How did the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints get its name?

Answer 1

This name was officially confirmed by Jesus Christ himself when, on April 26, 1838, at Far West, Missouri, in a revelation addressed to the presiding officers of the Church, he said---and this is Christ himself speaking:

"Verily thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and also ... unto all the elders and people of my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, scattered abroad in all the world;

"For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." (D&C 115:1, 3--4; italics added.)

This declaration by the Lord is reminiscent of the account the Book of Mormon gives of Christ's statement to his disciples in America as he ministered among them immediately following his resurrection.

"And it came to pass [reads that record] that as the disciples of Jesus were journeying and were preaching the things which they had both heard and seen, and were baptizing in the name of Jesus ... that the disciples were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting.

"And Jesus [this was the resurrected Jesus, in America] again showed himself unto them, for they were praying unto the Father in his name; and Jesus came and stood in the midst of them, and said unto them: What will ye that I shall give unto you?

"And they said unto him: Lord, we will that thou wouldst tell us the name whereby we shall call this church; for there are disputations among the people concerning this matter.

"And the Lord said unto them: Verily, verily, I say unto you, why is it that the people should murmur and dispute because of this thing?

"Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day;

"And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day.

"Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake.

"And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses' name then it be Moses' church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.

"Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you;

"And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it.

"But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return.

"For their works do follow them, for it is because of their works that they are hewn down; therefore remember the things that I have told you.

"Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you---[this is the Christ, now defining his gospel] that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.

"And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil---

"And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.

"And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.

"And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father.

"And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words.

"And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

"Now this is the commandment [by the risen Redeemer to the ancient Americans, and it is still his commandment]: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day." (3 Ne. 27:1--20.)

Such is the name and such are the basic doctrines taught by the Church sometimes referred to as the Mormon Church.

Not only did the Redeemer personally name his Church, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" as recounted already in these remarks, he also declared it to be "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased" (D&C 1:30).

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We, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

lds.org/ensign/1979/05/we-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints?lang=eng&query=name+church

Answer 2

The first official meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the "Mormon" church) was held on April 6, 1830 in the log farm home of Peter Whitmer, Sr. located in Fayette, Seneca County, New York.