Mormon fundamentalism

Mormon fundamentalism is an umbrella term for distinct Latter-day Saint groups and communities that seek to preserve teachings or practices they believe the main LDS church later changed or discontinued.

Most modern forms developed in the twentieth century after the largest LDS church publicly ended new plural marriages and subsequently disciplined continued practice. The umbrella includes separate, sometimes unrelated, groups and independent believers.

Commonly associated themes can include continuing plural marriage, particular priesthood authority claims, older temple or communal teachings, and criticism of the mainstream LDS church; no one doctrine, leadership line, or lifestyle describes every group.

Worship and community practice range widely, from formal congregational services to tightly bounded local communities. Claims about a particular group must not be generalised to all fundamentalists.

There is no single worldwide Mormon fundamentalist denomination. Individual churches and associations have separate leadership, membership rules, and legal histories.