The word “Mormon”: You’d be surprised who has – and is – literally embracing this reported curse word.

Of all the swear words we members are exposed to, one of the most vicious, brutal and evil is this word: Mormon.

Even Pres. Nelson said in 2016 that those who use such nicknames are scoring "a major victory for Satan" and "are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us-even His Atonement." [1] 

That's a pretty heavy condemnation for those who have or still do use this nickname.

Today, church members readily accept the divinity of Pres. Nelson's declaration. I read one account online of a man who asked a relative, "Do you really think using Mormon is gone forever?" His response: "Absolutely, because a prophet of God has told us so by revelation and I have received personal confirmation from the Spirit."

Thus, the word "Mormon" is so despised within our church, that it's even being equated with another racial epithet (as explained by one person on a Facebook group): 

With the hypersensitivity and persecution complex now going off the charts among members, I thought it might be helpful to see who exactly scored these victories for Satan in the past…and still do, today. More importantly, we'll see why…

The word "Mormon" is perhaps THE most significant

doctrinal dilemma in the church today.

The Shocking History of Who's Used the Word "Mormon"

Click here to see 80-ish instances where Pres. Nelson's predecessors used the word "Mormon." Here are a few highlights:

• Joseph Smith: "we have the word "mormon"; which means, literally, 'more good.'" [2] 
• Brigham Young: "We Christians are divided and subdivided, but we all believe that there are good people among all the sects of the day. As a "Mormon" or Latter-day Saint, I believe this just as much as any sectarian believes it, but I do not believe it as the sectarians believe it." [3]  
• David O. McKay: "A true Mormon home is one in which if Christ should chance to enter, he would be pleased to linger and to rest." [4]
• Spencer W. Kimball: "I have always gloried in those words: 'I might be envied by a king, For I am a 'Mormon' Boy.'" [5] 
• Thomas S Monson: "Dare to be a Mormon; Dare to stand alone. Dare to have a purpose firm; Dare to make it known." [6] 

Perhaps the most notable difference in opinions is found between Presidents Nelson and Hinckley. Here's a side-by-side comparison of President Hinckley from the October 1990 General Conference, and President Nelson from the October 2018 General Conference. It was one of the few instances in the church's history when one church president (in this case, Nelson) openly, publicly disputed the supposedly inspired words of another church president (Hinckley).

Since that exchange, the church - under Presidents Hinckley and Monson - launched aggressive, worldwide promotions of the word "Mormon":

• May 18, 2009 - September 17, 2019: The "Mormon Channel" aired. [7] 
• January 2011 - October 2018: The "I'm a Mormon" advertising campaign ran worldwide. [8] 
• 2014: "Meet the Mormons" movie hit theaters. [9] 

Alms Before Men

One of the most prominent church-based promotions has been its member-oriented "Mormon Helping Hands" humanitarian efforts, which are best known by members wearing yellow vests/t-shirts which include a certain curse word:

Here's a Sept. 4, 2016 picture of President (then Elder) Nelson meeting with some of the 5,000 Church members who assisted in Louisiana disaster relief efforts. See how upset he is with that "Mormon" word on all those vests?

Other leaders who actually wore the "Mormon Helping Hands" vest/t-shirt include:

• 2017: Pres. Henry B Eyring [10] 
• 2017: Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf  [11]
• 2017: Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé [11]
• 2017: Elder M. Russell Ballard [12] 
• 2017: Elder Ronald A. Rasband [12]
• October 21, 2018 (16 days after Pres. Nelson's conference talk on "Mormon"): Elder David A Bednar [13] 
• October 22, 2018 (17 days after Pres. Nelson's conference talk on "Mormon"): President Dallin H. Oaks [14] 

Look Who's Still Using "Mormon" Today

Today, Deseret Book (which is owned by the church) [15] sells many books and/or videos online containing the word "Mormon," including:

• Mobsters and Mormons
• Meet the Mormons
• Mormons: An Open Book
• Are Mormons Christians?
• Canadian Mormons
• Diary of Two Mad Black Mormons
• Mormons and Masons
• The Mormons
• Mormons in the Piazza
• Much Ado About Mormons
• Mormons and the Bible
• What of the Mormons
• Mormons and Muslims
• Expulsion of the Mormons
• Mormon Redress Petitions
• Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction

Also, when you type the satanic victory terms Mormon.org or LDS.org into your internet browser, you're redirected to -- you guessed it -- the church's website. 

Introducing…The Changeable God!

So here we have perhaps the greatest doctrinal dilemma in the church today.

