Trademark adjustments and copyright disputes can surface in unexpected ways. Dunkin’ Donuts, for instance, shifted to simply Dunkin’ to better reflect its energetic, mobile‑first brand identity.
What happens when a religious organization updates its name yet former members keep using the old terminology in ways the institution finds objectionable?
In April, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints filed a lawsuit against John Dehlin, a sixth‑generation member who was excommunicated, aiming to stop him from labeling his show Mormon Stories and using design elements that imitate the church’s copyrighted branding, alleging an intent to profit from and create consumer confusion.
Two centuries after its founding, the church began discouraging the use of “Mormon” in 2019 after its president declared that divine guidance required the shift. From that point forward, official references identify the denomination solely as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints (or “the church”/“Church of Jesus Christ”).”
President Russell M. Nelson told members that “the Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for His church,” adding that persisting with “Mormon” would constitute “a major victory for Satan.”
“We’re not changing names. We’re correcting a name,” Nelson continued. “Marketers often rebrand to boost market share, but our purpose is different. We are rectifying a historical error that has accumulated over time.”
The name overhaul produced ripple effects throughout the institution. Since 1929, the group known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was renamed the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, though its musical repertoire stayed unchanged. Likewise, the “I’m a Mormon” advertising initiative and the Mormon Channel were updated to reflect the new terminology.
Now the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints has filed suit against four podcasters—among them John Dehlin’s Mormon Stories—accusing them of persisting in using the once‑discarded term “Mormon.” The institution contends that it retains dominion over the word because of its historic usage and ongoing public association.
Patrick Mason of Claremont University, a scholar of Latter‑day Saint movements, said, “The lawsuit is part of the church’s broader effort to distance itself from the nicknames ‘Mormon’ and ‘Mormonism.’ The leadership and membership are keen to highlight the church’s Christian credentials, and the full official name better reflects that identity than the colloquial ‘Mormon.’”
He noted that the dispute touches on a perennial question about the church’s place within mainstream Christianity—a topic that surfaced recently in the Department of Defense’s chaplain classification. “It’s a live issue for the church and its members. They feel it acutely and really want to emphasize that Jesus is at the heart of its practice.”
In the complaint, the church alleged that Dehlin and Mormon Stories were “intentionally and willfully” displaying copyrighted imagery, even after Dehlin had agreed to modify the visuals. According to the filing, Dehlin removed the church’s light‑ray logo elements and replaced the navy‑blue font with orange, yet the church claimed the revisions remained insufficient.
The institution said Dehlin’s refusal to take “the actions needed to sufficiently address the confusion” compelled the legal action.
Mason observed that the timing of the suit is noteworthy. “While Dehlin’s critical tone and podcast content have long been a point of friction for the church, the branding of the show itself had not previously been a prominent concern.”
He added, “Why now, rather than five or eight years ago, is puzzling. The irony, as many have pointed out, is that the church is litigating over the term ‘Mormon’ at a moment when it is actively trying to move away from that name.”
Dehlin, who has a history of public criticism of the church, filed a legal response last week. In it, he asserted that he and his organization would not be intimidated and accused the church of weaponizing trademark and copyright law to silence him.
A statement posted on the Mormon Stories website argued that the court filing “exposes a troubling inconsistency: the LDS Church has spent years publicly disavowing the term ‘Mormon,’ yet it is simultaneously seeking to renew its ‘Mormon’‑styled trademark registrations with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.” Dehlin’s group warned that such actions threaten free expression.
“The LDS Church does not own the word ‘Mormon,’ and it should not be permitted to use intellectual‑property law to dictate how people discuss Mormon culture, history, doctrine, or lived experience,” he said. “This case raises broader questions that extend well beyond the Mormon Stories podcast.”
Observers note that the church often pursues secular litigation against former members while generally avoiding legal disputes with current adherents.
Dehlin, a former Brigham Young University graduate, was excommunicated in 2015 after he questioned “the nature of our Heavenly Father and the divinity of Jesus Christ,” labeled the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham as “fraudulent and works of fiction,” and denied that the church held “the true church with power and authority from God.”
He has contended that his advocacy for same‑sex marriage and women’s equality within the church also contributed to the decision. The church disputes that claim, though a 2017 leak of internal documents revealed that Dehlin was on a church‑prepared list of individuals and organizations deemed to be “leading people away from the gospel.”
Legal analysts suggest that suing Dehlin and his podcast may inadvertently amplify the very term the church wishes to diminish. In his counter‑claim, Dehlin argues that the word “Mormon” “belongs to the public—including the members of the over 400 different Mormon sects currently existing nationwide that trace their heritage back to the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith.”
He added, “No single church holds exclusive rights to terms like Christian, Catholic, Jewish, or Muslim. The LDS Church’s maneuver, therefore, raises serious First Amendment concerns that affect far more than just Mormon Stories. Hundreds of organizations, churches, businesses, websites, podcasts, blogs, and commentators use the word ‘Mormon’ descriptively.”
Efforts to move away from “Mormon” or “Mormonism” are not new. The moniker was always considered a colloquial label for a church originally called the Church of Christ and later the Church of Latter‑day Saints.
Similar rebranding pushes occurred in 1982, 2001, and 2011. In each instance, flagship identifiers such as the Book of Mormon and the Mormon Trail were retained. Nevertheless, the campaign appears to be gaining momentum, partly because the term is also used to describe splinter and fundamentalist groups that practice polygamy.
“It’s an ongoing challenge for the church,” Mason noted. “There are so many streaming shows—whether on Netflix, Hulu, or other platforms—that focus on fundamentalist Mormons. The institution wants to differentiate itself from those groups, which are also referred to as Mormon.”
He concluded, “It’s a delicate balancing act, especially when popular media tend to highlight the sensational and controversial aspects of Mormonism. The church aims to define its own narrative, and using its full, official name is one way to accomplish that.”
