Konden Smith Hansen – The Conversation

Russell Nelson, center, sits during the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ biannual General Conference in Salt Lake City in 2019. George Frey/Getty Images

September 30, 2025

Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints, pushed it away from ‘Mormon’ – a word that has courted controversy for 200 years

Konden Smith Hansen, University of Arizona

Russell M. Nelson pushed the church away from members’ longtime nickname, ‘Mormons’ – a term that has shaped other Americans’ view of the church for 200 years.

Russell M. Nelson, with his wife, Wendy Nelson, looks at the audience after speaking at a devotional in 2019 in Orlando, Fla. Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images

September 5, 2024

As Russell M. Nelson turns 100, a look back at one of the words that will define his legacy – and the controversial term’s 200‑year history

Konden Smith Hansen, University of Arizona

Latter-day Saints’ attitudes toward the word ‘Mormon,’ often used to describe the church, have had highs and lows − like other Americans’ often-tense relationship with the faith.

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