“The Correct Name of the Church (excerpts),” New Era, Nov. 2018, 6–7.
The Correct Name of the Church (excerpts)
Some weeks ago, I released a statement regarding a course correction for the name of the Church [“The Name of the Church” [official statement, Aug. 16, 2018], mormonnewsroom.org]. I did this because the Lord impressed upon my mind the importance of the name
He decreed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. …
… Let me explain why we care so deeply about this issue. But first let me state what this effort is not:
It is not a name change.
It is not rebranding.
It is not cosmetic.
It is not a whim.
And it is not inconsequential.
Instead, it is a correction. It is the command of the Lord. 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]. …
… The name of the Church is not negotiable. …
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. …
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, 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.