Mormon Terms:Potential Terms
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These are suggested words for inclusion in Mormon Terms. Just because the word is on this list does NOT NECESSARILY mean that it should be included! Please review our inclusion criteria if you have any doubt!!
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A
a.p. - See assistant to the president.
Aaronic Priesthood - The lower order of priesthood authority in the L.D.S. Church, encompassing the offices of deacon, teacher, and priest. Young males are usually ordained deacons at the age of twelve. Named for Aaron, the brother of Moses -- not for baseball great Hank Aaron, as is widely believed. All "worthy" young Mormon boys are "ordained" to this priesthood beginning as young as age twelve. There are three "offices" within this priesthood: deacons, teachers, and priests. The lesser priesthood of the Church, consisting of the offices of deacon, teacher, priest, and bishop. Holders of this priesthood attend to temporal affairs of the Church (cf. Melchizedek Priesthood).
active in the Church Refers to regular attendance at meetings, observance of the principles of the gospel, and acceptance of Church callings.
Adam-ondi-Ahman The place (in what is now Daviess County, Missouri) where Adam gathered and blessed his posterity before his death; a locale where a future priesthood meeting will be held just previous to Christ's second coming.
Adam The first man. Latter-day Saints view him as one of the greatest and noblest of all men.
Adamic language A perfect spoken and written language given by God to Adam. added upon A phrase indicating that the faithful receive additional blessings in the life to follow. Those who were faithful in premortal life had blessings "added upon" them in mortality. Those who are faithful in this life will have "glory added upon their heads for ever and ever" (Abr. 3:26). administer To perform an ordinance, such as anointing the sick with oil or saying the set prayers to bless the bread and water of the sacrament.
age of accountability The age at which a child becomes personally responsible for motives, attitudes, desires, and actions. Designated by revelation to begin at eight years of age (D&C 68:25).
agency (often called free agency) The granted right to choose good or evil, and the responsibility for the choices made.
Ancestral File(TM) A computerized system of genealogical information that links names of individuals into pedigrees, showing their ancestors and descendants.
Ancient of Days A term used in Daniel 7:9, identified by revelation to Joseph Smith as Adam.
angel, fallen Specifically, the devil.* Generally, all who followed the devil in the premortal existence.
angels Literally, messengers; usually referring to messengers from God.
anointing(s) The placing of a drop or two of consecrated olive oil on a person's head as part of a special blessing, under the direction of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Anti-Mormon Critic non-Mormon scientist, writer, historian, whose work undermines LDS doctrine.
AP - See assistant to the president.
ape - See assistant to the president.
apostate - One who has repudiated Mormonism for whatever reason and in whatever fashion, whether or not his or her name remains on the church's rolls. The commonly repeatedly Mormon party line would have it that these are the most unhappy people on the face of the earth, but reasonable humans are likely to perceive this attitude as sour grapes.
apostle - The second highest office in the Melchizedek Priesthood, and a special witness of Jesus Christ. Common Mormon belief holds that apostles know the resurrected Christ personally. Apostles are considered "prophets, seers and revelators," though only the ordained president of the Church holds all the keys necessary for administering the Kingdom of God on earth. See also Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the. An office in the Melchizedek Priesthood; usually a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
apostolic Church The Church presided over by the Twelve Apostles following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.
archives A general description for the record-keeping facilities of the Church in Salt Lake City. The archives hold a wide variety of records, including Church membership information, historical accounts, and the largest collection of genealogical data in the world.
area - The usually relatively small geographical region to which two missionaries are assigned
area A geographical ecclesiastical unit of the Church consisting of several regions and presided over by a president, who is a General Authority.
Articles of Faith Thirteen concise statements of LDS belief written by Joseph Smith in the Wentworth Letter.
assistant to the president - One of two missionaries who, by virtue of superior dedication, spirituality, and brown-nosing, are privileged to push paper in the mission office rather than pound pavement.
Assistants to the Twelve Persons who at one time in the Church were specifically called to be General Authorities to assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Authority believe this was restored to Joseph Smith by having key Bible leaders appearing and ordaining Smith. Anyone ordained in the church receives a card tracing his priesthood back to Joseph Smith. Duly conferred priesthood power or delegated responsibility associated with position or function.
