Recent events have focused the media spotlight on a polygamous sect near San Angelo, Texas, calling itself the “Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.” As you probably know, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has absolutely no affiliation with this polygamous sect. Decades ago, the founders of that sect rejected the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were excommunicated, and then started their own religion. To the best of our knowledge, no one at the Texas compound has ever been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Unfortunately, however, some of the media coverage of the recent events in Texas has caused members of the public to confuse the doctrines and members of that group and our church. We have received numerous inquiries from confused members of the public who, by listening to less than careful media reports, have come to a grave misunderstanding about our respective doctrines and faith. Based on these media reports many have erroneously concluded that there is some affiliation between the two – or even worse, that they are one and the same.
Over the years, in a careful effort to distinguish itself, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has gone to significant lengths to protect its rights in the name of the church and related matters. Specifically, we have obtained registrations for the name “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” “Mormon,” “Book of Mormon” and related trade and service marks from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and corresponding agencies in a significant number of foreign countries.
We are confident that you are committed to avoiding misleading statements that cause unwarranted confusion and that may disparage or infringe the intellectual property rights discussed above. Accordingly, we respectfully request the following:
- As reflected in the AP Style Guide, we ask that you and your organization refrain from referring to members of that polygamous sect as “fundamentalist Mormons” or “fundamentalist” members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- We ask that, when reporting about this Texas-based polygamous sect or any other polygamous group, you avoid either explicitly or implicitly any inference that these groups are affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- On those occasions when it may be necessary in your reporting to refer to the historical practice of plural marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that you make very clear that the Church does not condone the practice of polygamy and that it has been forbidden in the Church for over one hundred years. Moreover, we absolutely condemn arranged or forced “marriages” of underage girls to anyone under any circumstances.
Stated simply, we would like to be known and recognized for whom we are and what we believe, and not be inaccurately associated with beliefs and practices that we condemn in the strongest terms. We would be grateful if you could circulate or copy this letter to your editorial staff and to your legal counsel.
We thank you for your consideration of these important matters.
Sincerely,
Lance B. Wickman
General Counsel
(EDITOR: Here is some free, without prejudice, 'counsel to Lance B. Wickman and the Mormon Church:Don't issue threats to the entire media of the world, lest people mistake you as a clown and the organisation that you work for as an organisation made up of clowns.)
13 comments:
I don't see the implied threat?
I am shocked by the blogger/editor's postscript! I can see NO THREATS WHATSOEVER in the letter from the Mormon elders. The postscript could stir up controversy or even inter-religious hatred where there need be none! Shame!
Roger, I am a journalist and have been so for 30 years.
Believe me, I know a threat when I see one.
Going Global, this is the threatening part:
We would be grateful if you could circulate or copy this letter to your editorial staff and to your legal counsel.
It implies that if you publish an stories linking Mormons with the polygamous Fundamentalist Mormon sect in Texas the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) that you will need to inform your legal counsel.
Why add that? Because the threat is that they will sue you and your paper/broadcast station.
Ha. I think you're reading too much into the Church's statement. I think it's a good idea for lawyers to review the differences between the Church and the sect since it would be libel to report that they are one and the same. It'd be a disregard for the facts and misleading to the public. I know I don't want people confusing me, as a member of the Church, with the members of the FLDS! The Church has taken the responsibility, as it should, to protect it's members from potential false accusations arising out of ignorance or carelessness.
David. Thanks for your comment.
You can trust me on this point. Whenever someone says: "Pass this on to your lawyer" they mean it as a threat.
There are two things that link the LDS to the FLDS. They both believe that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were prophets of god and that god ordered polygamy to be practised.
Yes but the major difference between the Church and the sect is that polygamy was revoked in 1890 and the FLDS dissented and chose not to follow the new prophecies. So, no, we're not the same church because they left. They are not Mormons.
To tell you the truth, I'm surprised Salt Lake has not sued these anti-mormon Christian organizations several times by now. If these same "christain" organizations were going after jews or muslims they would have the ACLU, NAACP and ADL all over them. Mormons are easy targets, that's why people like to go after them so much. I have a feeling the days at taking free swipes at the LDS church will soon come to an end though. Prejudice against any faith or denomination doesn't go over to well with real Americans.
Who are you to say that it was falsely revoked?
He has every right to his view, David.
Play nicely.
I apologize. What I meant to say was how can johnlester say that what he wrote is "true information" when the Manifesto by Wilford Woodruff clearly revokes polygamy BY REVELATION? Meaning that the LDS are following the commandments and the FLDS are following an outdated prophecy that they refused to follow after the 1890 declaration forbidding plural marriages. One of the things that all Mormons must be obedient to is the Law of the Land. We are a Church that knows it must follow the laws and have adapted to the laws of this country. The FLDS refuse to follow the laws, refuse to follow the revelations post-1890, and refuse to follow the Church that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ themselves restored here. They ARE NOT Mormons. It is uneducated and unfounded comments and ideas such as johnlester's that keep the rumor mills and anti-Mormons in a frenzy. I believe everyone in this country would be more tolerant and accepting of the LDS Church if facts were presented and not ignorant views on something that one knows nothing about.
Thank you for your explanation, David.
Though as I have mentioned when I was a Mormon I was taught that Polygamy was suspended rather than revoked and that it would be re-introduced, eventually.
Matt, I agree with you to an extent. It may be re-instated, it may not. God can decide if and when He wants to change th rules. Several times in the Old Testament God made it clear that it was perfectly alright, and at other times He condemned anyone participating. I think it's sad that what a lot of people (like johnlester) don't fully understand about the Church is that we believe and follow modern day prophecy. Any revelations given to President Monson would outweigh any other previous revelations whether it be from Joseph Smith, the Bible, or the BoM. It doesn't mean that Joseph Smith wasn't a prophet, but it means that God may change the commandments we must follow at any time.
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