Everyone here knows Warren Jeffs is Mormon, but is NOT LDS, right?

Question

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=An1b.Lh9P5B6VKr89uo_mUTsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070925192048AAu9dcv&show=7#profile-info-kqBiuvkxaa

There seems to be some confusion within the Woodruffite (LDS Church) faction of Mormonism that the term "Mormon" only applies to them. Many people within this faction advocate the misconception that members of the FLDS, RLDS/CoC, TLC, Remnant, Temple Lot, Strangite, and Bickertonite Mormon Churches aren't actually Mormons.

Southern Baptists aren't the only Baptists. United Methodists aren't the only Methodists. Roman Catholics aren't the only Catholics. Likewise, LDS Mormons aren't the only Mormons.

Mormonism as a denomination is very broad and encompasses all churches that view Joseph Smith as a prophet of God and the Book of Mormon as an authoritative volume of scripture.

Thus, Warren Jeffs, as FLDS president, is NOT a member of the LDS Church, but he IS indeed a Mormon.

Why do you think some LDS claim exclusive ownership of the term "Mormon"?

Loulou: Jeffs actually DOES claim to be a Mormon. The FLDS Church calls itself the "true Mormon Church."

Bart: SWEET!

I'm TOTALLY going to copyright the terms Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish... that way, nobody else will be able to say they adhere to these denominations!

Answer 1

"Southern Baptists aren't the only Baptists. United Methodists aren't the only Methodists. Roman Catholics aren't the only Catholics. Likewise, LDS Mormons aren't the only Mormons."

There is one thing you are overlooking however: All these churches haven't copyrighted their "generic" term of religion. Examples:

Roman Catholics aren't the only Catholics. This is true, because they have the term "Roman Catholic" copyrighted.

It is true that there are many other branches of "Mormonism" so to speak (notice the ism) and the only tennet that all these bodies seem to share is the belief in Joseph Smith Jr. as a prophet and the Book of Mormon as scripture. The difference is that there are no adjectives currently used to differentiate different "Mormon" groups. We don't have "Orthodox Mormons" or "Utah Mormons" as actual copyrighted titles for organizations.

The term "Mormon" however IS copyrighted, and the Intellectual Reserve holds the rights to it. The Intellectual Reserve is the company OWNED BY THE LDS CHURCH that sustains all their copyrights (including ensign publications, seminary, institute, and MTC material, church art work, church-publisized scripture, etc). This means that for all legal intensive purposes, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Woodruffites as you coined them) are the only ones with the right to be called Mormons.

Now this only makes sense. If some renegade group were to sever itself from the Southern Baptist Convention and claimed that they were the true "Southern Baptists", they would still have to come up with a different name to distinguish themselves because a copyright had already been established.

Also to correct you: The only groups who even WISH to be reffered to as Mormon are "Brighamites" (hence any body that broke away from the LDS church AFTER the exodus to Utah). This means that groups who never even went with Pres. Young to Utah (Strangites, RLDS, Temple Lot, Bickertonite, Remnant). This leaves only the LDS (SLC based church), TLC, and FLDS as the only three desiring to be called "Mormon".

Answer 2

Mormon was a character in the Book of Mormon, actually a guy who was a general or some kind of military leader and he had condensed and rewritten a lot of the collection of histories that the B of M were taken from. So then during the early days of Smith organizing his new church people just started calling them Mormons. It was never an official designation.
It's like the word Yankee, which came from the way the Huron and Mohawk tribes pronounced the word English: Yingeeze.
Many other words we take for granted today have had similar origins.
An interesting one is the Native Americans, that got called "indians" because Colombus thought he had discovered India. But each tribe name simply meant "the People" or the "Human Beings"
Then we were told to call them Native Americans, which the people didn't end up liking either so now they have embraced the word Indian, even though it's totally inaccurate.
Now for all time they will be Indians, and of course LDS folk will be Mormons. I live in Salt Lake City and no one here has anything good to say about Jeffs. No "Mormon" I know will claim him.