Auxiliary Organizations The Primary (children), Relief Society (adult women), Sunday School, and Young Men and Young Women organizations of the Church. Auxiliary organizations exist primarily to assist the priesthood government of the Church.
B
b.o.m. - Book of Mormon.
Babylon A term symbolic of worldliness.
Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost
Baptism:* "Baptism by immersion under the hands of a legal administrator, one empowered to bind on earth and seal in heaven, is the initiatory ordinance into the Church on earth and the celestial kingdom in the world to come (D. & C. 20:68-74; 2 Ne. 9:23-24). Baptism is the formally appointed means and ordinance which the Lord has provided so that man can signify his personal acceptance of all of the terms and conditions of the eternal gospel covenant. Thus in baptism, which as part of the gospel is itself a new and an everlasting covenant (D. & C. 22), man covenants to abide by all of the laws and requirements of the whole gospel."
Barge:* Jaredite
Barrow pit: * Something found only in Utah--a ditch alongside the road.
bear - In Mormon parlance, a verb invariably used with the word "testimony" to refer to the process of relating one's personal conviction of the truthfulness of certain religious precepts. This curious usage of the word is probably derived from the phrase "to bear witness." See also fast-and-testimony meeting, testimony meeting.
bear the priesthood To possess or hold duly conferred priesthood authority.
bear testimony To express one's personal convictions of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Beehive - 1) An LDS symbol of industry. 2) Young women's class.
Beehive Symbol* A logo representing industry and harmony, appearing frequently on objects associated with the LDS Church and Utah.
best two years of my life, the - A phrase sometimes employed by returned missionaries to describe their mission experience.
beyond the veil A metaphorical expression for the spirit world or for life after death.
BIC:* Born in the Covenant
bind on earth, bind in heaven Through the priesthood sealing power, to make an ordinance performed on earth valid throughout eternity.
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 court A term used until recent years to indicate a disciplinary council conducted by a
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.
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.
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.
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.
BOM:* Book of Mormon.
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 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.
Book of Moses* A record from the creation of the world and mankind to the flood at Noah's time, revealed to Joseph Smith while he was translating the Bible. Selections from the Book of Moses are now part of the Pearl of Great Price.
Book of Remembrance (1) A record begun by Adam and his immediate posterity; (2) a personal book containing genealogy and significant family history.
Born in the Covenant All children born to a couple after they have been married (sealed) in a temple.
Brass Plates - A record spoken of in the Book of Mormon, which was similar to the Old Testament, written on plates of brass, containing many writings of the prophets (1 Ne. 5:10-16); brought by Lehi and his family to the Western Hemisphere.
Brethren - (1) All male members of the Church; (2) "The Brethren," a designation of the General Authorities of the Church.
Brigham Tea or Brigham Weed:* See Mormon tea [DAW].
Brigham Young Cocktail:* [DAW] Moonshine, especially firewater or Indian whiskey.
Brighamite:* A follower of Brigham Young in the schism following Joseph Smith's death.
bucket - Calgary Canada Mission slang for a lazy missionary who habitually breaks the rules. Derivation uncertain. See also kicker.
buckfart - A flakism roughly equivalent to such words as "joker," "clown," "scumbag," and "stoopnagle."
burning in the bosom A metaphorical description of the feeling that sometimes attends the enveloping Spirit of the Lord, particularly when one understands God's words through the influence of the Holy Ghost (Luke 24:32; D&C 9:3-8).
BYD-This term stands for Bishop Youth Discussion. This is usually a Sunday evening meeting that youth 12 to 18 are asked to attend. At the meeting the Bishop gives a lesson on a specific topic, then the youth are able to ask him questions at the end.
BYU Motto:* Enter to serve, go forth to learn. The campus is our world.
C
Call - To offer a Church job to someone, through inspiration from God; e.g., "Brother Gilmore, the Lord has seen fit to call you to the position of Young Men's President." Derived from the Biblical passage Matthew 20:16: "For many be called, but few chosen." Also, the official notice of having been called. See also calling, mission call.
