What’s in a name?

In high school, my particular group of music and theater-nerd friends tended to give nicknames. From Gim to Jobo to Monkey, the names were varied, and some stuck harder than others. A trio in band class got names from the Peanuts gang: Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Linus. For some reason, the nickname “Linus” stuck hard and fast to our friend Eric and for a time, replaced his real name altogether.

“Linus” just fit Eric’s personality somehow, and we used it lovingly. He liked it too and often introduced himself to others as Linus. I think he even changed his name to Linus on Facebook for a time.

Eventually, Linus graduated from high school and went to college in a city not far from where I studied. Occasionally our paths would cross, and I noticed that as he had matured, he’d gone back to using his real name. I had to catch myself when I would introduce him to my friends. “This is Lin—I mean, this is Eric.”

At one get-together, I told a mutual acquaintance a humorous story about something Linus had done in high school. After the long story concluded, with some confusion, my audience member cocked his head and asked, “Huh…who is Linus?”

Reverting to “Eric” took some getting used to. I visited with him for a bit this summer and slipped a few times in calling him Linus, but he didn’t seem to mind.

I’ve been reflecting on my friend and how it reminds me of the restoration of my own church’s name. I remember learning a song as a young child called “I Belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” and the title of the song took a full 4 bars to sing! We get it: the name is long and hyphenated and complicated. Almost immediately, the church began to be known by shorter nicknames.

I’m sure you’re familiar with one variation, Mormon. This nickname came from additional scripture in our canon, the Book of Mormon, which was written by ancient prophets descended from a branch of the scattered tribes of Israel. It includes an account of Jesus Christ’s visit to the American continent after his resurrection and was translated by the prophet Joseph Smith.

Initially, critics of the church used the term Mormon or Mormonite in a derogatory manner, but eventually, the church embraced the moniker and used it. You might be familiar with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the “I’m a Mormon” advertisements, or the “MormonAd” posters the church produced for youth.

However, the name Mormon has always been a reductionist label. While our belief in the Book of Mormon sets us apart from other Christians, we do not worship or follow Mormon, but the Lord Jesus Christ.

The sheer length of the name also led to the abbreviation LDS. But these various nicknames have often led to confusion. Perhaps you didn’t know that the Mormon Church, the LDS Church, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are all one and the same! This full name clarifies that and puts Christ in the center of all we do.

In 2018, the Prophet Russell M. Nelson emphasized that as members of the church, we should insist upon using the full and correct name of the church. He said, 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.” He also emphasized that the effort to return to the use of the church’s full name was not a name change, a rebranding, a cosmetic shift, a whim or something inconsequential, but rather a correction.

Like my friend Linus reclaiming his birth name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is simply growing up and going back to its original name. And I think, like Eric, members of my church understand if you slip up and refer to us as Mormons. It doesn’t hurt our feelings. But we may respond with a long-winded, “Actually, I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Rachel Kenley Fry is a stay-at-home mother to four. She is a writer, a reader, a podcast lover an outdoor enthusiast, and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.