101 Mormon Terms Defined (from Aaronic Priesthood to Zion)
It’s impossible to communicate with your Latter-day Saint friend unless you have an understanding of the definition of vocabulary terms. Some words used in Mormonism are also used in Christianity, although these typically have different meanings. Meanwhile, many LDS terms are unique to Mormonism. This is the purpose of Appendix 2; we will define the words as typically understood by the Mormon community. Feel free to use this resource throughout your reading of the book.
We will use italics with words used in a particular definition that are defined in this section. Words in parentheses that follow a particular term are synonymous with the term being defined.1
Aaronic Priesthood: The authority to perform certain ecclesiastical tasks, allegedly bestowed by John the Baptist onto Joseph Smith and his friend Oliver Cowdery on May 15, 1829. Baptized Mormon males 12 years and older are eligible to receive this priesthood.
Agency: The ability to choose right from wrong, referring to both people on the earth today as well as all spirits in the preexistence.
Anti-Mormon: Usually a pejorative term used to refer to those (typically Christians) who are critical of Mormonism and therefore are considered hateful by many Mormons. It can also refer to any information from any source that places the LDS Church in a bad light.
Apostasy, Great: The belief that true Christianity lost its authority after the death of Christ’s apostles, which made it necessary for God to restore the true church through Joseph Smith and the founding of the LDS Church in 1830.
Apostle: One of 12 members in the second-highest governing body of the LDS Church and considered to be a General Authority. The most senior member is the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who is next in line to become the church’s president.
Atonement: A work accomplished through the suffering of Jesus at Gethsemane and His death on the cross that allows all humans to rise in the resurrection to one of three kingdoms of glory. The Mormon atonement also paves the way for potential exaltation in the celestial kingdom.
Baptism: Required for the remission of sins and membership in the LDS Church. Baptismal candidates must be eight years or older. A Mormon male who holds Melchizedek priesthood authority immerses the candidate in water, usually at a local LDS chapel. A covenant with God is made at this time, with the candidate promising to keep all the commandments.
Baptism for the Dead: Also known as “baptism by proxy” or “vicarious baptism,” this ordinance is performed in Mormon temples by living church members on behalf of someone who is deceased. The soul for whom the work is done is given a chance to receive the gospel in spirit prison.
Bible: One of the four Standard Works. The official translation used is the King James Version of the Bible. According to the Eighth Article of Faith, the Bible is true only “as far as it is translated correctly.”
Bishop: An unpaid leader of a local Mormon ward whose duties are similar to the responsibilities of a Christian pastor.
Book of Mormon: One of the four Standard Works. Contains the alleged story of an ancient Jewish civilization that existed on the American continent. It was originally compiled on gold plates that were buried in a hill in New York and translated by LDS Church founder Joseph Smith. Missionaries often use Moroni 10:4, found at the end of the scripture, to challenge prospective converts to receive the confirmation of this book’s truthfulness.
Branch: A Mormon congregation that is not large enough to form a ward.
Brethren: See General Authority.
BYU: Brigham Young University. A university and graduate school located in Provo, Utah, owned by the LDS Church. Extension campuses are located in Hawaii, Idaho, and Israel.
Calling: Invitation that a member receives for a particular assignment in the local church congregation.
Celestial Kingdom: The highest kingdom of glory reserved for those Mormons who demonstrate complete obedience to LDS laws and ordinances. This is where one may enjoy the presence of God the Father and Jesus Christ as well as abide with one’s family forever. See Exaltation.
Chapel: A building used for church services and events.
Child(ren) of God: All humans, both righteous and wicked. God the Father and Heavenly Mother procreated each spirit in the preexistence.
Commandments: Laws and rules as taught by the LDS Church. Keeping these is necessary to receive exaltation.
Confirmation: A Melchizedek priesthood member lays his hands upon the head of a recently baptized convert, thus bestowing membership into the LDS Church as well as the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Council in Heaven: A council of the gods called by God the Father in the preexistence to determine how the spirit children of God could come to earth as physical beings. Jesus and Lucifer offered two competing plans, with two thirds of the spirits siding with Jesus.
Covenants (Oaths): Two-way promises made by members with God in baptism/confirmation, the weekly sacrament, temple endowment, and temple marriage (sealing), all of which must be kept to gain exaltation.
