That might be behaviourly true of most Mormons today. If Mormons take the Book of Mormon as historically serious, however, they would realize that even their version of Jesus Christ invited, accepted and encouraged DIRECT prayer to Him!
Of course LDS just tend to ignore many 3 Nephi passages, including one section where the Nephite disciples pray directly and incessantly to Jesus (not just "in Jesus' name" directed at the Father):
“And behold, they began to pray; and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and God…when Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him…And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him…And Jesus said unto them: Pray on; nevertheless they did not cease to pray.” (3 Nephi 19:18, 24-26)
Stephen, in the book of Acts (Acts 7 -- at the end of the chapter), also prayed directly to Jesus!
Tell us, 47 Samurai. How long have such a disobedient disciple? -- failing to emulate both Stephen & book of mormon characters?
The post you snipped about the ancient Nephites praying to Jesus is incomplete without the rest of the passage. But I suspect you knew that. Here's verses 19-23 that you snipped out.
3rd Nephi 18:
19 And it came to pass that Jesus departed out of the midst of them, and went a little way off from them and bowed himself to the earth, and he said:
20 Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen; and it is because of their belief in me that I have chosen them out of the world.
21 Father, I pray thee that thou wilt give the Holy Ghost unto all them that shall believe in their words.
22 Father, thou hast given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me; and thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them, and they pray unto me; and they pray unto me because I am with them.
23 And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one.
http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/19?lang=eng
Carry on. I won't debate here, but please don't snip the relevant verses.