Posted on: Saturday, April 07, 2001

Mormons changing their name

By Katherine Nichols
Advertiser Staff Writer

Long known as Mormons, their faith began in April 1830 with six members, led by Joseph Smith Jr. The name Mormon originates with the denomination's belief in the Book of Mormon as an additional testament of Jesus Christ.

But the 11 million members worldwide of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including the 55,000 in Hawai'i, no longer want the word Mormon to define them. Instead, they now want to be called The Church of Jesus Christ.

"The first (reason for the change) is to emphasize the fact that we do follow Jesus Christ," said Bill Brady, student body president at Brigham Young, who was quoted recently in an Arizona Republic article. "The second, in some circles, there are stigmas or misconceptions or biases placed against quote, unquote, Mormons. In any case, we prefer to be seen as the mainstream church that we are."

This effort to distance themselves from the word Mormon, according to the Republic, will also move the church further from sects that continue to practice polygamy, and from the church's universal practice of polygamy until 1890, said Jan Shipps, a professor emeritus of religious studies and history at Indiana University-Purdue in Indianapolis and the author of the new book "Sojourner in the Promised Land: Forty Years Among the Mormons" (University of Illinois Press, hardcover, $34.95).

In the Mormon church's own teachings, the church is the restoration to Earth of the original Christian church that fell into apostasy.

However, Evangelical churches do not consider the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be a Christian church, according to the National Association of Evangelicals.

Meanwhile, another church that had the same beginnings but separated under new leadership after the death of Smith in 1844 is the Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints. Yesterday, it joined other similar congregations by officially celebrating its new denominational name: The Community of Christ.

"Many people feel that so many members of the (Mormon) church are not Christians," said Ralph Aona, a minister of the Community of Christ in Makiki. "The Community of Christ better reflects who we are and what we're all about. I think our primary focus is to continue to proclaim what Jesus was all about, and for us to understand more fully about God. It helps us to build communities that bring about joy, hope, love and peace."

Aona also mentioned the group's effort to move away from the word "church."

"Christianity was really about community...and how we support one another in good times and bad times."

The president of the Community of Christ, W. Grant McMurray, said in a Web site interview, "All of us who have been members of the church have struggled with being confused with the Mormon faith, which is very different from ours. We are often placed in a defensive posture, and there will be value in having a distinct identity. However, this change is really based on a desire to more effectively declare who we are and what our mission is about. We no longer have to focus on who we are not, but can positively declare our mission through our name."

Advertiser news services contributed to this report.