Mormon Terms:Potential Terms

* [[Activity]]

* [[Angel of th Devil]]

* [[Anti]]

* [[Bandlo]] - a band of felt worn around the neck by primary children (ages 9 - 11) on which were affixed symbols made of felt, plastic or glass, which represented achievements in the primary program. The work may have been inspired by "bandoleer" or perhaps "bandanna" (see http://www.keepapitchinin.org/archives/a-bundle-of-bandlos/ or http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/01/21/bandlos-old-post-new-illustrations/)

* [[Birth]]

* [[Birth, Spiritual]]

* [[Bishop]]:* heads a ward [300 to 500 members] who is also ordained a High Priest in their Melchizedek priesthood. They are largely unpaid and perform marriages and funerals and conduct services.

* [[Bishop's councilor]]

* [[Bishop's court]] - A term used until recent years to indicate a disciplinary council conducted by a Bishop - This term has been replaced by Disciplinary Council. See Disciplinary Council.

* [[Bishop Interview]]

* [[Bishop's storehouse]]

* [[Bishopric]] - In the L.D.S. ecclesiastical hierarchy, the presiding body of a ward, consisting of a bishop and his two counselors. See also first counselor.

* [[Black]]

* [[Blasphemy]]

* [[Blazer]] - name of the 9-year-old boy primary classes from 1920s to the 1970s. Since the 1970s, this name refers to 10 and 11 year old boy primary class.

* [[Bless]]

* [[Blessed]]

* [[blessing]] - This term can be used generically to refer to most any prayer, particularly prayers before meals, meetings, activities, etc. The term is often used specifically, however, to refer to an ordinance of the priesthood whereby hands are laid on a supplicant's head and a pronouncement of health, comfort, counsel, or christening is made. Though the syntactical structure of the blessing is similar to that of a regular prayer, the words are directed to the recipient rather than to God, often with instructions such as "be healed" or "live worthily" or "remember that your Father in Heaven is mindful of you." The giver of a blessing of this sort must be a worthy priesthood holder, and he is directed to keep his mind open and not speak his own thoughts or wishes, but rather to listen for the promptings of the Holy Ghost in knowing what instructions and/or promises to pass along to the recipient. When giving a blessing, the spokesman may be assisted by one or more other priesthood holders, who stand shoulder to shoulder and also place hands on the recipient's head.

* [[Blessing on Food]]

* [[Blessing on the Sick]]

* [[Blessings]]

* [[Blind]]

* [[Block of meetings]]

* [[block schedule]]

* [[blood]]

* [[Blood Atonement]] Some Mormons historically believed that some sins are so serious that they are outside of the blood of Christ. They believed it would be in the best interest of the offending person to have their own blood shed so they can have a hope that they will eventually be released from hell into the lowest kingdom in their afterlife. Some underground militia like fundamentalists feel they would be doing certain apostates a favor by shedding their blood.

* [[Bluebird]] -- name of 10-year-old girls primary class from the 1920s through 1959

* [[BMW]]:* Big Mormon Wagon.

* [[board]] (general, auxiliary) A small group of Church members called to help leaders of Church auxiliary organizations, such as Relief Society or Sunday School, at both the stake and the general Church administrative levels.

* [[body]]

* [[BOM]]:* Book of Mormon.

* [[Bone]]

* [[Book]]

* [[Book of Abraham]]* Writings of Abraham, revealed to Joseph Smith. The Book of Abraham is one of the books in the Pearl of Great Price.

* [[Book of Commandments]]* The earliest published collection of revelations to Joseph Smith; a predecessor to the Doctrine and Covenants.

* [[Book of Enoch]]

* [[Book of Life]]

* [[Book of Mormon]] - A collection of writings ascribed to various prophets who lived in undetermined regions of the American continents between 600 B.C. and A.D. 421. Another testament of Jesus Christ, and the keystone of the L.D.S. faith. The Book of Mormon tells the story of the prophet Lehi, who fled Jerusalem with his family after having been warned in a dream of the city's impending destruction by the Babylonians. They built a ship and sailed to America, where his son Nephi, also a prophet, began to keep a record of their proceedings on engraved metal plates. Subsequent prophets and kings continued this practice. Nearly a thousand years later, a prophet named Mormon abridged the records kept by his predecessors onto engraved plates of gold. These he gave into the keeping of his son Moroni -- you guessed it, another prophet -- who added a few chapters and then buried the record in a hill in what would later become the state of New York. In the early 1800s, a resurrected Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith, Jr., and led him to the site where the record was buried. Young Smith, aided by the Urim and Thummim, translated the engravings from the Reformed Egyptian into an English reminiscent of King James and soon thereafter published the work as the Book of Mormon -- so named in honor of its prime abridger. An account of ancient inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere, recorded on gold plates and translated by Joseph Smith. The record contains both a history of the people and the fulness of the everlasting gospel as revealed by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants.

