IntroductionRichard Abanes, One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church (New York: Four
Walls Eight Windows, 2002); and
Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Mormonism-Shadow or Reality? (Salt Lake City: Utah Lighthouse™
Ministry, 1987); and
Fawn M. Brodie, No Man Knows My History, 2nd revised enlarged ed. (New York: Vintage
Books, 1995).
(^16) Two examples include: Tanner, Mormonism-Shadow or Reality? and Ed Decker and Dave
Hunt, The God Makers: A Shocking Expose of What the Mormon Church Really Believes (Eugene: Harvest
House, 1997).
See also the anonymous response to the Tanner’s book: a Latter-day Saint Historian, “Jerald
and Sandra Tanner’s Distorted View of Mormonism: A Response to Mormonism-Shadow or Reality?”
SHIELDS, 1977, Scholarly & Historical Information Exchange for Latter-Day Saints, 29 Nov. 2010
http://www.shields-research.org/Critics/Tanner05.html.
(^17) Originally called “The Church of Christ” in 1829; officially incorporated at Fayette, New
York on 6 April 1830. Changed at Kirtland, Ohio on 3 May 1834 to “The Church of the Latter-day
Saints” (DHC, 2:62–3, footnote () referencing Minutes of Conference, 6 April 1834, published in
Evening and Morning Star 2 [Apr. 1834]: 152 (incorrectly stated as page 352 in the DHC.))
See also DHC, 2:126: “Whereas the Church of Christ, recently styled the Church of the Latter-
day Saints, contumeliously called ‘Mormons,’ or ‘Mormonites.’”
Also unhyphenated and fully capitalized as “The Church of the Latter Day Saints” (dropping
out the name of Christ); e.g., David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ by A Witness in the
Divine Authority of the Book of Mormon (Richmond: David Whitmer, 1887) 73–4, arguing, “The Church
of Christ,” as it was originally called, was consistent with “3 Nephi xii:3,” which is now BOM, 3
Nephi 27:8 (3–9).
During Joseph’s attendance at Far West, Missouri between November and December, 1837, a
band of his dissenters in Kirtland, Ohio united in a failed attempt to overthrow what is referred to as,
“The Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints” (DHC, 2:528).
In 1838, it was officially renamed, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” On April
26, 1838, Joseph received the following: “For thus shall my Church be called in the last days, even the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (DHC, 3:23–24 [nos. 3. and 4.]. See also D&C, 115:3–4.)
“Previous to this the Church had been called ‘The Church of Christ,’ ‘The Church of Jesus
Christ,’ ‘The Church of God,’ and by a conference of Elders held at Kirtland in May, 1834, (see Church
History, vol. 2, pp. 62–3), it was given the name ‘The Church of the Latter-day Saints.’ All these
names, however, were by this revelation brushed aside, and since then the official name given in this
revelation has been recognized as the true title of the Church, though often spoken of as ‘The
Mormon Church,’ ‘The Church of Christ,’ etc. ...‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,’ is
equivalent to ‘The Church of Jesus Christ,’ and ‘The Church of the Latter-day Saints.’” (DHC, 3:23–4
& footnote (†); D&C, 115:4).
[Editor’s Note: On 31 October 1847, Brigham Young returned from Great Salt Lake City to
Winter Quarters near Council Bluffs, Iowa. On 3 December 1847, pursuant to prior discussions on
the subject of reorganizing the First Presidency of the Church, he was “unanimously elected
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with authority to nominate my two
counselors, which I did by appointing Heber C. Kimball my first counselor and Willard Richards
my second counselor, and the appointments were unanimously sustained.” (DHC, 7:616–17, 620–21
& note ()). Thus, nearly three and a half years had elapsed since the martyrdom of Joseph and
Hyrum Smith in the Carthage, Illinois jail on 27 June 1844.]
(^18) JSH 1:20 (emphasis added).
(^19) The several accounts have been compiled and published together in Milton V. Backman,
Joseph Smith’s First Vision: The First Vision in its Historical Context (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980).
(^20) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.