So there is a group out there that considers themselves "Mormons." Do they believe Joseph Smith was a prophet? Maybe some of them. Do they attend church at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Maybe some of them...but mostly not (I think). Do they follow the modern prophet/leader (Thomas S Monson)? Maybe some of them...but probably mostly not. Do they agree with and/or strive to follow the LDS Church teachings? Mostly not.
So why do they consider themselves Mormons? Maybe the better question is why do they want to consider themselves Mormons? First let me explain, I am all for "making the umbrella as big as possible" (borrowed phrase from Emilie Wheeler), because I want people to feel welcome in the Church. After all the church is for sinners and I think we should be loving and beckon all to "Come unto Christ." However, if people willfully disobey and disregard what the Church says...hmmm. But I guess the big question is: Who gets to decide the definition of Mormon? Once upon a time I was going to be Religious Studies minor at USU (I bailed on it though...too many papers to write) but I took a class called "History of Mormonism." In that class we talked a lot about this. I never really felt like I had a good answer to the above question (who gets to decide the definition of Mormon?). I mean, who gets to decide the definition of anything? And now with things like UrbanDictionary.com it seems like our entire vocabulary will become jaded and meaningless.
So anyway, I got thinking about this point the other day. I thought it was ironic that I would try to close the "Mormon definition door" on a group of people, while at the same time I wanted the "Christian definition door" opened to me. Latter-day Saints definitely consider themselves Christians, but the opposite is not true. Who controls the definition of Christians? Is it the majority of the people who claim the definition? Do they get to decide? When I get plumb stuck like this it ultimately turns to this question: Why does it matter? My answer in this situation: I don't know.
I now understand why my dad gets frustrated when people try to use a word incorrectly and/or adapt its meaning, because it is frustrated when words are always evolving. Definitions have to have boundaries to retain meaning. For example go look up the difference between the definition of sarcastic and facetious. Do you use these words correctly?
So again, if someone doesn't go to the LDS church, doesn't try to follow its teachings, doesn't believe Joseph Smith was a prophet...are they "Mormon"? And equally, if someone doesn't believe Christ is part of the trinity, doesn't believe they are save by grace only...are they "Christian"? Lastly, will Mormons soon be considered Catholics and vice versa? If definitions don't quit evolving like they do everyone will be everything. (Okay, I am being a little dramatic.)