Mormon/LDS (Latter-day Saint): A person who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lattery-day Saints (Mormon Church, LDS Church)
Active member: A Mormon who attends regularly and may or may not hold a calling or temple recommend.
Inactive member: A Mormon who does not attend church regularly.
Apostate: A somewhat deragatory term used to describe someone who was Mormon but has left the Church for whatever reason. It situates the person who has left as "deceived by Satan" or has turned their back on the Lord.
Common Terms
Baptism: Those seeking to be official members of the Church may be baptized as early as eight-years-old, as eight is determined as the "age of accountability." They are baptized by full immersion in a baptismal font or other Church-approved body of water.
Eternal families: Mormons are expected to marry in the temple so that their families can be "sealed for time and all eternity" and return to live with their Heavenly Father and Jesus again in the highest degree of heaven.
Garments: Sacred underwear worn by adults who have received the temple endowment ordinance. Garment tops have short sleeves for men and cap sleeves for women. Garment bottoms extend to the knee for both sexes.
Impure thoughts: Mormons are expected to remain sexually pure, meaning they do not engage in sexual behavior outside of heterosexual marriage. They are also expected to keep their thoughts pure, meaning they do not entertain sexual thoughts.
Modesty: Mormon women are instructed to avoid tight clothing, low-cut clothing, short shorts and skirts, bikinis, and any clothing that does not cover the stomach or shoulders. Men are instructed to be modest as well, but do not have specific standards expected of them.
Ordinance: A ceremony or ritual within the Mormon Church. Some ordinaces are called saving ordinances and are required for salvation. Saving ordinances include baptism by immersion, confirmation of the Holy Ghost, ordination to the Melchizedek priesthood (men only), temple endowment, and marriage sealing. To achieve the highest level of heaven, one must complete all saving ordinances.
Temple: A building where active, worthy members perform ordinances for themselves and the dead. Salvation in the highest degree of heaven is contingent upon the performance of such ordinances. Members must be interviewed by church leadership to determine worthiness of entering the temple.
Temple recommend: After being interviewed and found "worthy" to enter the temple, members are given a temple recommend that gives them access to the temple to perform ordinances for themselve and for the dead.
Tithing: All members are expected and encouraged to donate 10 percent of their money to the Church. One must be a full-tithe payer to enter the temple.
Vulgar language: Mormons are expected to refrain from using common curse words, taking the Lord's name in vain (using deity's name as an expletive), and using any language that would offend God.
Word of Wisdom: Mormon rule to abstain from alcohol, hot drinks (coffee, tea), nicotine, and illegal drugs.
Church Organization and Leadership
Prophet/President: This is the leader who is purported to receive revelation for the entire church across the world.
First Presidency: This consists of the prophet and his two counselors.
Apostles: The church is led by 12 apostles under the direction of the prophet and the first presidency.
General Authorities: Leaders at the highest level of the Church, including the prophet, first presidency, apostles, regional leaders, etc. General authorities speak to all members at the Church's semi-annual General Conference.
General Conference: A worldwide meeting that extends over a Saturday and Sunday with for total of 10 hours broken into two-hour segments. General Conference is held semi-annually in April and in October.
Ward/Branch: A Mormon congregation, organized by geographic location.
Calling: A volunteer position held by members of the Church. A calling is extended to a member by a Bishop, Stake President, or other church authority and the member chooses to accept the calling, though many feel obligated as they feel it comes from God directly.
Bishop/Branch President: Priesthood leader who presides over a ward or branch.
Bishopric/Branch Presidency: Four priesthood leaders who preside over the ward or branch. A bishopric is led by the bishop/branch president, and also includes two counselors and an executive secretary.
Ward Council: A group of leaders who meet together regularly to discuss important matters regarding the ward. Ward council members include the bishop and bishopric, and presidents of other organizations of the Church, including Primary, Sunday School, Young Women, Relief Society, and Elder's Quorum.
Primary: Children enter Nursery at 18 months of age and move on to Primary the year they turn four years old. They participate in Primary until the year they turn 12.
Sunday School: Sunday School is for every member 12 and over, and classes are divided up by birth year until members reach 18 and enter adult Sunday School classes.
Young Men: Boys enter Young Men the year they turn 12 and receive the Aaronic priesthood. They stay until they are 18.
Young Women: Girls enter Young Women the year they turn 12 and stay until they are 18.
Relief Society: The women's organization in the Church. Women enter the Relief Society at 18.
Elder's Quorum: The men's priesthood organization in the Church. Men enter the Elder's Quorum at 18 when they receive the Melchidek priesthood.
Stake: A group of wards or branches, also organized by geographic location.
Stake President: Priesthood leader who presides over a stake.
LGBTQ+ Policies
Proposition 8: A ballot measure in California that banned same-sex marriage and passed with 52 percent of the vote. The Mormon Church encouraged its members to be vocal in support for the ballot measure and spent at least $190,000 in supporting their campaign for Yes on 8 (Associated Press, 2009).
November 2015 Policy: In 2015, the Mormon Church updated its general handbook to ban the baptisms and baby blessings of children of gay parents, and claimed the policy change was revelation from God (Lindsey, 2016). In 2019, the Church reversed the ban and claimed the reversal was also revelation (Riess, 2019).