Creeds: Generally associated with historical Christian statements of faith, which are rejected by LDS leaders as part of the Great Apostasy.
Damnation: Being prevented from reaching one’s full potential as a child of God due to a person’s lack of faithfulness to the whole law of the LDS gospel. It does not refer to an eternal hell.
Deacon: Office in the Aaronic priesthood given to males beginning at the age of 12. Among other duties, deacons serve the sacrament on Sunday mornings.
Doctrine and Covenants (D&C): One of the four Standard Works. Primarily a collection of divine revelations mostly revealed to Joseph Smith. Most contemporary LDS doctrine is recorded in this scripture.
Elder: A male 18 or older who holds the Melchizedek priesthood.
Endowment: A ceremony within a Mormon temple that prepares the participants for exaltation in the afterlife.
Ensign: An official monthly church magazine. The May and November issues contain transcripts of all the talks given at the semiannual General Conference gatherings in April and October.
Eternal Increase: The ability of qualified Mormons who have become gods to procreate throughout eternity in the celestial kingdom.
Exaltation (Eternal Life): Becoming glorified as gods in the highest level of the celestial kingdom and living forever in the family unit.
Fall of Adam and Eve: Adam’s transgression (not “sin”) that took place in the Garden of Eden, causing them to become mortal and making them subject to physical death. It has been called “a blessing in disguise” because, without it, spirits would never have been allowed to enter mortality.
Family Home Evening: A recommended gathering for families on Monday nights, with the primary activity of studying the Mormon gospel. Church activities do not happen during this time, as church buildings are closed. Families often use this time to strengthen relationships and have fun together.
Fast and Testimony Meeting: Practice of members sharing their personal testimonies at church services on the first Sunday of each month.
Fast Offering: An offering designated for the poor, contributed during a Fast and Testimony meeting. Mormons are encouraged to refrain from two consecutive meals, donating the savings to the church.
First Presidency: The three top leaders of the church consisting of the church’s president and his two counselors.
First Vision: An event that Mormons are taught took place in 1820, according to the official account, when God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to 14-year-old Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove near Palmyra, New York. In this vision, Smith was told that all the Christian churches were wrong.
Garments, Temple: Also known as the “garments of the holy priesthood,” a sacred undergarment worn by faithful Mormons who are qualified to attend the temple. The garments are believed to be a spiritual (and possibly physical) “shield and protection.”
General Authority: The highest leaders of the church, including the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the first two quorums of the Seventy.
General Conference: An assembly of LDS membership held in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the first weekend of each April and October. These meetings are for official instruction, announcements, and teaching given by General Authorities and other LDS leaders.
Gethsemane: The primary location where the atonement took place when Jesus sweated drops of blood.
Gift of the Holy Ghost: Fullness of blessings available to LDS members after baptism. The Holy Ghost remains with those who stay worthy, though he will withdraw when the commandments are not kept.
God the Father (Elohim, Heavenly Father): First member of the Godhead who once lived as a righteous human in another realm before he became exalted. He has a resurrected, tangible body of flesh and bones (D&C 130:22) and is the literal father of every premortal human being in the spirit world.
Godhead: In rejecting the Christian doctrine of the Trinity (i.e., one God in three persons), Mormonism’s Godhead consists of three distinct gods (Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost) who are united in purpose.
Godhood: Humans can reach this status through obedience and then becoming exalted like God the Father in the celestial kingdom.
Gold Plates: According to the angel Moroni, the Book of Mormon was written upon plates of gold. Joseph Smith claimed to translate these plates into English from “Reformed Egyptian” characters.
Gospel: All doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants necessary for a Mormon to achieve exaltation.
Grace: God’s enabling power that is provided to all humans through the work of Jesus and His atonement. Because of this, everyone receives an inheritance to a kingdom of glory.
Heavenly Mother: The wife of God the Father, or “Heavenly Father.” Early Mormon leaders openly taught that Heavenly Father was a practicing polygamist, making Heavenly Mother merely one wife among many.
Hell: Depending on the context, there are several possible meanings. Generally, this is a reference to spirit prison, a temporary holding place for those who did not accept Mormonism during their lifetimes.
High Priest: An office usually given to more experienced members within the Melchizedek priesthood who oversee the spiritual welfare of church members.
