The History Behind the LDS Church Name Changes

Posted on Mar 9, 2021Apr 30, 2021 by Dustin G

In 1834, dozens of leaders (including Joseph Smith) unanimously voted to remove Jesus Christ’s name from the church. Later, Joseph begged the Lord to restore His name upon the church, but to no avail. Why? We analyze all of the major historical documents behind the LDS church name changes and analyze and compare them. Who changed the name of the church? Why it was changed, and what does it mean today?

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“The History Behind the Name Changes to the LDS Church” by Dustin Grady, Mar 9, 2021

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The Name of the Church

Oliver Cowdery (June 1829)

“Paragraph 8: And this shall be the duty of the Priest: He shall kneel down and the members of the church shall kneel also which church shall be called the Church of Christ and he shall pray to the Father in my name for the church and if it so be that it be built upon my Rock I will bless it.” (Articles of the Church of Christ, written by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829; JSP)

Joseph Smith (April 1830)

“The articles and covenants of the Church of Christ agreeable to the will and commandments of God. The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days…” (Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ,” ca. April 1830; JSP)

Questions to ask ourselves:

Why would Joseph Smith change the name of the church contrary to Jesus’s commandments in 3 Nephi 27?
Is there any evidence to give other reasons to the name change?
Where was the conference to accept the new name after 1838 (“Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints”)? We have no record of that conference happening, which was the
Why did Joseph Smith and others continue to use “Church of the Latter Day Saints” after 1838? Strangely, no one continued to use “Church of Christ” after the 1834 change.
How could Thomas Carlin (Governor of Illinois) only know the church as “Church of Christ” instead of the full name (revealed April 26, 1838)? He first became aware of the church when the saints moved into Commerce, IL in 1839?
Why did historians make late unauthorized corrections to references to “The Church of the Latter Day Saints” in some 1840s records?
What’s the reason that we have so many “handwritten copies” of original documents, but not the originals themselves? Historians would have had to have the original copy present in order to make a handwritten copy.
Why did the Lord threaten to reject the saints in 1841?

Utah LDS Church’s Reason

“To help the Saints distinguish themselves from other Christians… the new name also distanced the Church from the terms “Mormon” and “Mormonite”

David Whitmer’s Reason

Joseph Smith made a mistake when Sidney Rigdon influenced the unanimous vote to rename the church in 1834.

Lyman Wight’s Reason

The Lord removed His name from the church in 1834 as a consequence of the church’s continued disobedience.

Utah LDS Church’s Explanation

The Utah LDS church changed their name “to differentiate itself from other churches of the same name” (source). However, changing the name merely to “differentiate” from other churches opposes any commandments and instructions given in scripture. Especially when it involved removing Jesus Christ’s name.

There is little evidence from archival records or scripture to support this reason for the name change. Renaming it for this reason is a casual approach to something so important that Jesus Christ had to specifically command to the Nephites in the Book of Mormon.

3 Nephi 27:8 (Book of Mormon)

8 And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.

Alma said “the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ” (Alma 5:38-39). Similarly, the February 1832 revelation to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon states that those who go by another name other than Christ are of a telestial nature (D&C 76:98-100).

Joseph Smith Asks the Lord to Restore His Name to Church

D&C 109:78-80 (?)

78 O hear, O hear, O hear us, O Lord! And answer these petitions, and accept the dedication of this house unto thee, the work of our hands, which we have built unto thy name;
79 And also this church, to put upon it thy name. And help us by the power of thy Spirit, that we may mingle our voices with those bright, shining seraphs around thy throne, with acclamations of praise, singing Hosanna to God and the Lamb!

D&C 124:28 (?)

28 For there is not a place found on earth that he may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood.

David Whitmer’s Explanation

David Whitmer (1887)

“In June, 1829, the Lord gave us the name by which we must call the church, being the same as He gave the Nephites. We obeyed His commandment, and called it THE CHURCH OF CHRIST until 1834, when, through the influence of Sydney Rigdon, the name of the church was changed to “The Church of the Latter Day Saints,” dropping out the name of Christ entirely, that name which we were strictly commanded to call the church by, and which Christ by His own lips makes so plain.” (David Whitmer, “An Address to All Believers in Christ” p.73)

Lyman Wight’s Explanation

Lyman Wight (April 24, 1837)

“David W. Patten preferred a charge against Lyman Wight, for teaching erroneous doctrines, which was investigated by the High Council at Far west. April 24th. 1837. Seymour Bronson [Brunson], George P. Dykes and others testified that Lyman Wight said, that we -[the church]- were under a Telestial law, because God does not whip under a Celestial law; therefore he took us -[the church]- out of doors to whip us, as a parent takes his children out of doors to chastise them; And that the Book of Doctrine and Covenants was a telestial law; and the Book of Commandments (a part of the Revelations printed in Jackson County) was a Celestial law. ” (HC 2:34 p. 481)

Commentary

Book of Commandments 4:5-6 (1829)

5 And thus, if the people of this generation harden not their hearts, I will work a reformation among them, and I will put down all lyings, and deceivings, and priest crafts, and envyings, and strifes, and idolatries, and sorceries, and all manner of iniquities, and I will establish my church, like unto the church which was taught by my disciples in the days of old.
6 And now if this generation do harden their hearts against my word, behold I will deliver them up unto Satan, for he reigneth and hath much power at this time, for he hath got great hold upon the hearts of the people of this generation: and not far from the iniquities of Sodom and Gomorrah, do they come at this time: and behold the sword of justice hangeth over their heads, and if they persist in the hardness of their hearts, the time cometh that it must fall upon them. Behold I tell you these things even as I also told the people of the destruction of Jerusalem, and my word shall be verified at this time as it hath hitherto been verified.

Joseph Smith (January 14, 1833)

“I send you the ‘olive leaf’ which we have plucked from the Tree of Paradise, the Lord’s message of peace to us; for though our brethren in Zion indulge in feelings towards us, which are not according to the requirements of the new covenant, yet, we have the satisfaction of knowing that the Lord approves of us, and has accepted us, and established His name in Kirtland for the salvation of the nations; for the Lord will have a place whence His word will go forth, in these last days, in purity; for if Zion will not purify herself, so as to be approved of in all things, in His sight, He will seek another people; for His work will go on until Israel is gathered, and they who will not hear His voice, must expect to feel His wrath. Let me say unto you, seek to purify yourselves, and also all the inhabitants of Zion, lest the Lord’s anger be kindled to fierceness. Repent, repent, is the voice of God to Zion; and strange as it may appear, yet it is true, mankind will persist in self-justification until all their iniquity is exposed, and their character past being redeemed, and that which is treasured up in their hearts be exposed to the gaze of mankind. I say to you (and what I say to you I say to all,) hear the warning voice of God, lest Zion fall, and the Lord sware in His wrath the inhabitants of Zion shall not enter into His rest.” (Joseph Smith to WW Phelps on D&C 88; HC 1:316)

The New Covenant