My question to you is this: Where does the word Mormon come from?
2007-10-09 10:05:02 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
So says the book of knowledge (wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon#Origin_of_the_term
2007-10-09 10:09:48 · answer #1 · answered by Laff -Hugs 4all- 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Mormon was a man's name who was called to abridge records that were handed down from father to son from about 600BC - around 400AD. Because it is mostly his abridgement that is the Book of Mormon, the book is called the Book of Mormon. It's not hard to see that those in the 1800's who were against this new (although not really new) religion would call the adherants Mormon's because of their book of scripture which contained the name.
Within the Book of Mormon there is reference to a land of Mormon which had a river named Mormon, which at the head of the river was a spring named Mormon, this was a place where many believers were baptized. It could have been this place that the parents of the abridger Mormon named him after. However, it is most likely that that spring was named Mormon after someone else named Mormon. So who knows how the name first originated.
2007-10-09 18:00:14 · answer #2 · answered by Tonya in TX - Duck 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Mormon was a ancient inhabitant of the American continent, living around 400 AD. He was one of the final leaders/prophets to write his record in one the metal plates that had been passed down from generation to generation. Mormon abridged or consolidated many of the prior authors, and thus, due to his abridgment, the entire collection of records is referred to as the "Book of Mormon." Although there are several sub-books, the author Mormon gets the book called after him.
Because of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints believe that the Book of Mormon is a companion scripture to the Bible, some have referred to us as "Mormons." The nick name has stuck over the years.
2007-10-09 17:51:52 · answer #3 · answered by Kerry 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The first time it was used that I know of was as the name of a place where a group of believers had to hide from persecution from the King. It signified that wild animals would sometimes live around there. (Mosiah 18:4) That was thought to be around 147 BC.
Around 400AD Mormon was the name of a prophet who was the son of another man named Mormon. He is the one who compiled most of the Book of Mormon and where the book receives its name.
After Joseph Smith had it translated, "Mormon" was used a deregatory term for those people who believed him and and adjective for anything associated with him; Mormon Bible, Mormon Church, Mormon Jesus, etc.
I've also heard that Mormon means Followers of Death or something in some Asian language, but I don't know anything about that.
2007-10-09 17:16:20 · answer #4 · answered by Senator John McClain 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Mormon was the name of a prophet that lived in ancient America around 350 to 400 A.D. He compiled the writings of several earlier prophets and wrote on plates of gold. His son Moroni, buried the plates and, centuries later, Moroni revealed those plates to Joseph Smith.
The translated writings are what we now know to be the The Book of Mormon. Eventually, the nickname of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints would end up being the Mormon Church.
2007-10-09 17:12:40 · answer #5 · answered by fbjohn117 4 · 7⤊ 0⤋
It was used originally by antagonists to the Church. Just like the word Christian was originally used to make fun of those who followed Christ. It comes from the name of our book, the Book of Mormon. People then began to call us Mormons since we followed it. It was meant to be rude, but the members began to wear the name with pride, and it has stuck to this day.
2007-10-09 17:08:59 · answer #6 · answered by . 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Mormon was a prophet in the Book of Mormon (which contains many books from the prophets from the Americas)
2007-10-09 17:09:56 · answer #7 · answered by Sariah 2 · 8⤊ 0⤋
Mormon was an ancient prophet of God living in the western hemisphere. He was one of several who wrote down their experiences, which is now known as the Book of Mormon. Our enemies started calling the church members "MORMON!" But, we took that and ran with it. I remember hearing the same story in the Methodist church, how people jeered the followers of John Wesley, calling them "Methodists". But, they decided to call themselves that.
2007-10-09 22:18:48 · answer #8 · answered by mormon_4_jesus 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is a nickname given because of our belief in the Book of Mormon.
2007-10-09 17:41:21 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
It is used to denote a believer of the Book of Mormon.
The largest such organization is commonly referred to as LDS, to distinguish them from smaller Mormon groups, many of whom practice polygamy.
2007-10-09 17:21:36 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