Elder Andersen shared some behind-the-scenes info about the Church’s efforts to emphasize the full name of the Church. He said that they had been trying for 12 years to get the domain name churchofjesuschrist.org and for 7 years to get the domain name churchofjesuschrist.com with no luck. However, he shared in his talk that through a series of miracles the Church was able to purchase both domain names at very modest prices right around the time that President Nelson made his announcement about the name of the Church. Talk about a miracle!
Elder Andersen pointed out something interesting I hadn’t thought of before. President Nelson shared the revelation about the importance of the name of the Church with the world first and the Church last. He spoke twice to the press in August 2018 about the change in emphasis. It wasn’t until November 2018 that he spoke to the Church about it. This is actually quite the opposite of how revelation is usually shared and I’m curious what your thoughts are about WHY it was shared in this order.
Elder Andersen shared the story of Brother Ahola who taught his co-worker why the name of our church is the Church of Jesus Christ, not the Mormon Church. He told this co-worker that Mormon was a great man, but he also emphasized “Mormon didn’t die for my sins.” I think that as we ponder on how much we owe Jesus Christ, it won’t feel nearly as awkward or clunky to say the full name of the Church– which emphasizes that Christ is at its head.
If you want to dive into the talk with quotes, personal application questions, and stories, check out this week’s FHE on-the-Go episode here! Just press “play” and go!
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