Mormon sects and their relation to one another

[Buddha Dharma]

Another thread kind of got me wondering about the sects in Mormonism like the LDS, FLDS, Strangites, and so on. I wonder how these sects interact with one another? In particular, I wonder how the largest Mormon denomination the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints approaches other Mormon sects? Do they dialogue with them? Talk about shared values as Mormons? Reach out to them in some way?

Same question for the other sects if anyone happens to know.

 

[Katzpur]

Another thread kind of got me wondering about the sects in Mormonism like the LDS, FLDS, Strangites, and so on. I wonder how these sects interact with one another? In particular, I wonder how the largest Mormon denomination the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints approaches other Mormon sects? Do they dialogue with them? Talk about shared values as Mormons? Reach out to them in some way?

Basically, the answer to this question is that we acknowledge our shared history and origins, but do not in any way consider them to be part of us. It's not like with Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews. To the best of my knowledge, they all consider one another to be "equally Jewish," for lack of a better way of putting it. The only one of these "Mormon sects" that would be considered relatively "mainstream" by most people is the "Community of Christ," formerly known as the "Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." It's the largest of all the groups that have broken off from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its members now number somewhere around 250,000, while we have just under 16 million members. We do try to maintain good relations with the Community of Christ, I think primarily because it's to the advantage of both us and them that we do. We share more history and each of us owns assets the other also has a historical interest in.

We honestly would probably just prefer that the "Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" (FLDS) and other polygamous groups not be associated with us at all, and we bristle when they are referred to as "Mormons." I'm probably different from most Mormons in that I don't challenge their right to call themselves "Mormons," if that is, in fact, what they call themselves. I say this because I try very hard to not have a double-standard. A lot of Christians say that Mormons (i.e. LDS) aren't Christians and don't have the right to call themselves Christians. I figure that if we are going to insist that we can call ourselves by that label if that's what we believe ourselves to be, it's hardly fair of us to deny the FLDS the right to call themselves "Mormons" if that's what they believe themselves to be. The FLDS are the largest of the polygamous offshoots of the LDS Church and we are every bit as opposed to their practices of child-marriage, etc. as anybody else is. We hate it when people imply that we're all just one big group and that some of "us" practice polygamy while others don't. There are other smaller polygamous sects, but I don't know a great deal about them.

Does this help? Or at least get us started?

 

[Buddha Dharma]

Does this help? Or at least get us started?

Oh yes, thank you!

I will probably have more questions at a later time.

 

[Prestor John]

Basically, the answer to this question is that we acknowledge our shared history and origins, but do not in any way consider them to be part of us. It's not like with Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews. To the best of my knowledge, they all consider one another to be "equally Jewish," for lack of a better way of putting it. The only one of these "Mormon sects" that would be considered relatively "mainstream" by most people is the "Community of Christ," formerly known as the "Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." It's the largest of all the groups that have broken off from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its members now number somewhere around 250,000, while we have just under 16 million members. We do try to maintain good relations with the Community of Christ, I think primarily because it's to the advantage of both us and them that we do. We share more history and each of us owns assets the other also has a historical interest in.

We honestly would probably just prefer that the "Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" (FLDS) and other polygamous groups not be associated with us at all, and we bristle when they are referred to as "Mormons." I'm probably different from most Mormons in that I don't challenge their right to call themselves "Mormons," if that is, in fact, what they call themselves. I say this because I try very hard to not have a double-standard. A lot of Christians say that Mormons (i.e. LDS) aren't Christians and don't have the right to call themselves Christians. I figure that if we are going to insist that we can call ourselves by that label if that's what we believe ourselves to be, it's hardly fair of us to deny the FLDS the right to call themselves "Mormons" if that's what they believe themselves to be. The FLDS are the largest of the polygamous offshoots of the LDS Church and we are every bit as opposed to their practices of child-marriage, etc. as anybody else is. We hate it when people imply that we're all just one big group and that some of "us" practice polygamy while others don't. There are other smaller polygamous sects, but I don't know a great deal about them.

Does this help? Or at least get us started?

We also prefer to be called Latter-Day Saints anyways, so who cares if they want to refer to themselves as "Mormon."

 

[Katzpur]

We also prefer to be called Latter-Day Saints anyways, so who cares if they want to refer to themselves as "Mormon."

That's right, we prefer to be called Latter-day Saints, but we also have that big PR campaign, "I'm a Mormon," so it's understandable why people refer to us as "Mormons." It just gets confusing when they include the LDS, the FLDS and any group that may have broken off from us under the label, "Mormon." Still, as I said in my last post, if we're going to insist on being called "Christians" when some people think we're not, I guess we have to allow the "Mormon" splinter groups the same courtesy. It bugs me, though, when people talk about "Mormons" who practice polygamy today. I always point out the distinction, just to set the record straight.

