I have always found it endearing to be referred to as a Mormon, and have never been offended by it. It provided a good reference point for discussion and clarification. In all due respect to President Nelson, I have not considered the name as patronizing.
To the world, Mormonism is in a class by itself. I enjoy being known as a “peculiar people,” in a different and unique genre than mainstream Christianity. If we are truly the Restored Church, it should show in our walk and talk, not in a nickname.
Eliminating a reference name of more than 150 years will play havoc in this digital era, where there are thousands of keywords and titles. Mormon Trail, Mormon pioneers and so on, will never go away. The former Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is now the Community of Christ to distance itself. As long as the LDS members commit to their beliefs and doctrine, the church speaks for itself, and a nickname that was tethered to it by outsiders should make no difference regarding their personal conduct and convictions. There are many more critical issues to worry about.
George H. Zinn, Salt Lake City
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