Calling* Invitation to accept an office or assignment; offices or assignments themselves. Any position of responsibility within the Mormon Church, from nursery attendant right up to prophet. Holders of such positions are said to have been "called" by God -- by inspiration through the duly constituted member of the bureaucratic chain. Missionaries receive their callings directly from the President of the Church, who purportedly receives revelation as to where in the world each one should be sent.
Canonize - To remove knowledge from member awareness by placing it in scriptures.
Celestial Kingdom* The highest of three degrees of glory in the kingdom of heaven.
center place of Zion The "center place," Independence, Missouri, the future site of the City of Zion (the New Jerusalem) and the temple (D&C 57:3); sometimes incorrectly called "center stake."
Chapel: * is the building the branch or ward meets in every week. The room or hall in a Church meetinghouse used for worship services.
Child of God The Latter-day Saint belief that all persons are spirit children of God in the premortal existence and that this parent-child relationship continues on this earth and through eternity.
chosen people Specifically those selected by God for special responsibilities, often requiring service and sacrifice; participants in the covenant of the gospel.
Church of the Firstborn* Those who are exalted or assured of receiving exaltation.
Cohab:* See Polyg.
collection of fast offerings The collection of voluntary offerings on fast day, usually the first Sunday of each month.
Comforter* The scriptures speak of two Comforters. The First Comforter is the Holy Ghost. The Second Comforter is Jesus Christ (John 14:1623; see also TPJS, pp. 150-51).
Commandments, The
Common consent* The principle whereby Church members vote to sustain and approve those called to serve in the Church and decisions made by leaders.
common judge The bishop of each ward, who has the responsibility to judge the spiritual and temporal condition of members of his ward. The stake president of each stake serves as a common judge for all members of his stake.
Companion - A missionary's assigned partner. Often shortened to comp. See also companionship.
companion, missionary A missionary's partner. Missionaries in the Church always work in pairs.
companionship - A unit consisting of two partnered missionaries who spend all their time together and are assigned to proselyte in a specific area. See also companion.
Compassionate Service* Aid or comfort rendered to others, in particular by members of the Relief Society.
Conference Reports* The published proceedings of the general conferences of the Church.
Conference:* Where one goes twice a year to hear "Mo"-tivational speakers.
confirmation* The bestowal of the gift of the Holy Ghost to newly baptized members by holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood; also official recognition of Church membership.
Consecration, law of* A divine principle whereby men and women voluntarily dedicate their time, talents, and material wealth to the establishment and building up of God's kingdom.
Convert (noun) A person who has chosen to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by being baptized and confirmed.
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.
Council in Heaven* The meeting in the premortal life of the Godhead and spirits designated for this earth, in which the plan of salvation was presented.
Council of the Twelve, the - See Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the.
Counselor: A person called to serve as an adviser, assistant, and occasional substitute for an officer or leader in the Church.
court (Church)* A term formerly used to mean a Church disciplinary council.
Covenant Israel, Latter-Day
crickets (Mormon) A type of cricket that threatened the crops of early Mormon pioneers. The crops were saved when large flocks of seagulls came and devoured the crickets.
CTR-This stands for Choose The Right, and is often seen on rings that members wear as reminders.
Cultural Hall - A very large space in the exact center most Mormon meetinghouses, suitable for stage plays, banquets, Scout ceremonies, blood drives, wedding receptions, and so forth -- though most often used for basketball games.
cumom - According to the Book of Mormon, a "more especially useful" beast living in ancient America. See note for "curelom." See also elephant, horse, ass.
Cumorah* (1) A hill in which the Book of Mormon prophet Mormon concealed sacred records before the annihilation of his people; (2) the hill in New York State, near the town of Palmyra, where Joseph Smith unearthed the gold plates from which he translated the Book of Mormon.
curelom - According to the Book of Mormon, a "more especially useful" beast living, along with cumoms and elephants, in ancient America. No one knows for certain what a curelom or cumom looked like, but apologists have speculated that they may have been mammoths or mastodons, and that Joseph Smith knew no English word to use as translations from the Reformed Egyptian.