 

[Prestor John]

That's right, we prefer to be called Latter-day Saints, but we also have that big PR campaign, "I'm a Mormon," so it's understandable why people refer to us as "Mormons." It just gets confusing when they include the LDS, the FLDS and any group that may have broken off from us under the label, "Mormon." Still, as I said in my last post, if we're going to insist on being called "Christians" when some people think we're not, I guess we have to allow the "Mormon" splinter groups the same courtesy. It bugs me, though, when people talk about "Mormons" who practice polygamy today. I always point out the distinction, just to set the record straight.

Yeah, me too.

I just personally don't like being called "a Mormon."

That would be like calling a Christian "a Peter" or "a Paul."

 

[Subduction Zone]

Yeah, me too.

I just personally don't like being called "a Mormon."

That would be like calling a Christian "a Peter" or "a Paul."

Well, perhaps not a "Paul", there are 1st and 2nd Peter, just as there is a book of Mormon. There is no "Book of Paul". Perhaps a Markite or Lukite. At any rate some people call many of the main branches of Christianity "Paulism" since they feel that they do not follow the core teachings of Jesus, but rather the interpretations of Paul:

Pauline Christianity - Wikipedia

"Mormon" probably began as a bit of an insult to the LDS so I can understand how it might make a follower of that faith bristle a bit.

 

[Katzpur]

"Mormon" probably began as a bit of an insult to the LDS so I can understand how it might make a follower of that faith bristle a bit.

That is how it started, but honestly, it doesn't bother me as much as it does some people. I refer to myself as LDS when I am speaking to people who know what that stands for. But if they have no idea (one educator I talked to once thought it stood for "learning disabled student"), I'll call myself a Mormon. It's definitely not hard to know when it's being used as an insulting term, and I have no problem with it when it's not. (I do have a problem with some jerks who inadvertently leave out the middle-m, and think they're so freaking clever. )

 

[Jane.Doe]

Another thread kind of got me wondering about the sects in Mormonism like the LDS, FLDS, Strangites, and so on. I wonder how these sects interact with one another? In particular, I wonder how the largest Mormon denomination the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints approaches other Mormon sects? Do they dialogue with them? Talk about shared values as Mormons? Reach out to them in some way?

Same question for the other sects if anyone happens to know.

There are roughly 16.2 million people in this world that believe Joseph Smith was a prophet. Of those 16.2, something like 15.7 belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and nicknamed the "Mormon Church" and it's people "Mormons". We typically go with "LDS". We acknowledge (and celebrate) other people's relationship with Jesus Christ, but ultimately believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to be Christ's 1 True Church on this Earth, ran personally by Him.

Other churches are-- again, we celebrate those people's relationship with Christ, but believe doctrines are to some degree in error and them lacking Christ's authority. Other churches include all the groups which have left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. LDS don't regard these people as "Mormon denomination" or any degree of same-differencing beliefs-- rather beliefs and authority are super super important. If a person belongs to any non-LDS church (including the breakaways), from the LDS perspective this person much be taught the fullness of Christ's gospel and be baptized.

Now does that mean the LDS church flat out ignores these other churches? No, of course not. We're going to acknowledge their existence right along with the Catholics, Baptists, Hindus, Muslims, Baha'i, etc.

 

[Watchmen]

There are roughly 16.2 million people in this world that believe Joseph Smith was a prophet.

I know it wasn’t the point of your post, but I feel the need to mention that the numbers you cite are grossly inflated. The 16 million includes inactive and non-believes, as well as many deceased. I believe it even includes those who have been excommunicated or have had their names removed from the records of the church. In short, there are many people among the 16 million who do not believe Joseph Smith was a prophet.

 

[Taffy]

Fundamentalist Mormons would say they are the only True Mormons, since they adhere to the Original Doctrine. (Not all branches say that, but some do).

 

[Katzpur]

Fundamentalist Mormons would say they are the only True Mormons, since they adhere to the Original Doctrine. (Not all branches say that, but some do).

Some would, but their logic would be skewed. One of the main points of LDS doctrine is summarized in the Articles of Faith: "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. " So, from the very beginning, "original doctrine" was that God continues to direct the Church through living prophets and will, from time to time, reveal to them things that were not originally taught and practiced by the members of the church in earlier days. Adhering to "Original Doctrine" means to recognize that one particular practice may, at some future time, by overridden or supplanted by another.