A new logo design focusing on the name of the Savior has been announced by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve.

"The logo re-emphasizes the official name of the Church and the central position of the Savior in its theology," said Bruce L. Olsen, managing director of public affairs for the Church. "It stresses our allegiance to the Lord, Jesus Christ."The three-line design reflects the prominence of the Savior in both proportional sizing and position within the name of the Church," he said. "It not only strengthens the Church's visual identity, but divides the logo into distinct elements which make it easier to read and to identify in the electronic media."

The official name of the Church was divinely revealed to Joseph Smith in 1838. However, the news media, the public and even members of the Church have for many years referred to the Church as "the Mormon Church" and its members as "Mormons," after the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Other forms sometimes used include "The Church of the Latter-day Saints."

"There are millions of people who never associate the official name of the Church with the name `Mormon,"' Brother Olsen said. "Hopefully, we will correct misunderstanding and confusion with this new graphic representation that focuses on the name of Him whose Church it is.

"We encourage the news media to use the official name of the Church in the first reference in news stories," he said, adding that "the Church prefers that `Latter-day Saints' be used in second references in stories."