On one side we have…

All the prophets before Pres. Nelson: From 1842 (when we have Joseph using the word "Mormon') to 2018, the Lord apparently had no problem with the usage of the word "Mormon." He inspired prophets and apostles to spend tens of millions of dollars promoting the church under the "Mormon" banner. He had no problem with the word "Mormon" as it was said - and/or sung - by every one of His prophets.

On the other side, we have…

Pres. Nelson, who was allegedly "impressed" by the Lord to say that those who use the word "Mormon" offend the Lord, score "a major victory for Satan" and "are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us-even His Atonement."  

So who's right?

That's THE question regarding usage of the word "Mormon." This is because:

1. The church makes a big deal of how the prophets are inspired and chosen by God, so their words can be trusted. As I stated two posts ago, "Following the prophet" now "supersedes" all other primary Christian doctrines.
2. The Lord is crystal clear: He doesn't change His mind.

"For I am the LORD, I change not" [16] 

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." [17] 

"God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?" [18] 

What God says applies eternally. This is only logical because…

How can we trust God's promises
if He's liable to change His mind?

So, let's take God at his word and assume he doesn't change, and that we CAN trust his promises. We are then left with a tremendous dilemma:

If Pres. Nelson is correct, and usage of the word "Mormon" is indeed offensive to God, then..

• Why did God allow all of Nelson's predecessors -- from Joseph Smith to Thomas S. Monson -- to score victories for Satan? 
• Why did God encourage said prophets to spend countless millions (in marketing and advertising campaigns) solidifying those victories? 
• How can you possibly trust any of the words of past prophets who were actually scoring victories for Satan? 
• What else were the past prophets wrong about? 
• Why did it take God so long to tell us how bad the word "Mormon" is?

If Pres. Nelson is wrong, then…

• He has presented as inspiration and truth the teachings of a man mingled with scripture. This contradicts his statements that "Prophets are rarely popular. But we will always teach the truth!" and "Thus our commission as apostles is to teach nothing but truth." [19]  
• What else is he wrong about?

You can't have Pres. Nelson's predecessors be doing a supposedly acceptable thing to the Lord for generations, only for the Lord to change his mind and all of a sudden, it's bad. God doesn't change the rules in the middle of the game.

So, here's a question to answer in this day and age where we are told we can unequivocally trust church leaders:

Who's right: President Nelson or his predecessors? You can't have it both ways.

My Opinion

Nelson is wrong. God has more important things requiring the church leaders' -- and our -- attention: 

• He wants us to be spiritually and temporally prepared for his tribulations, which are coming sooner than most people suppose.
• Paramount in that preparation: He wants people to be able to hear and communicate one-on-one with him, not intermediaries or any mortal. Once society is without electricity and survivors are forced to flee from cities, you won't be able to hear the Brethren. But you might be able to hear the Lord, who is the only one who can save you.
• He wants people to trust in and prioritize his health advice, not government leaders (who never have and never will be his spokesmen).
• He wants us to support those who oppose, not advocate, abortion.
• He wants our church leaders to love, not abuse, children and women. 
• He wants us to prioritize and show charity towards people dying of starvation, war and brutality. 
• And he wants us to spend our charitable dollars to improve lives, not investment and real estate portfolios "where moth and rust doth corrupt". [20]  .

These are tremendously significant, weighty issues which far, far outweigh any focus on the name of his church.  

Sources

 1.   https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/the-correct-name-of-the-church
 2.   Times and Seasons, 1843, 4:194; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 299-300
 3.   JD 17:51
 4.   Conference Report, October 1947, pp. 115-121
 5.   "Strengthening the Family-the Basic Unit of the Church," April 1978 General Conference
 6.   "Dare to Stand Alone", October 2011 General Conference
 7.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latter-day_Saints_Channel
 8.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_a_Mormon
 9.   https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/08/18/russell-m-nelson-mormon-not-substitute-full-name-church/1032948002
10.   https://mormonlifehacker.com/president-eyring-provides-lift-to-puerto-rico-st-thomas-and-aids-mormon-helping-hands-in-florida
11.   https://mormonlifehacker.com/uchtdorf-houston-hurricane-harvey
12.   https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/apostles-spend-time-with-flood-cleanup-volunteers-in-texas
13.   https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2018-10-21/a-florida-sabbath-day-defined-by-ministering-via-chainsaws-and-yellow-t-shirts-7406
14.   https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/president-oaks-promises-storm-weary-faithful-floridians-that-blessings-await
15.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deseret_Book_Company
16.   Malachi 3:6; 3 Nephi 24:6
17.   Hebrews 13:8
18.   Mormon 9:9; Moroni 10:7, 19; D&C 20:12
19.   Russell M Nelson, "The Love and Laws of God," BYU Devotional, September 17, 2019
20.   Matthew 6:19