摩尔门摩门,英文:Mormon)一词与19世纪初美国人 Joseph Smith Jr.(小斯密约瑟)在美国纽约州开始的后期圣徒运动息息相关,这个运动造成了包括现在主导摩尔门教耶稣基督后期圣徒教会在内的诸多宗派。小斯密约瑟于1830年出版《摩尔门经》。“摩尔门”是《摩尔门经》中的一个重要的地名,其中一位先知也以这地名取了“摩尔门”这个名字,《摩尔门经》的名字即是由先知摩尔门的名字而来,此外,《摩尔门经》中也有一部书叫做“摩尔门书”。

本文属于
后期圣徒运动
系列的一部分
后期圣徒运动历史
后期圣徒 · 摩尔门教
第一次异象 · 继承危机
嘉德兰安全会(银行)英语Kirtland_Safety_Society
后期圣徒运动共同经典
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摩尔门经
教义和圣约》/《诫命书
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斯密约瑟 · 考得里奥利佛英语Oliver_Cowdery
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斯密约瑟三世英语Joseph_Smith_III · 斯特朗雅各
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早期官方刊物
夜与晨星》   (1832-1833年)
传讯者和提倡者》(1834-1837年)
长老期刊》   (1837-1838年)
时代与季节》  (1839-1846年)
建筑物
盐湖城圣殿 · 独立城圣殿
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约瑟·斯密纪念大厦
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为死者洗礼英语Baptism_for_the_dead · 智慧语 · 恩道门英语Endowment_(Latter_Day_Saints)
圣殿婚姻英语Sealing_(Mormonism)
机构
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基督社区
基督的教会 (圣殿基地)
耶稣基督的教会 (比克顿派)
耶稣基督后期圣徒教会 (斯特朗派)
基本教义派的耶稣基督后期圣徒教会
残余的耶稣基督后期圣徒教会英语Remnant_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter_Day_Saints
有以利亚讯息的基督的教会英语Church_of_Christ_With_the_Elijah_Message
耶稣基督后期圣徒教会与基督社区差异英语Comparison_of_the_Community_of_Christ_and_The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints

英文Mormon也常用来指称相信摩尔门教的信徒。

来源

约瑟斯密本人对 Mormon 这个字做了下面的注解,原文刊于《时代与季节》卷4第194页,1843年5月15日,后由约瑟·斐亭·斯密编辑收录于《先知约瑟·斯密的教训》第299-300页:[1]

‘致《时代与季节》的编辑:先生:——透过您的报纸的媒介,我希望能够更正在宣称有受教育、自由和聪明人中间的一项错误;并且我高兴地做这件事,因为我希望清楚思考和满有理性的人很快地会听见真理的声音,而不是被无益的自作聪明的虚假做作带入迷途。我要更正的错误是“Mormon”这个字的定义。有人宣称这个字是从希腊文的“mormo”这个字衍生出来的。实情并非如此。在我透过神的恩惠翻译出的《摩尔门经》的页片上面没有任何希腊文或拉丁文。让那本书里面的语言为自己说话。在第4版的第523页,它写到:‘我们已照着我们所知道的,用那种在我们之中被称为改良埃及文的字母写下了这部记录,这种文字是流传下来,再由我们根据了我们的语言习惯而加以变更的。如果我们的片叶够大的话,我们一定用希伯来文写了;但是希伯来文也被我们变更过了;如果我们能用希伯来文写了的话,你们在我们的记录中就不会找到什么缺点了。但是主知道我们所写的事情,也知道没有别的民族知道我们的文字;所以他已预备了翻译这记录的工具。’在这里这个议题可以安静了,因为“没有别的民族知道我们的文字”,所以在这个民族的人都死了以后 神(而不是人)要来翻译。并且保罗也说:‘世人凭自己的智慧、既不认识 神’,所以推论世界缺乏启示;就像 神在祂无上的智慧中在地上无论何处总是给祂的圣徒同一灵,而这灵就像约翰所说的,是真正先知的灵,是见证耶稣的。我可以安全地说“Mormon”这个字是独立于这个世代的认知和智慧。在我给个定义之前,让我先说《圣经》广义的说是“好”的意思;根据约翰福音救主说:‘我是好牧人’;可以这么说“好”这个字是日常用语中最重要常用的字。即使在不同的语言里面有不同的拼写方法,但是意思还是一样的,总是对立于“不好”这个字。我们可以用撒克森语说“good”;丹麦语说“god”;哥特语说“goda”;德语说“gut”;荷兰语说“goed”;拉丁语说“bonus”;希腊语说“kalos”;希伯来语说“tob”;埃及语说“mon”。所以,在前面加个“more”(更)或者缩写“mor”,我们就有了这个字“mormon”,照字面上的意思就是“更好”的意思。您的,约瑟斯密。’

参见

注脚

  1. ^ 原文:To the Editor of the Times & Seasons: Sir:--Through the medium of your paper, I wish to correct an error among men that profess to be learned, liberal and wise; and I do it the more cheerfully, because I hope sober-thinking and sound-reasoning people will sooner listen to the voice of truth, than be led astray by the vain pretensions of the self-wise. the error I speak of, is the definition of the word "Mormon." It has been stated that this word was derived from the Greek word "mormo." This is not the case. There was no Greek or Latin upon the plates from which I, through the grace of God, translated the Book of Mormon. Let the language of that book speak for itself. On the 523rd page, of the fourth edition, it reads: "And now behold we have written this record according to our knowledge in the characters, which are called among us the "Reformed Egyptian," being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech; and if our plates had been sufficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew: but the Hebrew hath been altered by us, also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold ye would have had no imperfection in our record, but the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also, that none other people knoweth our language; therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof." Here then the subject is put to silence, for "none other people knoweth our language," therefore the Lord, and not man, had to interpret, after the people were all dead. And as Paul said, "the world by wisdom know not God," so the world by speculation are destitute of revelation; and as God in his superior wisdom, has always given his Saints, wherever he had any on the earth, the same spirit, and that spirit, as John says, is the true spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus. I may safely say that the word Mormon stands independent of the learning and wisdom of this generation.--Before I give a definition, however, to the word, let me say that the Bible in its widest sense, means good; for the Savior says according to the gospel of John, "I am the good shepherd;" and it will not be beyond the common use of terms, to say that good is among the most important in use, and though known by various names in different languages, still its meaning is the same, and is ever in opposition to "bad." We say from the Saxon, "good"; the Dane, "god"; the Goth, "goda"; the German, "gut"; the Dutch, "goed"; the Latin, "bonus"; the Greek, "kalos"; the Hebrew, "tob"; and the "Egyptian, "mon." Hence, with the addition of "more," or the contraction, "mor," we have the word "mormon"; which means, literally, "more good." Yours, JOSEPH SMITH.