Holy Ghost: The third member of the Godhead who is sometimes described as the Holy Spirit and other times described as distinct from the Holy Spirit. He is a child of God but does not have a body of flesh and bones like Jesus and God the Father. The influence of the Holy Ghost is said to help investigators know whether the Book of Mormon (and Mormonism) is true.
Institute of Religion: An LDS school offering college-level classes on various subjects of Mormonism, usually located near major university campuses.
Investigator: Someone who is considering joining the LDS Church and is being visited by missionaries.
Jack Mormon: Generally, a term that describes Mormons who are not fully practicing their faith.
Jesus: Second member of the Godhead. He was the literal firstborn son of God the Father in the preexistence where he was known as Jehovah and worked his way to perfection.
Joseph Smith (1805–1844): The founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Kingdoms of Glory (Three Degrees of Glory): The celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms where all humans but the sons of perdition will reside after the final judgment.
Laying on of Hands: The act of priesthood leaders putting their hands on the head of a person to bestow a blessing or ordination.
LDS: Abbreviation for “Latter-day Saints.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the official title.
Melchizedek Priesthood: Known as the higher or greater priesthood, a special authority given to baptized Mormon men 18 years and older through the laying on of hands. This priesthood authority is believed to have been originally given to Joseph Smith and his friend Oliver Cowdery sometime between May 15, 1829, and April 6, 1830, through the biblical apostles Peter, James, and John.
Missionary: A volunteer sent to national and foreign locations around the world in service to the LDS Church. The most familiar are those tasked with spreading the LDS gospel: young men ages 18 to 25 (who serve for two years), young women 19 to 25 (who serve for 18 months), and retired couples (who serve for six months to three years).
Mormon: Two possible meanings: (1) An ancient Nephite prophet who abridged and compiled the records of his people known today as the Book of Mormon. (2) A nickname commonly used to refer to a member of the LDS Church, also known as a Latter-day Saint.
Moroni: The son of Mormon in the Book of Mormon who supposedly buried the gold plates containing the record of the Nephite people. In 1823, the angel Moroni is said to have appeared to Joseph Smith and revealed to him the location of the buried plates. A golden statue of Moroni holding a trumpet is put on a spire at most LDS temples.
Mortal Probation (Second Estate): Mortal life on this earth wherein physical bodies are given to those who were faithful in the preexistence.
New Name: A name received by patrons during a temple ceremony that will be used in the next life. Only the husband is allowed to know his wife’s new name, which usually has its origins in the Bible or the Book of Mormon. The wife is not supposed to know her husband’s new name.
Ordain: To bestow priesthood authority on a worthy male member through the laying on of hands.
Ordinance: Ceremonies in which a Mormon makes a covenant with God. Included are baptisms, sacraments, and works performed in an LDS temple.
Outer Darkness: Severe punishment for eternity, primarily reserved for Satan, his demons, and the sons of perdition.
Paradise: Temporary place in the postmortal spirit world for Mormons who have been properly baptized and who remained faithful until death.
Patriarchal Blessing: A conditional, personal prophetic utterance given to a Mormon, either by a relative or by an ordained patriarch appointed by the LDS Church.
Patron, Temple: A person who performs works and makes covenants with God in an LDS temple.
Pearl of Great Price: One of the four Standard Works. Contains books such as the Book of Abraham, Moses, Joseph Smith’s History, and Smith’s retranslation of a portion of the Gospel of Matthew.
Plan of Salvation: A plan allowing the children of God to become like God the Father (see Godhood). As a spirit child in the preexistence, a person who rightly chose Jesus as Savior is given the chance to be born onto the earth with a physical body and the opportunity to progress to a kingdom of glory.
Preexistence (Premortality, First Estate): A spirit world existence preceding the second estate. All spirits born of God the Father had to choose between the salvation plans offered by Jesus and Lucifer. Those who chose Lucifer were cast out of heaven and were prohibited from obtaining physical bodies. Those who sided with Jesus are allowed to be born on the earth with physical bodies, necessary to achieve exaltation.
President (Prophet, Seer, Revelator): A General Authority who holds the highest office in the LDS Church. Others in Mormonism also hold the title “president,” including the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, mission presidents, and the president of the Presiding Bishopric.
Priesthood: Understood to be the power and authority to act in God’s name. May also refer to Mormon males who hold this authority. Also see Aaronic priesthood and Melchizedek priesthood.
