Polygamists who call themselves "fundamentalist Mormons

[officer2002]

Following the living prophet is a fundamental belief of Mormonism. From day one we had a living prophet.
Polygamy is not a fundamental belief. Polygamy was not practiced until more than ten years after our founding.
Polygamists are not fundamentalist Mormons. Would you be disturbed if I call myself a fundamentalist fundamentalist Mormon.

[dianaiad]

Following the living prophet is a fundamental belief of Mormonism. From day one we had a living prophet.
Polygamy is not a fundamental belief. Polygamy was not practiced until more than ten years after our founding.
Polygamists are not fundamentalist Mormons. Would you be disturbed if I call myself a fundamentalist fundamentalist Mormon.

No, officer, they are not 'fundamentalist Mormons." they are simply Mormons...with very offbeat (even for Mormons) ideas.

I understand your frustration; We LDS types really don't LIKE that polygamists call themselves Mormons. After all, the world still thinks that the 'mainstream' Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints practices polygamy, and we all, the mainstreamers, wish that the polygamists would change their names and quietly go away.

The problem is...as long as they believe in the Book of Mormon, then they are 'Mormons,' They aren't LDS, but they are Mormons. Darn it.

Here's the problem with kicking against THAT particular prick....if we deny them the name 'Mormon,' because they don't believe all the same things we do, or because they are polygamists and we aren't, how can we justify claiming to be "Christian," when so many Christians claim that we are not, because we don't believe the same things about Christ that they do? Talk about being between a wolf pack and a cliff edge!

Moreover, the word 'fundamentalist' has come to have an unfortunate connotation: 'extremist' or 'weird.' This seems to hold true for Christians in general, doesn't it? That is, the first thought in one's head when one thinks of a Christian fundamentalist is that 24/7 literal biblical creationist bible thumper who hunts witches, pretty much, isn't it?

In other words, 'fundamentalist' is not, generally, a positive term.

So...I say, since we can't prohibit the polygamists from using 'Mormon,' (and we can't, not and be consistent) then let's let 'em use 'fundamentalist.' They're happy, everybody knows that they 'ain't us,' and it all works.

And don't worry so much about the original, positive, meaning of the word 'fundamentalist.' Given that it is the fundamentalist Christians who are the biggest anti-Mormons, and the fundamentalist (extremist) Muslims who do all the bombings, perhaps we should allow this word to change a bit, and keep the negative connotations it seems to have acquired.

Just a thought.