Origin of the species

Posted by | October 25, 2010 | 11 Comments

Mormons are named for the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon is named for the prophet/historian Mormon.

The prophet/historian Mormon was named for the land of Mormon.

The land of Mormon was named by a malevolent king.

The land of Mormon is where one of the king’s wicked priests became a prophet.

The land of Mormon had a forest-fringed fountain of pure water, called the waters of Mormon.

The waters of Mormon is where said prophet secretly baptized hundreds of believers emerging from apostasy.

So, “Mormon” signifies a place of purity surrounded by danger; a place where a fallen people were removed from evil and filled with grace; a place named by a degenerate man and hallowed by a repentant one.

Sounds just about right.

What does “Mormon” mean to you?

Related posts:

  1. Condemn Me Not Because of Mine Imperfections Editor’s Note: This is another (very welcome) guest post from Emily M. The Book of Mormon mentions five women...
  2. Water in the Desert Some years ago I had occasion to wander at length in the deserts and canyons of Arizona. For the...
  3. The Naaman in Me Today’s guest  post comes from Emily Orchard. Emily lives in Meridian, Idaho with her patient husband, four young children,...

Category: Daily Special

Comments

11 Responses to “Origin of the species”

  1. Lucy
    October 25th, 2010 @ 9:56 am

    I like this! Thanks.

  2. JM
    October 25th, 2010 @ 11:06 am

    Very nicely done. I’m saving this.

  3. KLS
    October 25th, 2010 @ 11:46 am

    Thanks, you two. There’s a cultural legend about Mormon meaning “more good,” and as President Hinckley said, even though this legend is incorrect, “more good” is a positive motto for members of the Church. At the same time, this chain of references in the scriptures suggests to me that “Mormon” has much more to do with God’s goodness than my own.

  4. Kerri
    October 25th, 2010 @ 11:47 pm

    Kathy, I liked this when you posted it on your blog and have thought about it a few times since. It’s nice to read it again.

  5. Amira
    October 26th, 2010 @ 12:27 am

    This is an excellent outline of why I refer to myself as Mormon. “LDS” just doesn’t mean the same thing to me.

  6. Aaron R.
    October 26th, 2010 @ 3:06 am

    I think the ‘more good’ idea came from W.W. Phelps in a T&S article.

    Being Mormon, for me, is a willing acceptance of the cultural and theological challenges posed to me by the LDS Church and a commitment to a community that is built around that Church.

  7. S.Faux
    October 26th, 2010 @ 6:51 am

    Best definition of “Mormon” that I have seen.

  8. KLS
    October 26th, 2010 @ 2:15 pm

    That’s my understanding too, Aaron. According to Wikipedia (which is never wrong!) the “more good” translation came from a T&S article attributed to JSJ, but that authorship was later called into question. B.H. Roberts said W.W. Phelps wrote the article, which was “based on inaccurate premises and was offensively pedantic.”

    Frankly, I find “more good” to be offensively pedantic as well.

    I’m quite taken by your personal definition of being Mormon. Difficulties in those very areas–cultural and theological challenges, and struggles within the community–are surely the cause of the majority of inactivity in the Church. By contrast, you’ve put those points of friction at the center of your identification as Mormon. That’s really something.

  9. Sage
    October 26th, 2010 @ 8:16 pm

    It’s funny to me in a way how the word Mormon is such a comfort to me, or maybe just its familiarity is what gives me a peaceful feeling hearing the word.

    I grew up in California and enjoyed being different than my peers. My Mormonness has always been a huge part of my identity–both the cultural aspects and the spiritual complexities.

    I enjoyed this reminder of “Mormon” beginnings. I’ve always appreciated the irony that despite this name being used against us in the early days of the church, we gladly and easily adopted the term as a name for ourselves. I guess it is a little hard to always live up to the word saint–even when our aim is to follow Christ.

  10. KLS
    October 27th, 2010 @ 10:44 am

    Indeed, Sage. Saint Kathryn I am not.

  11. mormonhermitmom
    October 27th, 2010 @ 11:55 am

    Love it!



  • Banner Art: Annie Henrie

    detail from pieces by Featured artist of the Fall/Winter 2012 issue

  • RSS Sister Site: Segullah Literary Journal

    • Augury May 17, 2013
      I peered into a puddle and saw the sky, as if I had lain on the pavement and looked up ... keep reading […]
    • A New Green Birth May 17, 2013
      We scatter seeds in rows of statued stone marked with names and planting year. Encased in sleek shell, the earth ... keep reading […]
    • Blessing the Trees May 17, 2013
      She bought the land for the w i d e n e s s of it, not the trees. But ... keep reading […]
    • A Dream and a Dirt Road Miracle May 2, 2006
      February 10, 2005 TODAY WAS AS HOT AND DUSTY as the dirt road we traveled. Walking slowly just ahead of us, ... keep reading […]

  • More Kinds of Segullah







  • The Editors Pick..

  • Admin