Why Mormons Are Really Called Mormons?
Questions: Has Anyone Ever Told You Why Mormons Are Really Called Mormons? Hopefully you'll understand and appreciate your Mormon friends, neighbors or business associates a little better after reading this page.
As Christians, let's talk about something that is very important to each of us. To you, what is the Bible?
When God spoke to men in the Old Testament times, do you know what these men were called? (Prophets.)
These prophets RECORDED all of these events on what we know of today as scrolls.
Through the years these scrolls were translated into what we know today as the Holy Bible.
The Bible is divided into two parts. The Old Testament (O.T.) and the New Testament (N.T.) The main purpose of the O.T. is to tell us that some day Christ would be born. Would you agree with that? (Yes) The main purpose of the N.T. is to teach us what he taught these people AFTER He was born. Would you agree with that?
I would like to tell you of a prophet that once lived in the "O.T." days. 600 years before Christ was born, there lived in the city of JERUSALEM a prophet whose name was LEHI.
The Lord commanded Lehi to take his family and leave Jerusalem because the people were becoming very wicked. Lehi was obedient, so he left. When he and his family got out by the ocean, the Lord commanded them to build a ship. They landed in what we know of today as Central or South America.
When they arrived here (South America) they brought with them all of the knowledge habits and traditions they had acquired while living in the "Old World". One of these traditions, and commandments from the Lord, was KEEPING RECORDS. However, they didn't have the materials to make scrolls, but gold and other metals were in great abundance. They used the gold to make what we know of today as GOLD PLATES. They also built pyramids. You can go into the South American museums and see "plates" like this even today.
Let's go back over here to the "Old World". When Christ was born, what was the sign that was given at his birth? And, they RECORDED that event.
For 600 years, the people over in the New World (America) were also taught that Christ would some day be born. They too saw the star, and they recorded that event.
Thirty years later His ministry began. It only lasted for three years. During that time He told his followers, "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold. (The Americas) Them also I must bring and they too shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd" (John 10:14-16).
His followers didn't know who He was referring too, but they recorded His words.
As the end of His three-year mission, the Savior was crucified. At the time of his crucifixion, there was a great storm. Darkness, lightning and earthquakes filled the earth. Three days later, the Savior was resurrected. Now, to you, what does it mean to be resurrected? (Think about your answer before reading on.) We can read about the resurrection in your own Bible. Turn to Luke 24:36-39. Here the Savior appeared to ten of His Apostles. They were in a small room discussing all of the events that were transpiring when the resurrected Savior appeared to them. "And as they thus spake, Jesus stood in the midst of them. But they were terrified and aftrighted and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, why are ye troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts. Behold my hands and my feet. HANDLE ME AND SEE. FOR A SPIRIT HATH NOT FLESH AND BONES AS YE SEE ME HAVE."
What type of body does it say Christ had AFTER he was resurrected? (A Body of Flesh and Bone)
Did He EVER die again. (NO!) (see 1 Corinthians 15:13-14).
Have you ever been taught, or have you ever heard that He died again? (No.) So what type of a body must He have even today?
My friends, we know that Jesus Christ even today has His resurrected body of flesh and bone.
After the people in the "Old World" saw His resurrected body and He had taught them many more things (which they recorded), He left them. They saw Him ascend into heaven. They saw Him standing on the right side of His Father. (Acts 7:55-56)
He then came to these people in the New World. (Americas) They saw him descend out of heaven. He taught them many of the same things He had taught his followers in the "Old World." And they recorded it. Then, He left them.
The people in the Americas were obedient for many years. However, by the time 400 years had passed, they were becoming very wicked. At this time, there was a prophet here whose name was MORMON. Mormon had in his possession all of the records from 600 B.C., to 400 A.D. They occupied an enormous amount of space. So Mormon took all of these plates and condensed the information (abridged) into one small set of plates. Just before he was finished, he died. He gave the plates to his son, MORONI. Because of the wickedness of the people, Moroni took the plates and ended up in an area we know of today as upper state New York. Before he was killed, he buried the plates in the side of a mountain.
Now, making a long story short - and I'd love to tell more of it to you a little later - there was a young man whose name was Joseph Smith.
One night, in the 1820's, MORONI (the same who had buried tile plates) appeared to Joseph. He told Joseph about the plates. He also told him that the day would come when the plates would be given to him. That day finally came. Then after enormous trials, tribulations, and persecutions, the plates were finally translated and the transcript was published.
In honor of Moroni's father, Mormon, the book is called THE BOOK OF MORMON. It is because of this great prophet Mormon that we are called "Mormons" today. However, the correct name of the church is, THE Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'.
So, now we not only have the OLD TESTAMENT that tells as that Christ WOULD BE BORN, and the NEW TESTAMENT which tells what He taught AFTER HE. WAS BORN, but we also have ANOTHER TESTAMENT, testifying to you and to each of us that Jesus is the Christ.
To us, this book is very sacred. We love it very much. We love the Savior, as each of you do. We want so much to intimately share our feelings of the Book of Mormon with you. But how?
A very successful farmer once said....
YOUR JUDGMENT IS ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR INFORMATION. FROM THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE, YOUR JUDGMENT IS CORRECT. HOWEVER, IF YOU HAD MORE INFORMATION YOUR JUDGMENT MIGHT CHANGE.
For now, this is our invitation to you. Take time to stretch your vision. We, honor and respect you and your individual feelings.
Stepping out of your comfort zone may not be easy. However, we can promise you that if you will simply stop, ponder, and quietly pray - asking Heavenly Father if this is something you should make all effort to learn more of, you will discover greater joy, peace and happiness than you can possibly imagine at this chapter of your life. That is exactly what we did. And we are so happy. That same color or degree of happiness is what we wanted to leave with you.
Thanks again, for letting us be a part of your lives. We sincerely hope that the day will come that our paths will cross again. There is so much more we would be honored to share with you. Could we have an invitation to do so?
Sincerely,
Stan Winchester
Originally presented by a good brother in Arizona and has been adapted and modified by Stan Winchester for use on this site.