Of all the changes introduced during the prophetic ministry of Russell M. Nelson, one of the most consequential may be the determined and consisted rejection of the Mormon ethnonym. That decision was a turning point that enabled some future paths and closed off others, just as ending polygamy opened a path into the American mainstream and foreclosed an alternate path of Amish-like rejection of modernity.

So let me just say that I think we would have made a pretty great tribe. Much like modern Judaism, we could have formed a diverse but distinct people with a set of devout religious believers at its core, some fundamentalist sects and heterodox offshoots, various reformed associations, and a large gathering of secularized Mormons who would celebrate their cultural ties on Pioneer Day, maybe make an effort to attend services occasionally and have their children blessed and baptized, but mostly valued their tribal allegiance more than adherence to any religious tenets. We could have had much the same pageants, museums, and historical sites to commemorate our victories and losses from the time of our emergence as a distinct patch on the American ethnic quilt. Only the devout core would have needed to take the Word of Wisdom and all the rest of the quaint lifestyle guidelines so seriously, but everyone could still cheer for the BYU football team and look back proudly on their ancestors’ accomplishments in withstanding hardship as they valiantly settled the American West.

My enthusiasm is genuine. Of course I would have been one of those dreary devout Mormons who was resolutely determined to be holier than thou, but a Mormon tribe would have created natural ways for people to retain ties to their community without the burden of religious belief and practice. If attending services weekly is a drag, just come for Easter and Christmas and the Primary program, and be sure to catch the prophet’s address at General Conference, and you’re good for another year. I like Mormons, and I like the name Mormon as an easy descriptor for the wonderfully earnest lifestyle we invented and the tidy green communities our ancestors built in the desert.

But Russell M. Nelson said, in effect: No, not that. As the Mormon tribe, you cannot accomplish the work the Lord set in motion through Joseph Smith. It is time to be the restored Church of Jesus Christ, and not something else, however attractive it may be.

I was surprised by how quickly and thoroughly the Church dropped the use of “Mormon” in most contexts. I think “Mormon” still has its uses as a cultural referent; as Ardis said, we don’t need to invoke the name of the Savior every time we discuss jello recipes. On the other hand, “Mormon Church” really does sound offensive now and should be banished from publishing style guides.

In any case, it’s a done deal. We’re not going back, any more than we are going to unflood the Earth with the Book of Mormon or undot the globe with temples. We’re not going to be the Mormon tribe, at least not any time this century, so it’s time to get down to the serious business of being the restored Church of Jesus Christ.