The unorthodox Mormon: An oxymoron

As a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, Jon Huntsman has been called a slightly unorthodox Mormon. Commentators debate whether religion is an insurmountable barrier to the office of president. I am surprised that religion is still a relevant part of the political discussion and that commentators seek to classify Mormons as orthodox or unorthodox. The diversity of the Mormon population suggests that there is no such thing as an orthodox Mormon. The terms "orthodox" and "Mormon" simply do not work together. Instead, the label is an example of a twenty-first-century stereotype.

For starters, the definition of Mormon is not clear. It may refer to anyone who believes that The Book of Mormon is scripture. That group of people is very diverse and covers multiple religions (i.e., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church), the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Community of Christ). A person would be hard pressed to formulate an orthodox definition of Mormon based upon that group of people.

Share
Stay in the loop!
Enter your email to receive updates on our LDS Living content