WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE MORMON CHURCH?
 
       When my wife and I were taking lessons from the Mormon missionaries in 1975, they made a point of talking about the name of the true church as mentioned in the Book of Mormon

 ...therefore ye shall call the church in my name;....And how be it my church save it be called in my name?..." (3 Nephi 27:7-8)

      They said this was the reason their Church's name was "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie said,

 One or more of the names of Christ has always been used in the formal name of the Church." (Mormon Doctrine, 1979 edition, page 136)

       Mormon Apostle James E. Talmage said the following about 3 Nephi 27:4-12,

 In such wise did the Lord confirm as an authoritative bestowal, the name which, through inspiration, had been assumed by His obedient children, The Church of Jesus Christ. (1) (this is an endnote)  The Lord's explanation as to the one and only Name by which the Church could be appropriately known is cogent and convincing.  It was not the church of Lehi or Nephi, of Mosiah or Alma, of Samuel or Helaman; else it should have been called by the name of the man whose church it was, even as today there are churches named  after men; but being the Church established by Jesus Christ, it could properly bear none other name than His." (Jesus the Christ, 1973 edition page 737)

       From the beginning of the Mormon Church on April 6, 1830 to May 3, 1834, the name of the church was the "Church of  Christ". From April 26, 1838 to the present it has been known as "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" as named in the revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 115:3.
        But what was the named from May 3, 1834 to April 25, 1838, a period of almost four years? At a conference of Elders on May 3, 1834, with Joseph Smith, Jr. as moderator, the name  "The Church of the Latter Day Saints" was adopted by unanimous vote (The Evening and Morning Star, Vol 2 No. 20, page 160, May 1834, and History of the Church 2:62.)
       Does this mean that for almost four years, since they did not have the name of Christ, they were NOT Christ's?  Does this mean they rejected Christ? According to 3 Nephi 27:6-8 and Apostles McConkie and Talmage they did. Why couldn't they get their name right in the first place, if it was divinely inspired?

ENDNOTES:

1) "The Church of Jesus Christ" was never, to my knowledge, used as the name of the Mormon Church.

John Farkas; Berean Christian Ministries; P.O. Box 1091; Webster, NY 14580

E-mail: bcmmin@frontiernet.net
Web page: http://www.bcmmin.org
art/namechur
2-22-89
revised 1-5-98