Mormon Tradition

Synopsis

• "Mormonism" was derived from the "Book of Mormon."
• The title "Book of Mormon" comes from the Title Page of the Book of Mormon.
• The Title Page was written by Moroni - not Joe (aka Joseph) Smith.
• The Title refers to a location called "Mormon" not the prophet "Mormon."
• The prophet Mormon was named after the place called "Mormon."
• The location "Mormon" was the occurrence of the first church in the wilderness by Alma.
• "The Church" is those who choose God.
• "Mormon" meant the place where they chose God.
• "The Book of Mormon" means "The Book of Choosing God."
• "Reformed Mormonism" means those who choose to follow the Book of Mormon instead of Joe (aka Joseph) Smith, the Doctrine & Covenants, or any teaching outside the scope of the Bible and Book of Mormon.

Meaning

The Title Page of the Book of Mormon reads thus:

THE
BOOK OF MORMON:

AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY THE HAND OF MOR-
MON, UPON PLATES TAKEN FROM
THE PLATES OF NEPHI.

Wherefore it is an abridgment of the Record of the People of Nephi; and also of the Lamanites; written to the Lamanites, which are a remnant of the House of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile; written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of Prophecy and of Revelation. Written, and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed: to come forth by the gift and power of God, unto the interpretation thereof; sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by the way of Gentile; the interpretation thereof by the gift of God; an abridgment taken from the Book of Ether.

Also, which is a Record of the People of Jared, which were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people when they were building a tower to get to heaven: which is to shew unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever; and also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting Himself unto all nations. And now if there be fault, it be the mistake of men: wherefore condemn not the things of GOD, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment seat of CHRIST.

There was already a book within the Book of Mormon called "Mormon," thus in the untranslated Nephi there was no confusion. As it stands now, the title is considered redundant if one considers the word "Mormon" in both places is referring to the person Mormon.

There are those who say the biggest error with the Book of Mormon (and therefore proof it was wrriten by Joe (aka Joseph)) is its title - "The Book of Mormon." They say, if it was about God, God's name would be in the title.

There are untranslated Nephite words all throughout the Book of Mormon, just as there are untranslated words throughout the Bible and "Mormon" is one of them.

"Mormon" as it appears in the title refers to its Nephite meaning, while the subtitle refers to the man who wrote it. To the Nephites, the word "Mormon" was known for being the place where the first church was formed in the wilderness:

And behold I am called Mormon being called after the land of Mormon the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression. (3 Nephi 5:12)

The key is the church and the church are those who choose God.

A translated title could read thus:

THE BOOK OF CHOOSING GOD:

BY THE HAND OF MORMON.

This is what occured in Mormon:

Here are the waters of Mormon, and now as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God and to be called His people...to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places that ye may be in even until death... (Mosiah 18:8-9)