* [[CDOL]] - Church Direstory of Organizations and Leaders

* [[Companion]] - A missionary's assigned partner. Often shortened to comp. See also companionship.

* [[correlation meeting]] - Any of a broad spectrum of regularly scheduled meetings where Mormons in positions of responsibility get together to compare notes, swap gossip, and step on each other's toes as much a possible where their duties overlap.

* [[correlation]]* A process by which all programs of the Church are identified and placed in proper relationship to each other: teachings, organizations, programs, meetings, and instructional materials.

* [[Counselor]]: A person called to serve as an adviser, assistant, and occasional substitute for an officer or leader in the Church.

* [[CTR]] - This stands for Choose The Right, and is often seen on rings that members wear as reminders.

* [[Efy]]

* [[Enduring to the End]]* The doctrine that converted individuals must continue to show their faith through good works till the end of mortal life.

* [[Fathers' Blessings]]

* [[Firelights]] -- name give to the 10-year-old girl primary class from 1959 to the 1970s

* [[g.a.]] - See general authority. 2. Nickname used by missionaries for the Catholic Church: “The reason we don’t baptize much here is because everybody belongs to the G.A.” (See great and abominable church.)

* [[g]]'s - Slang for garments.

* [[GA]]'s - See general authority.

* [[Gabriel]] A person spoken of in Daniel 8:16 and Luke 1:11-19, identified as Noah by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

* [[Gambling]]

* [[garden]]

* [[Garden of Eden]]

* [[Garden of Gethsemane]]

* [[Garment]]

* [[Garment of the Priesthood]]

* [[Garments]] - The sacred underclothing worn by many Mormons as a reminder of the covenants undertaken in the Temple as part of the endowment ceremony. The garments are to be worn at all times -- except during bathing, sports, and certain other activities -- and are not to be shown to or handled by non-members. Despite apocryphal claims that Mormons killed in various types of accidents have suffered no injury on the parts of their bodies covered by the garments, the Church teaches that the garments offer only spiritual and not physical protection.

* [[Gathering]], The

* [[Gathering of Israel]]

* [[gator]] - slang for "investigator."

* [[Gaynotes]] -- name given to the 9-year-old girls primary classes from 1959 until the 1970s.

* [[Gazelem]]

* [[GEDCOM]]

* [[Genealogical Work]]:* Mormons have been taught that they must research out their relatives. They fill out family group sheets and pedigree charts to establish links to the past. They present these records to the Mormon temple so that people can be baptized by proxy for the dead, then later adult "temple Mormons" will go through an endowment session by proxy for the relative. Later others will go into a sealing room and by proxy have entire families sealed together so they can be together in the Celestial Kingdom.

* [[Genealogy]]

* [[General Authority]] - Catch-all term for a member of any of the governing bodies of the L.D.S. Church, including the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric. Also applies to the Patriarch of the Church. Often shortened to g.a.

* [[general auxiliary presidents]]

* [[general auxiliary presidencies]]

* [[General Board]]

* [[General Conference]] General assemblies of Church members in Salt Lake City, regularly convened every April and October.

* [[General Conference Reports]]:* Chloroform in print. Statistics only making sense when viewed with your "spiritual eyes."

* [[General Conference Talks]]

* [[General Handbook of Instructions]] - A regularly updated "policy and procedures" manual for Church leaders. Replaced by the "Church Handbook of Instructions."

* [[General Priesthood Broadcast]]

* [[General Relief Society Broadcast]]

* [[General Relief Society Presidency]]

* [[General Relief Society Presidents]]

* [[Gentile]] - An individual who is not a Mormon - yet. - Used to refer to any non-Mormon. This is a non-stigmatic term, as opposed to "heathen." - According to the context in which it is used, the following meanings are possible for Latter-day Saints: (1) one not of the lineage of Israel; (2) a non-Latter-day Saint; (3) one who is not Jewish; (4) one who is not a Lamanite. - Originally meant non-Jewish. Later someone not Jewish and not Mormon. Sometimes used to mean non-Mormon, although this may not be officially condoned.  

