No Longer the "Mormon" Church - Deceptive Ads Instead

[_DrW]

It's amazing that even more people don't go elsewhere when their leaders act like this.

Strongly agree. It has to be disheartening for faithful members when the term Mormon has come to be held in such low regard by the general public that the leadership of the Church feels obliged to abandon it and re-brand.

It must be especially galling for the rank and file to realize that this sad state of affairs has come to pass because of the bigotry, callousness, and willful ignorance of its generally clueless and largely non-representative leadership.

[_moksha]

Because of many claims made about being the complete and restored church, it is not possible to simply advertise that we are the "New and Improved Mormon Church".

Renamings happen in the business world due to bad publicity, like when Arthur Anderson became Altria due to the Enron scandal, or when mercenary soldiers company Blackwater became Xe and then ACADEMI.

The fly in this renaming ointment is that our missionaries will still carry around the Book of Mormon.

[_Gadianton]

Dr. W,

This is a similar tactic to EVs who define themselves as Christian— take a word that has an understandable broad application and then use it in a narrow, exclusive way. The hope is to define one’s way to victory.

I don’t think it works very well. I always found it was easier to just call ourselves Mormons on mission despite the recommendation to try to hide the fact as long as possible.

In the case they have heard of Mormonism it’s just confusing and if they were biased that comes out anyway, and if they haven’t, then it doesn’t really help because they don’t have the expectation that Jesus is everything. There was a lot of Christianity where I was at, and some of the most interested investigators were looking for something different, and not exactly “Christian”.

But by all means spend millions of dollars figuring this out the hard way.

[_SuperDell]

Major league dishonesty - The Church of Jesus Christ is the legal name of a different Church - not L-d$,inc.

Would be nice to see the legal owner of the name hit the MoronicPriesthood types with a lawsuit and restraining order.

[_JP]

Strongly agree. It has to be disheartening for faithful members when the term Mormon has come to be held in such low regard by the general public that the leadership of the Church feels obliged to abandon it and re-brand.

It must be especially galling for the rank and file to realize that this sad state of affairs has come to pass because of the bigotry, callousness, and willful ignorance of its generally clueless and largely non-representative leadership.

I'm quite confident that the "faithful" and "rank and file" members of the church are just fine with the recent shift away from the term "Mormon." You've constructed a narrative here that 95% of church members simply don't identify with.

I know many folks here are convinced this approach won't work, and the church will be back to using "Mormon" in the near future, but I'm not so convinced. I believe the church believes it has enough marketing and SEO power, combined with the fact that "The Church of Jesus Christ" is so fractured and not truly owned by one entity, that it believes it can co-opt the term.

And I think they're probably right, and if they are, it's actually a pretty genius move (and on brand).

[_DrW]

Strongly agree. It has to be disheartening for faithful members when the term Mormon has come to be held in such low regard by the general public that the leadership of the Church feels obliged to abandon it and re-brand.

It must be especially galling for the rank and file to realize that this sad state of affairs has come to pass because of the bigotry, callousness, and willful ignorance of its generally clueless and largely non-representative leadership.

I'm quite confident that the "faithful" and "rank and file" members of the church are just fine with the recent shift away from the term "Mormon." You've constructed a narrative here that 95% of church members simply don't identify with.

I know many folks here are convinced this approach won't work, and the church will be back to using "Mormon" in the near future, but I'm not so convinced. I believe the church believes it has enough marketing and SEO power, combined with the fact that "The Church of Jesus Christ" is so fractured and not truly owned by one entity, that it believes it can co-opt the term.

And I think they're probably right, and if they are, it's actually a pretty genius move (and on brand).

Nice gambit. But you seem to be missing the point.

My comments here reflect the view of most of the Mormons with whom I have spoken regarding the honesty and effectiveness (and the lack thereof) when it comes to current LDS Leadership.

Well over half the Mormons I have known for more than 10 years or so, in any capacity, have left the LDS Church - many in openly expressed disgust. That includes my parents, all but one (BIC) sibling, the vast majority of nieces and nephews, and many members of my wife's current Ward, including some formerly prominent members.

You indicate that you are proud of the LDS Church leadership for trying to shed a centuries old brand that has fallen into disrepute through their own collective misguidence and mismanagement, and unethically attempting to co-opt the brand of another church just because the LD$ have the internet presence to do so.

Is that about right?

Why are we here not surprised.

[_Fence Sitter]

[ You've constructed a narrative here that 95% of church members simply don't identify with.
(and on brand).

Since over 50% of Mormons are inactive, how can it be asserted that 95% of Mormons don't identify with something?

[Guest]

I'm quite confident that the "faithful" and "rank and file" members of the church are just fine with the recent shift away from the term "Mormon."

Just as those same members were just fine with supporting the "I'm a Mormon" and "meet The Mormons" campaigns - both significant victories for Satan.

Why are rank and file members unable to spot when Church leaders are handing victories to Satan and speak up about it at the time?

[_Craig Paxton]

Add Mormon to the list of other brands that have changed their name...some more successfully than others

Quantum Computer Services » AOL. ...
BackRub » Google. ...
Sound of Music » Best Buy. ...
Apple Computers » Apple, Inc. ...
Research in Motion » Blackberry. ...
Brad's Drink » Pepsi-Cola. ...
Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo » Sony.

[_JP]

You indicate that you are proud of the LDS Church leadership for trying to shed a centuries old brand

Do I? Where exactly do I do that?