Relief Society: Organization for female members who are 18 or older.
Repentance: The process by which a Mormon receives forgiveness. True repentance involves six steps, including confession and a successful abandonment of all sin.
Restoration: Reestablishment of true gospel principles when Joseph Smith founded the LDS Church in 1830. Priesthood authority was returned after it had been taken from the earth during the Great Apostasy.
Resurrection: All human beings will be physically raised to a kingdom of glory through the atonement provided by Jesus.
Sabbath: Sunday. This is a day Mormons are told to “keep holy” by attending church services while refraining from shopping, doing chores, and participating in recreational activities.
Sacrament: Similar to the Protestant version of communion, or the Lord’s Supper. Observed weekly in LDS services, with bread and water serving as elements, to renew the covenants made at baptism.
Salvation: Two possible meanings, depending on the context: (1) General Salvation (see resurrection); (2) Individual Salvation (see exaltation).
Scripture: The four written works (the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price) are called the Standard Works. In addition, this could also include the inspired words of the living prophet, official church writings, and General Conference addresses.
Sealing: A temple ceremony binding a husband and wife together for eternity, or binding children to their parents if the children were born outside of Mormonism.
Seminary: Elective religious classes offered at LDS buildings, often located near public high schools or in members’ homes. In Utah, high school students are given the chance to leave the school’s campus so a paid Mormon teacher can instruct them about the Standard Works and church history. In other states, students typically gather in the mornings before school begins and may be taught by a volunteer.
Seventy: A man who holds a leadership position following the positions of the First Presidency and the apostles. These men known as the Seventies fit into eight quorums. The men belonging to the first two quorums are known as General Authorities while the others are referred to as area authorities.
Sons of Perdition: Those who rebelled with Lucifer in the preexistence. The term can also apply to Mormons who willfully and deliberately deny the Holy Ghost and the truth of Mormonism while knowing it is true.
Spirit Prison: Temporary place for deceased non-Mormons who are waiting for vicarious temple work to be done on their behalf by living Mormons.
Spirit World: See Paradise and Spirit Prison.
Stake: A regional administrative grouping of five to ten wards. In the US a minimum of 3,000 members comprise a stake, while outside the US 1,900 members are required.
Standard Works: See Scripture.
Telestial Kingdom: The lowest kingdom of glory to which “liars, sorcerers, adulterers and whoremongers” are assigned for eternity after death. The residents of this kingdom will be visited by the Holy Ghost, but not by God the Father or Jesus.
Temple: Special buildings located throughout the world where members who are deemed worthy get married and participate in ordinances, including work on behalf of the dead.
Temple Recommend: A barcoded card that allows a member of good standing in the LDS Church access to a temple for two years at a time. This is given only after an interview with the Mormon’s bishop if the applicant is deemed worthy.
Terrestrial Kingdom: The middle kingdom of glory to which honorable non-Mormons and less-than-faithful Mormons are assigned after death. The residents of this kingdom will be visited by Jesus Christ but will be separated from God the Father throughout eternity.
Tithing Settlement: If less than a tenth of a Mormon’s income was given to the church (tithe) during the previous year, the deficit is encouraged to be made up during a private meeting the member has with the bishop, especially if the member wants to qualify for or keep a temple recommend.
War in Heaven: Conflict in the preexistence that was started by Lucifer when his bid to become the savior of the world was rejected. A third of the spirit children of God were prevented from getting physical bodies when they were cast out of the preexistence.
Ward: A local Mormon congregation presided over by a bishop made up of members from a particular geographic location, usually consisting of between 150-500 members. When a ward becomes too large, it is split up. Smaller congregations are called branches.
Washing and Anointing: Initiatory temple ceremony that purifies the patron.
Word of Wisdom: A health law found in Doctrine & Covenants 89 commanding Mormons to abstain from hot drinks (interpreted as coffee and tea), tobacco, excessive amounts of meat, and alcoholic beverages.
Worthy (Temple Worthiness): Mormons who fully live their religion, demonstrating their adherence to the requirement of Mormonism to be considered righteous so they can participate in temple ceremonies. Mormons who hold an active temple recommend are often referred to as “worthy” members.
Zion: Several possible meanings in Mormonism, but for contemporary Mormonism it generally means the “pure in heart”; as a community of people, it refers to those who belong to the LDS Church.