Wikipedia:Naming conventions (Latter Day Saints)

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This page is a naming conventions guideline for Wikipedia, reflecting how authors of this encyclopedia address certain issues. This guideline is intended to help you improve Wikipedia content. Feel free to update this page as needed, but please use the discussion page to propose major changes.

Main article: Wikipedia:Naming conventions

Contents 1 Articles affected 2 Guiding principles 3 Guidelines 3.1 Naming articles about the Latter Day Saint movement 3.1.1 In general 3.1.2 The term Mormon and its derivatives 3.1.3 Disambiguation 3.2 Naming unidenominational articles 4 Redirects

[edit] Articles affected

This article summarizes the naming conventions for articles related to the following subjects:

• The Latter Day Saint movement
• Mormonism
• Mormon
• Latter Day Saint
• Latter-day Saint
• "LDS"
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("LDS Church" see also Mormon) (the The in the Church's title should always be capitalized)
• Community of Christ (if an article precedes Community of Christ it should not be capitalized; the use of articles should be avoided when possible)
• any of the various smaller Latter Day Saint sects or churches

[edit] Guiding principles

Listed in relative priority

1. Use accurate titles and terms.
2. Present titles and terms in a neutral point of view; avoid "endorsing" or "opposing" the views of any church.
3. Avoid disrespect without sacrificing NPOV policy.
4. Prefer general Christianity and Latter Day Saint movement articles (such as "Priesthood" or "Priesthood (Latter Day Saints)") over more specific unidenominational articles, unless there is a significant amount of unidenominational material.
5. Make it easy for readers to find articles relating to the Latter Day Saint movement and its various denominations, their members, and their theology.
6. Prefer shorter titles and terms over longer ones.

[edit] Guidelines

[edit] Naming articles about the Latter Day Saint movement

[edit] In general

Articles about the religion, doctrines, belief systems, and cultures of the Latter Day Saint movement, and that could apply to more than one Latter Day Saint denomination, should use the phrase "Latter Day Saint movement" or the phrase "Latter Day Saints". For example:

• History of the Latter Day Saint movement
• Freemasonry and the Latter Day Saint movement

[edit] The term Mormon and its derivatives

The term Mormon or its derivitaves such as Mormonism are appropriate when referring to doctrines and practices that have a historical connection to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but no historical connection to other denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement. For example:

• Mormonism
• Mormon fundamentalism
• Mormon pioneers

Many older articles use the term Mormonism in reference to Latter Day Saint doctrines, belief systems, or cultures. For example:

• Mormonism and Christianity
• Mormonism and Judaism

However, this term is now discouraged because it may been seen as inaccurate or offensive by members of several Latter Day Saint movement denominations, such as the Community of Christ. Moreover, the term Mormonism should never be used in referring to the Latter Day Saint movement as an institution or historical movement, or to all Latter Day Saint churches as a body. For example, the following would be inappropriate: Mormon denominations, or Early Mormon history.

[edit] Disambiguation

If necessary for disambiguation, articles that could apply to more than one Latter Day Saint denomination should preferentially contain the parenthetical "(Latter Day Saints)". For example:

• Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)
• Restoration (Latter Day Saints)
• Priesthood (Latter Day Saints)

Many older articles contain the parenthetical "(Mormonism)". For example:

• Sacrament (Mormonism)
• Godhead (Mormonism)

However, this parenthetical may be seen as inaccurate or offensive by members of several Latter Day Saint denominations to which the article may apply, such as the Community of Christ, and such usage is now discouraged.

[edit] Naming unidenominational articles

Articles about only one Latter Day Saint denomination should use the full name of the denomination as it exists on the denomination's Wikipedia page. For example:

• History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• History of the Community of Christ

Although the practice is discouraged, if it is absolutely necessary for disambiguation, articles that apply in the context of only one Latter Day Saint denomination should contain the following parentheticals:

CHURCH	REFERENCE IN TITLE
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	LDS Church
Community of Christ	Community of Christ
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)	Strangite
Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite)	Cutlerite
Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)	Bickertonite
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	FLDS Church
Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	PLDS Church
Others	full name of denomination

Unidenominational articles should never be used when sects of Mormonism generally agree, or where differences between the sects can be explained briefly in a multidenominational article. If there is sufficient justification for a separate unidenominational article it should refer to any more general "(Latter Day Saints)" article, and to any general article concerning Christianity as a whole. To avoid redundancy, the unidenominational article should focus on the material unique to that denomination, or to the differences between that denomination and other Mormon denominations. For example:

• Priesthood (Community of Christ)

[edit] Redirects

• There should be separate articles for:
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
  • Latter Day Saint
  • Latter Day Saint movement
  • Mormon
  • Mormonism
  • each of the various Mormon groups or Latter Day Saint churches, listed by their official name, with disambiguating parentheticals, as necessary
• Articles containing "Latter-day Saint", "LDS", "LDs", "lds", "LdS", or similar acronyms should redirect to pages containing "Latter Day Saint".
• "LDS Church", "Mormon Church", and similar phrases should redirect to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints