In 1 Nephi 14:12 we find that Nephi "beheld that the church of the Lamb . . . were the saints of God." One might wonder just what constitutes a "saint." According to the LDS Bible Dictionary, the word saint is a translation of a Greek word also rendered "holy," the fundamental idea being that of consecration or separation for a sacred purpose. [Or in other words, "saints" are people who have been separated from the world by covenant to be God's holy servants.] We find in the New Testament that the saints are all those who by baptism have entered into the Christian covenant (see Acts 9:13,32,41; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; 1 Peter 1:14-15).
Tradition has somewhat warped the meaning of the word "saint" down through time. Bible scholars have incorrectly reasoned that since what was set apart for God must be without blemish, then a "saint" must be "free from blemish," whether physical or moral. [LDS Bible Dictionary, pp. 767-768]
According to Bruce R. McConkie, the term "saints" is one of the most frequently used designations of the Lord's people. Saints are named nearly 40 times in the Old Testament, over 60 times in the New Testament, about 30 times in the Book of Mormon, and over 70 times in the Doctrine and Covenants. [Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 667]