Extras : Glossary of Terms (E - L)
- elder
- The first or lowest office of the Melchizedek Priesthood; a male missionary; the term of address applied thereto.
- Elohim
- In Mormon theology, God the Father; first member of the Godhead.
- endowment
- An ordinance or ritual conducted in Mormon temples, in which the recipient is taught the secret handshakes and passwords necessary to pass the sentries at the gates of heaven after death.
- eternal investigator
- One who takes the discussions repeatedly without being baptized, possibly out of loneliness.
- “Every member a missionary”
- A common aphorism exhorting all church members to talk about the gospel with their non-member friends.
- ex
- To excommunicate.
- farewell
- The sacrament meeting at which a departing missionary speaks to his or her ward.
- father
- An elder’s trainer.
- fellowship
- To befriend a non-member for purposes of proselytization.
- field, the
- Mission field.
- fireside
- A special evening meeting, usually for teens or young adults, featuring one or two talks on a particular gospel topic, so called because these gatherings originally took place around the hearth in a member family’s home.
- G’s
- Garments.
- garment; garments
- The sacred underclothes worn by Mormons as a constant reminder of the oaths sworn during the endowment.
- gator
- Investigator.
- gentile
- A non-member, so called because Mormons consider themselves to be spiritually adopted into the Tribes of Israel.
- gift of discernment
- The ability conferred upon Mormon leaders to tell truth from falsehood, or to glean hidden information, by means of the Spirit.
- Gift of the Holy Ghost, the
- The right, bestowed upon Mormons at confirmation, to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, enabling the receiver to discern a proper, righteous course through life via the Spirit’s whisperings. Before confirmation, the Holy Ghost can be only an occasional presence in one’s life.
- girl challenge; g.c.
- The illicit romantic attraction between a missionary and a local female.
- Godhead, the
- In Mormon theology, the Trinity, comprising three separate and distinct personages: God the Father, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.
- golden
- Highly receptive to the discussions.
- Golden Plates, the
- The engraved record from which Joseph Smith purportedly translated the Book of Mormon.
- Golden Question, the
- “What do you know about the Mormon Church?”; the prototypical opening gambit in proselytization.
- grandfather
- An elder’s trainer’s trainer.
- grandmother
- A sister’s trainer’s trainer.
- greenie
- A missionary new to the field.
- Holy Ghost, the
- In Mormon theology, third member of the Godhead, whose function is to make truth manifest to mankind through a still, small voice.
- homecoming
- The sacrament meeting at which a returned missionary reports on his or her mission.
- Institutes of Religion; Institute
- The Mormon Church’s religious educational system for college-level students, with locations adjacent to many campuses.
- investigator
- One taking the discussions from the missionaries.
- Jehovah
- In Mormon theology, the premortal name of Jesus Christ; second member of the Godhead, and redeemer of mankind.
- junior companion
- The lower ranking member of a companionship.
- Kolob
- In Mormon theology, the star nearest God’s throne, where one day is equal to a thousand of our years.
- Language Training Mission; LTM
- Forerunner to the Missionary Training Center.
- laying on of hands, the
- The act of priesthood holders ritually stacking their hands upon a recipient’s head; employed in blessings, ordinations, and some ordinances.
- legend
- A missionary of accomplishments so memorable that his name lives on long after his release.
