, whose church this is. He so decreed more than once. …

We worship God the Eternal Father in the name of His Son by the power of the Holy Ghost. We know the premortal Jesus to be Jehovah, God of the Old Testament. We know Him to be “the chief corner stone” upon which the organization of His Church is based [Ephesians 2:20]. We know Him to be the Rock from whom revelation comes to His authorized agents and to all who worthily seek Him [see Helaman 5:12; Doctrine and Covenants 88:63].

We know that He came into the world to do the will of His Father, who sent Him [see 3 Nephi 27:13]. His divine mission was to effect the Atonement, which was to break the bands of death and enable us to receive immortality and eternal life.

The living Lord’s divine mission still continues. One day we will stand before Him in judgment. He has foretold that event:

“Whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world” [3 Nephi 27:16].

We revere the name of Jesus Christ. He is our risen Redeemer.

Study Question

What are some ways in which Jesus is “the chief corner stone” of the Church?

In the latter days, the Lord’s Spirit is being poured out upon the earth

The term latter-day is an expression especially difficult for translators who labor in languages in which there is not a good equivalent term. Some translations may suggest last day.

It is true that scriptures foretell the final days of the earth’s temporal existence as a telestial sphere. The earth will then be renewed and receive its paradisiacal, or terrestrial, glory. Ultimately, the earth will become celestialized. But its last days must be preceded by its latter days!

We live in those latter days, and they are really remarkable. The Lord’s Spirit is being poured out upon all inhabitants of the earth, precisely as the Prophet Joel foretold. His prophecy was of such significance that the angel Moroni reaffirmed it to the Prophet Joseph Smith [see Joel 2:28–32; Joseph Smith—History 1:41].

For millennia, methods of farming, travel, and communication were largely unchanged from ancient techniques. Developments since the birth of Joseph Smith, however, have risen in remarkable contrast.

Joseph Smith had long been foreordained as God’s prophet for the restoration of the gospel in the fulness of times [see 2 Nephi 3:7–15]. Twenty-five years after his birth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially organized. …

The divine promise is being fulfilled that this restored “gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” [Doctrine and Covenants 133:37]. … Surely the hand of the Lord is apparent. He said, “I will hasten my work in its time” [Doctrine and Covenants 88:73], and that time of hastening is now.

All the prophets in the Old Testament and the New Testament and the Book of Mormon—they’ve all foreseen our day. You and I—we get to participate. Is that exciting? I can hardly wait to bounce out of bed each day and see what’s going to happen today.

Study Question

How have you seen the Lord’s Spirit being poured out on the earth in these latter days?

A saint is a believer in Christ and knows of His perfect love

The last word in the title is Saints. …

Despite its use in ninety-eight verses of the Bible, the term saint is still not well understood. Some mistakenly think that it implies beatification or perfection. Not so! A saint is a believer in Christ and knows of His perfect love. The giving saint shares in a true spirit of that love, and the receiving saint accepts in a true spirit of gratitude. A saint serves others, knowing that the more one serves, the greater the opportunity for the Spirit to sanctify and purify.

A saint is tolerant, and is attentive to the pleadings of other human beings, not only to spoken messages but to unspoken messages as well. A saint is different from an individual whose response to a concern might be a selfish “What do I care” attitude. A real saint responds, “What? I do care!” Do is an action verb, and it becomes the driving force in the reply of one who will care for another in need.

A saint “refrain[s] from idleness” (Alma 38:12) and seeks learning by study, and also by faith. Education not only helps in communication with others, but it enables one to discern truth from error, particularly through studying the scriptures.

A saint is honest and kind, paying financial obligations promptly and fully, treating others as she or he would want to be treated.

A saint is an honorable citizen, knowing that the very country which provides opportunity and protection deserves support, including prompt payment of taxes and personal participation in its legal political process.

A saint resolves any differences with others honorably and peacefully and is constant in courtesy—even in traffic at the rush hour.

A saint shuns that which is unclean or degrading and avoids excess even of that which is good.

Perhaps above all, a saint is reverent. Reverence for the Lord, for the earth He created, for leaders, for the dignity of others, for the law, for the sanctity of life, for chapels and other buildings, are all evidences of saintly attitudes.

A reverent saint loves the Lord and gives highest priority to keeping His commandments. Daily prayer, periodic fasting, payment of tithes and offerings are privileges important to a faithful saint.

Finally, a saint is one who receives the gifts of the Spirit that God has promised to all His faithful sons and daughters.

Study Question

How does President Nelson’s description of a saint inspire you to improve your life?

He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings

If someone should ask, “Are you a Mormon?” you could reply, “If you are asking if I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, yes, I am!”

If someone asks, “Are you a Latter-day Saint?” you might respond, “Yes, I am. I believe in Jesus Christ and am a member of His restored Church.”

My dear brothers and sisters, I promise you that if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church, He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints [see Doctrine and Covenants 121:33], the likes of which we have never seen. We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.

So, what’s in a name? When it comes to the name of the Lord’s Church, the answer is “Everything!” Jesus Christ directed us to call the Church by His name because it is His Church, filled with His power.

Study Question

How could using the full name of the Church lead to greater spiritual power in your life?

Invitations and Promises

As we restore the Church’s name, the Savior will pour down His power and blessings

Attention to the Savior’s name will lead to increased faith and spiritual power

Videos

President Nelson Discusses the Name of the Church