Answer 3

Actually, the LDS church's official stance is that the term Mormon may only be properly applied to its members and isn't an accurate The LDS Church believes that "Mormon" may only properly be applied to its members and the Associated Press Agrees with this definition of the term. So no, he's not a Mormon. Warren Jeff is to the LDS church as the Taliban is to mainstream muslims or the KKK is to southern christian churches, but Warren Jeffs is even more set apart from the LDS church because he's not a member of that church. At all.

Answer 4

I for one was aware of that, and unlike stacyflower and hush puppie I understand the difference.

Stacys comment was just ignorant. I hate it when people don't REALLY know what they are talking about but THINK they do. Mormon is a term that non members used because they associated the church with the BoM. It has stuck and generally just means someone who follows the teachings of it. Most people think it encompases the LDS membership, but that isn't exactly correct.
Just to be clear - LDS, is the original church that Joseph Smith founded ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ). FLDS - is an offshoot, not affiliated with the LDS church, much like the Lutherens are to the Catholics ( Foundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ). RLDS - another offshoot, again NOT affiliated and not the same. ( Reorganised Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) The latter two practice doctrins such as polygamy that the LDS church has long abolished. Back when the LDS church did practice polygamy it had good reason to (won't go into that now ) , when it was no longer nessesary and in order to abide by the laws of the land, it was abolished.
So, you see Stacy, Mormon is NOT Mormon and Hush Puppie there IS a difference. Just because you don't understand something it doesn't make it wrong. I don't understand the "Born Again" people or the Jehovah Witnesses but I don't bash their beliefs. I personally think that is wrong and ignorant.
I hope I have cleared it up some. Best wishes.


I would like to expand on what KiaSister said..... alot of people don't consider Mormons or LDS people Christians - again an ignorant thing..... ANYONE who believes in Christ is a Christian. She said it best so I won't say it again. But, for those who say we aren't Christian ....what does the actual church name say???? The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints.... Who does that indicate we believe in? So..... therefore we ARE Christians....

Answer 5

I don't buy the rationale that Jeffs and his followers are Mormon. They are not. They are a splinter group from the main Church in Salt Lake and are not referred to as Mormons. If they were Mormons they all would have been ex-communicated for their practices and works.

They are simply people that hold on to an old ordinance of polygamy under the guise that Mormons once did. There is no such thing as a Fundamentalist Mormon. You're either a Fundamentalist or a Mormon--not both.

I know why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claim exclusive ownership of the term "Mormon." If you start to attend our meetings, the explanation will become clear.

Answer 6

I think this is a big part of the reason that the first presidency came out several years ago and advised us to stop calling ourselves Mormons. I used to think that the term Mormon only meant LDS- but after spending time on here I have found that becoming more like the term Christian. Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics, Baptists are Christians, but not all Christians are Baptists etc... I think this is why it is important for us to call ourselves LDS rather than Mormon like the Prophet has advised.

Anybody who reads the Book of Mormon and believes in Joseph Smith, considers themselves Mormon- But that does not make them LDS.

Answer 7

Well, we own the websites mormon.org and mormon.com (just forwards you to the org site)

Seriously though, I don't think anyone, person or organization, can own a nickname. That's all the term "Mormon" is. Granted the Associated Press has concluded that it will only use it when referring to the LDS Church and refer to the others using relationship words like spin-offs. But since when has the AP been the authority in anything?

Edit: Wow Bartolemeo. Thanks for that answer. I stand corrected.

Right under the Trademarks section
http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,120-1-46-1,00.html

Answer 8

This is the EXACT reason why those of us who are part of the original and continuing Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prefer to be called LDS and NOT Mormon. Mormon was originally a derrogatory nick name given to the early members because of the Book of Mormon. The one and only TRUE "faction" (your word, not mine) of "Mormonism" and we are based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Answer 9

I agree Warren Jeffs is a Mormon. he is following Joseph Smith who had 33 wives

Answer 10

Good point.

But..... the problem is , most people put us all in the same soup, and when such as FLDS did or do, we the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints would be blame for it.

So, if we do not defend the name "Mormon", who will?

For example, when Utah Senator Larry Craige news
came up, one question came up was, "was he a Mormon?"
Just because he is a "Utah" senator.