 |
| These young men would like to spend a few minutes with you witnessing about the NIV: finally - "no more sacraments and all are justified!" |
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900028401/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-issues-new-name-guidelines-dropping-term-mormon-in-most-uses.html
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issues new name guidelines, dropping terms Mormon, LDS in most uses
SALT LAKE CITY — President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday that church leaders have launched a major effort to use the full name of the church instead of nicknames or abbreviations.
"The Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," President Nelson said in a statement. "We have work before us to bring ourselves in harmony with His will. In recent weeks, various Church leaders and departments have initiated the necessary steps to do so."
A style guide released by the church alongside the statement said, "Please avoid using the abbreviation 'LDS' or the nickname 'Mormon' as substitutes for the name of the Church, as in 'Mormon Church,' 'LDS Church,' or 'Church of the Latter-day Saints.'"
Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Pedestrians walk past the Church History Building in Salt Lake City on Thursday, August 16, 2018. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued new name guidelines, dropping the term "Mormon" in most uses.
The announcement and style guide raised questions about the future of the names of famous church institutions like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, LDS Business College and the Mormon Channel. It also appeared to represent a seismic cultural and linguistic shift with more heft than previous efforts to encourage members to avoid "Mormon," a complicated term in church history.
Ironically, the announcement came via one of the church's official websites, mormonnewsroom.org. That site and others, including possibly the church's main website, lds.org, could receive updated names and shows the enormity of the challenge ahead for the church.
***
GJ - In 1987 or so, WELS was mulling a change to World Evangelical Lutheran Synod. UMELS would have been more honest - Upper Midwest Eccentric Legalistic Sect.
The CLC (sic) was working on a good descriptor, wondering about whether orthodox or conservative or confessional fit best. I suggested "hidebound," which did not please the easily angered Daniel Fleischer.
The liberal branch of the Campbellites called itself the Disciples of Christ, so they are plagued with church signs that say "First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)" - a real magnet but only in that swath from Illinois to Texas where they are especially dense. Most have never heard of the Disciples. The one in my hometown, Moline, once had three services a Sunday and is now closed.
The Campbellites wanted to unite all Christians and yet split four ways from Sunday. I reviewed a book based on their relationship with Stan Hauerwas. They admitted how legalistic and argumentative they were. For example, a baptismal pond had to be set below the altar because the River Jordan was lower than the land, etc. One conservative branch had a congregation split up up because the early Christians did not have congregations, only house churches. So they broke down into house churches, no pastor.
These groups build a fortress around their traditions (sound familiar?) and off they go. Like WELS - one minute shorts are a sin (Owasso, Michigan WELS - long ago). The next minute - the only sin is Justification by Faith.
