The official name of the church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is a mouthful. "Mormon," of course, is a nickname from the church's original work of scripture. However, a lot can be gleaned from looking at the church's official title. Mormons call themselves "The Church of Jesus Christ" because they believe that Jesus did in fact organize a church while he was on the earth, an institution with a priesthood and sacraments. Mormons call themselves "Latter-day Saints" to distinguish themselves from previous iterations of that church. As he believed there was too long to wait before Jesus's second coming, "Latter-day" seemed to Joseph Smith an appropriate distinction.
The term "saint" derives from the New Testament; Paul uses it to describe any believer.
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