Interesting comments on the question about being an "Independent Mormon." The original question on Reddit was:
FLAIR!
5y
Independent Mormon
Hi Are there anyone here that practice being a Mormon on their own? As in not going to to church because they disagree with church policies or current teachings but still want to practice the faith on their own.
I found these responses interesting:
angryflipflop
5y
I think there are a significant number of independent Mormons out there. I know many. I like to call myself a free-range Mormon or one that doesn't like to confine my beliefs or actions to a particular set of traditions. I'm not one for fences. I believe in the Book of Mormon and the restoration. I strive to understand the difference between God's will and the philosophies of men. I still have a lot in common with traditional Mormons. My focus I guess is more on my personal relationship with my Lord and less on the cultural aspects of traditional church participation.
… GOB_Farnsworth
5y
There are Jews who don't see the necessity of keeping all the laws of the Torah.
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An ancient tortoise appears
5y
Not really the same though, as Jews in general don't claim modern revelation through their prophets. It's easier to reject something that's old and still feel like you're part of a community than it is to reject what's current and try to bridge that gap.
GOB_Farnsworth
5y
... the LDS church specifically is definitely very centralized with a focus on authority, but there is no defined orthodoxy. No Mormon creeds exist beside the funny one coined by Brigham Young ("Mind your business").
Given the diversity of views and teachings of LDS leaders over the years (and even within the current quorum), it's impossible to be anything other than a cafeteria Mormon. That has always been true. There is no set internally consistent theory of what "official doctrine" means in Mormonism. It always depends on who you ask.
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5y
Lindsay Hansen Park uses this label to describe herself. I've heard others use "non-denominational Mormon" to mean the same thing. To me, this is the opposite of a New Order or Cultural Mormon and not quite a Jack Mormon. Some definitions may help:
I define a "Jack Mormon" as someone who believes but doesn't keep the commandments. I usually assume someone who identifies as a JackMo drinks, smokes, and has sex outside of marriage.
I define an Independent Mormon as someone who believes and keeps all or most of the commandments, but doesn't attend either due to an abusive situation in their ward that goes beyond merely being offended or they believe in the founding precepts of Mormonism (BoM is word of God, Joseph Smith is a prophet) but believe the current leadership are out of harmony with the gospel in some way and don't believe other Mormon denominations (CoC, Snufferites, plygs, Strangites, Hendrickites, etc) are any closer.
Cultural or New Order Mormons (NOMs) attend and keep the commandments but don't believe in much or any of it. Instead, they either find value in the culture or (more commonly) attend to placate a TBM spouse or other family members.
I would probably identify my wife and father as independent Mormons. They both believe and keep nearly all of the commandments (garments, WoW, etc), but don't attend because of the church's stance on LGBT issues (my father) or don't want to go by themselves and deal with the ensuing pity party (my wife).
(Source)
