Jaclyn Herrin
Utah
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Several years have passed since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked the public (and the press specifically) to use the Church’s formal name rather than “Mormon Church,” and to avoid referring to its members as “MORMONS.” This answer has appeared at least one other time since that request was made. This most recent answer coincides with national sports headlines which have highlighted hate speech directed at members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints using this nickname, most notably “F— the Mormons,” and the conflict such language has caused in NCAA sports. I’m commenting less to reprimand than to ask about the editorial reasoning behind continuing to use this word as a clue. The word itself is not offensive, and I understand that it remains common in everyday usage. What I find curious is the decision to continue using a term that a religious minority has explicitly asked the press not to use when referring to its members. I’d genuinely be interested to understand how editors think about that distinction.
@Petrol I appreciate your respectful response. Honestly I’m always happy to see the word in the grid as well as whenever Utah, Utes, Provo, Orem, and Ogden show up as answers (and that seems to happen a lot!). These words and their vowels contribute to excellent play, and as a state so far away from New York it’s fun to be included! Even though Utah is far away, it is interesting to note the significant ties the church has to New York. New York is the foundational birthplace for the restoration of the church's theology and priesthood authority. Joseph Smith was led to the plates in Palmyra, and the first publication of Book of Mormon was in New York. So being included feels quite appropriate. There is no problem with MORMON being used as an answer, but clues could maybe be adjusted to better reflect respect and understanding.
@Al in Pittsburgh It is still called the Book of Mormon, and referencing the book (or the musical for that matter) would be a great clue. No coffee on campus, but Coke and Dr Pepper products are widely available—much to my own personal delight. And we’d be happy to have you join us at a conference, coffee and all.
@Cyndie Ha. it would be quite the rebus challenge to use an answer with 47 letters in a grid that contains 15-21 letters! And yes, the word is still in common usage. I have no problem with the word, just wondered about the clue and the usage implied by it.
@Beth in Greenbelt I completely understand that people have very different experiences with the Church, and I respect your right to feel that way. My question wasn’t about theology or whether individuals are obligated to use preferred terminology, it was about why a respected editorial institution like the NYT would consciously choose a term that the group itself has specifically asked the press not to use. So there are two very different questions; whether someone personally accepts that request is a different question from whether a newspaper should consider it when making editorial choices.
@Andrzej. Noted. I gotchu.
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