Mormon

The term Mormon is a colloquial name referring to Latter Day Saints, derived in the 1830s from the Book of Mormon, one of their books of scripture, whose compiler was called the prophet Mormon. It is also an adjective referring to various aspects of Mormonism. Most often, the term refers to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the largest and most well-known denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement, who are also commonly called Latter-day Saints or LDS.

Origin of the term "Mormon"

The term Mormon and its related terms were first used in modern times in the 1830s for those who believed that Joseph Smith, Jr. had been called as a prophet of God, and who accepted "The Book of Mormon" as scripture translated by Smith. The Book of Mormon is professed to be a compilation of smaller books, compiled, edited, and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon (hence the title of the book). After the initial publishing of the book, Mormon originated as a derogatory term, but the name soon lost most of its negative connotation, and is generally not considered overtly offensive today. Joseph Smith, Jr. defines the term Mormon as meaning "more good" as it is first referenced to the name of a lake of good water called "the waters of Mormon" in "The Book of Mormon".

Related Topics:
1830s - Joseph Smith, Jr. - The Book of Mormon - Scripture - Derogatory

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Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the related terms Mormonite, Mormonist, Mormonish, Mormonic, and Mormoness, were used, but such terms are now very rare, and may be considered somewhat offensive.

Related Topics:
19th - 20th

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