* [[GEO Codes]] - The codes set up and used by local units to group members into geographic areas, usually to analyze how a unit might be divided.

* [[Gethsemane]]

* [[GHI]] - General Handbook of Instructions

* [[Gideon]]

* [[Gift of the Holy Ghost]]

* [[Gift of Tongues]]

* [[Gifts of the Spirit]]

* [[Gilead]]. Balm of  

* [[girl's camp]]

* [[give]]

* [[give a talk]]

* [[Gleaners]]

* [[glorified]]

* [[glorified body of flesh and bones]]

* [[glory]]

* [[glory of God is intelligence]]

* [[goal]]

* [[God the Father]]

* [[God]]:* an exalted man who once lived on a planet like ours and proved obedient. He received "priesthood" and went through a temple having his family sealed to him. He and his wives are having spiritual babies for other planets as his kingdom eternally expands "eternal progression." Mormons believe in a trinity of purpose not substance. Doctrine & Covenants 130:3 reads "the appearance of the Father and Son in that verse [Jn 14:23], is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and Son dwell in a man's heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false." Later in the same section in verse 22 Smith wrote "the Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us." In the current temple endowment, as in the past, God the Father is introduced as being "Elohim," God the Son is introduced as "Jehovah," and the "Michael" is introduced as the third major person among the gods of creation. Many Mormons believe Michael was Adam's premortal name.

* [[God-given]]

* [[God's Will]]

* [[Godhead]]:* "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us." Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 "I will preach on the plurality of Gods. I have selected this text for that express purpose. I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preach on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods. It has been preached by the Elders for fifteen years."

* [[Godhood]]

* [[Godly sorrow]]

* [[Gold Plates]]* The anciently engraved metal plates from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon.

* [[Golden]] - A term applied to investigators who are primed and ready to join the Church, often before even meeting the missionaries, and for whom taking the discussions is merely a formality before baptism.

* [[Golden Bible]]:* see Mormon Bible.

* [[Golden Contact]]

* [[Golden Opportunity]]

* [[Golden Plates]], the - The engraved record delivered by the angel Moroni to the prophet Joseph Smith, from which the Book of Mormon was purportedly translated. The plates were seen by only a few select witnesses, whose testimony can be found in the front of current editions of the Book of Mormon. Shortly after the work of translation was complete, Moroni returned and took the plates back to whatever dimension he originally came from. - The original documents from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon.  

* [[Golden Questions]]

* [[goodly parents]]

* [[Gospel]]* The "good news" of redemption through Jesus Christ; the principles and ordinances of the plan of salvation.

* [[Gospel Doctrine Class]]

* [[Gospel Essentials Class]]

* [[Gospel of Abraham]]

* [[Gospel of Jesus Christ]]

* [[Gospel Principles]]

* [[gospel standards]]

* [[Grace]]:* Divine help given through the mercy of Jesus Christ. It is an enabling power that allows men and women to receive eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.

* [[grave]]

* [[graven image]]

* [[Great and Abominable Church]]* All assemblies, congregations, or associations of people not authorized by God and that fight against God and his purposes  

* [[Great and Spacious Building]]

* [[Great Apostasy]]

* [[Green meal]] -- slang for first dinner appointment a new missionary attends.

* [[Greenie]] - A term applied to new missionaries based on the metaphor of un-ripened fruit. Because, unlike other missionaries, they are not yet sweet, round and soft in the middle. - Greenhorn. A missionary new to the field, freshly arrived from the M.T.C. Butt of jokes and victim of mostly harmless initiation rites.

* [[greenie area]] - slang for first area a missionary works in.

* [[grief]]

* [[grove of trees]]

* [[guardian of virtue]]

* [[guide]] - name give to 11-year-old class in primary from the 1920s to the 1970s.

* [[Guilt]]

*[[HC]] - History of the Church

*[[instruction]]

*[[JW]]

* [[Larks]] - name given to the 9-year-old girls primary class from the 1920s until 1959.

* [[M-Men]]

* [[Magnifying One's Calling]] or [[magnify your calling]] * Measuring up to the duties to which one may be called.

* [[Merrihands]] -- name given to the 11-year-old girls primary classes from 1959 until the 1970s.

* [[moral]]

* [[Moron]] -- derogatory reference to Mormons.

* [[MP]] - Melchezidek Priesthood

* [[Mrs degree]]

* [[No other success]]