Why is it OK for the LDS to call themselves "Christian" and not ok for the FLDS to call themselves "Mormon"?

When we get into these name issues, I am always reminded of the dialogue between Alice and the White Knight in "Through the Looking Glass."

"You are sad," the Knight said in an anxious tone: "Let me sing you a song to comfort you."
 
"Is it very long?" Alice asked, for she had heard a good deal of poetry that day.

"It's long," said the Knight, "But it's very, very beautiful. Everybody that hears me sing it -- either it brings the tears into their eyes, or else --"

"Or else what?" said Alice, for the Knight had made a sudden pause.

"Or else it doesn't, you know. The name of the song is called 'Haddocks' Eyes'."

"Oh, that's the name of the song, is it?" Alice said, trying to feel interested.

"No, you don't understand," the Knight said, looking a little vexed. "That's what the name is called. The name really is 'The Aged Aged Man'."

"Then I ought to have said 'That's what the song is called'?" Alice corrected herself.

"No, you oughtn't: that's quite another thing! The song is called 'Ways and Means': but that's only what it's called, you know!"

"Well, what is the song, then?" said Alice, who was by this time completely bewildered.

"I was coming to that," the Knight said. "The song really is 'A-sitting On a Gate': and the tune's my own invention."

What is the difference between the name "Mormon" and the name "Christian"?

Well, for one thing "Mormon" is a registered trademark in many countries and belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To protect that trademark, the church is required to actively discourage its use elsewhere.  This is similar to using the term "Scotch tape" to refer to any brand of cellophane tape or Xerox to refer to copying something.  Those companies have to actively discourage such use of their name or they may lose the right to protect their name.

"Christian" however is a broad category of religious belief and embraces many differing faiths and creeds.  It is a widely accepted term to indicate a believer in the teachings of Jesus Christ. The term embraces all Catholic, Protestant, Reformist, and yes, even restorationist sects like the LDS Church.  That there are other restorationist sects that claim Joseph Smith Jr. is not in doubt; but if they are not members of the LDS Church, then they are not officially "Mormon", but they are Christian.

Now, does this stop people from calling people from these other sects "Mormon"? Of course not. No more than it stops people from calling any gelatin based dessert, Jell-o.  But that doesn't make it correct, and the church is required by law to act to protect its trademark or lose it.

During the recent news events surrounding the Texas roundup of FLDS children, my wife received an e-mail from a cousin in another country, berating us for being "Mormon" because she lumped our church together with the FLDS.  After explaining the difference, she apologized and explained that the news she read didn't distinguish the two sects. This is the kind of misunderstanding the church wants to avoid by maintaining the consistency of the term "Mormon". It is not meant to be pejorative.

On the other hand, attempts by some evangelical groups to deny us the term "Christian" is meant to be pejorative. They wish to deny us membership in the broader Christian community. They have no claim upon the term to limit its use, and, the use of the term to refer to LDS does not create any confusion.  
 
They do have proper labels that distinguish them from other Christians. Whether those labels are broad like Protestant or Evangelical, or more narrow like Baptist, Methodist, or Presbyterian, such labels allow them to identify themselves more narrowly.
 
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints belongs under the broad umbrella of Christianity because we do believe in Jesus Christ, we do preach Him crucified and resurrected, we do have faith in His Atonement, we do love Him for His grace and mercy, and we do trust in His eventual return.
By Edwin Slack for FAIR