The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Clarifies Use of the Word `Mormon' in News Reports

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Clarifies Use of the Word `Mormon' in News Reports

November 22, 2006

    SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 22 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes that
the prosecution of polygamist Warren Jeffs is generating
substantial media coverage and that Jeffs' group refers to
its members as fundamentalist Mormons.  That is causing
problems for reporters trying to help their readers,
viewers and listeners distinguish between Jeffs' followers
and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

    In the public mind, the word "Mormon" has
come to mean something very specific.  It conjures up
images of Mormon missionaries on bikes, the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir and Mormon temples.  It has become a
synonym for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.  Consequently, when "Mormon"
is used to describe polygamist groups, it causes great
confusion about our beliefs among the general public and
frustration to our members, which number over 12 million
worldwide.

    The Associated Press Stylebook has recognized this
difficulty and specified that the term "Mormon"
is a nickname that should be applied exclusively to members
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that
it is not accurately applied to any other person or
organization (see entries on "Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, The" and "Reorganized
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints").

    Polygamists and polygamist organizations that
occasionally make the news are not dissident wings of the
Church or fundamentalists.  They have no affiliation
whatsoever with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. Most of their members have never had any
association with the Church either.

    It follows that because Warren Jeffs is not affiliated
with the Mormon church, and since he is not Mormon,
reporters should look for more accurate and less misleading
descriptions of him in the media.  For example, Court TV's
Web page never once used the word "Mormon" to
describe Warren Jeffs in its story entitled
"Prosecutors to present evidence against polygamist
leader Warren Jeffs in teen-bride case."

    We sometimes hear the argument that because Jeffs and
his followers use the Book of Mormon they should be
considered Mormons.  However, Catholics, Methodists,
Lutherans, evangelicals and a host of other faiths believe
in Jesus and claim the Bible as their own, yet all consider
themselves separate and distinct faiths.

    The same is true for all religious groups who believe
in Joseph Smith's prophetic calling and use the Book of
Mormon.  For example, the Community of Christ church claims
Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon but changed its name
from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints to be recognized as a different faith.

    Perhaps the following points will be helpful in your
media coverage:

    -- Warren Jeffs has never been a member of The Church
of Jesus Christ
       of Latter-day Saints, whose members are often
referred to as
       "Mormons."

    -- Polygamy was officially discontinued in The Church
of Jesus Christ
       of Latter-day Saints in 1890.  Any Church member
adopting the
       practice today is excommunicated.  Those groups
which continue the
       practice in Utah and elsewhere have no association
whatever with
       The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and
most of their
       practitioners have never been among our members.

    -- The Church has long been concerned about the
continued illegal
       practice of polygamy, and in particular about
reports of child and
       wife abuse emanating from polygamous communities
today.

    -- Even in countries where civil or religious law
allows polygamy,
       the Church teaches that marriage must be monogamous
and does not
       accept into its membership those practicing plural
marriage.

    Thank you for your time and attention in what we
consider a very serious matter for our faith.  We hope that
both reporters and headline writers will be sensitive to
this information.

    For more information, please contact:

     Kim Farah
     The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
     Tel:  [phone]

SOURCE  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints