We are often called "Mormons", a nickname based on our use of the Book of Mormon. Mormon was the name of a New World prophet and general who edited the gold plates with the sacred record now called the Book of Mormon. He died around 400 A.D. He is shown below as the wounded general with his son, Moroni, in this painting by Arnold Friberg. Some suspect that neither of these men were really quite this buff. Click to enlarge Feel free to use this image--and you can hotlink to it since it's from the LDS.org server and they don't mind for this image.

This image is from the MormonChurchDoctrine.org server. You can use it or even hotlink to it, as I have. Be sure to use the term "Mormon" with it. I'd like to see this become more prominent in Google's search results for Mormon. Click to enlarge.



Though "Mormon" was first used as a term of derision by our enemies, the name stuck and we've been using it ourselves for many years. However, some LDS people prefer to be called "Latter-day Saints" rather than Mormons, and many may be disappointed when people call the Church "the Mormon Church." Since there are some folks out there who spend a lot of time trying to tell people we don't even believe in Jesus Christ, changing the name of our Church to the nickname of "Mormon" plays into their hands. So remember that it's the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, never the Mormon Church, but personally I don't mind if you call us "Mormons" as long as you're at least trying to be polite.

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