Editing Mormon (word) (section)

==Popular usage==
Several schisms in the [[Latter Day Saint movement]] have resulted in [[List of denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement|dozens of denominations]], each with their own preferred terminology. Today, the term ''Mormon'' is often used to refer to members of the largest denomination, the LDS Church, which rejects "Mormon" as a reference term as of 2018. The second-largest sect, the [[Community of Christ]], also rejects the term "Mormon" due to its association with the practice of polygamy among [[List of denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement#Apostolic succession by Brigham Young|Brighamite sects]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shields |first=Steven L. |date=2014 |title=The Early Community of Christ Mission to 'Redeem' the Church in Utah |journal=Journal of Mormon History |volume=40 |issue=4 |pages=158–170 |doi=10.5406/jmormhist.40.4.158 |s2cid=246562695 |jstor=|doi-access=free }}</ref> Smaller sects often adopted the term, including adherents of [[Mormon fundamentalism]].  Due to the size and influence of the LDS Church, it tends to dominate discussions of how ''Mormon'' is used.

The term ''Mormon'' is frequently embraced by adherents of Mormon fundamentalism, who continue to believe in and practice [[plural marriage]],<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last=Driggs |first=Ken |date=Winter 2001 |title='This Will Someday Be the Head and Not the Tail of the Church': A History of the Mormon Fundamentalists at Short Creek |url=https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=3d65e722-b2c8-4a57-95fd-631c37c1d281@redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ==#AN=4260961&db=31h |journal=Journal of Church & State |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=49, 51 |doi=10.1093/jcs/43.1.49 |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-date=2023-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319161938/https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=3d65e722-b2c8-4a57-95fd-631c37c1d281@redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ==#AN=4260961&db=31h |url-status=dead }}</ref><!--

FOOTNOTE--><ref name=":2">The term ''Mormon fundamentalist'' appears to have been coined in the 1940s by LDS Church [[Apostle (LDS Church)|Apostle]] [[Mark E. Petersen]]: Ken Driggs, "'This Will Someday Be the Head and Not the Tail of the Church': A History of the Mormon Fundamentalists at Short Creek", ''Journal of Church and State'' '''43''':49 (2001) at p. 51.</ref><!--

--> and consider themselves to be the true successors of the LDS church or hide among the membership of the LDS church. Seeking to distance itself from [[polygamy]] and Mormon fundamentalism, prior to August 2018 the Church of Jesus Christ had taken the position that the term ''Mormon'' should only apply to itself and its members, and not other adherents who have adopted the term.<ref name=":4">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070222163531/http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=e17c39628b88f010VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&vgnextchannel=f5f411154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD Mormons and Polygamy], LDS News Room.</ref> It cited a now-obsolete ''[[AP Stylebook]]'' which stated, "The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other Latter Day Saint churches that resulted from the split after [Joseph] Smith's death."<ref name=":5">"Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The," Associated Press, ''The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law'', 2002, {{ISBN|0-7382-0740-3}}, p.48</ref>

Despite the LDS Church requesting since August 2018 that all press and publications no longer refer to it as the Mormon Church or adherents as Mormons, the term is still in considerable use by journalists and non-journalists to refer to adherents of church and Mormon fundamentalists alike for brevity and due to their shared history of polygamy.