Molly Mormon (sometimes abbreviated MoMo) is a term for a popular stereotype of a female member of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church). A Molly Mormon is thought to be the "perfect Mormon woman"—an attractive and chaste woman whose life revolves around the family and marriage and the social demands of
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religious tradition and theology of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to various aspects of t ...
, such as bearing multiple children, and who embodies the cheery, chipper, and domesticated female in
Latter-day Saint culture. Typically, a Molly Mormon would not dissent against her husband or the priesthood and supports Mormon social and political views unconditionally. Peter Priesthood is the male version of the same term, though used somewhat less frequently.
[William Shunn,]
Mormonspeak
Many "Molly Mormons" are stereotyped as being consumed by their life within the church, and as gullible and out-of-touch with the reality outside it.
These terms are occasionally used in a disparaging way by members of the LDS church to refer to other Mormons who display or promote an ultra-conservative interpretation of their understanding of the church's teachings. An example of a person that may be labeled this way is one who abstains from drinking caffeinated
cola
Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imita ...
drinks (based on a conservative interpretation of an ambiguity in the
Word of Wisdom
The "Word of Wisdom" is the common name of an 1833 section of the Doctrine and Covenants, a book considered by many churches within the Latter Day Saint movement to be a sacred text. The section defines beliefs regarding certain drugs, nutritious ...
), will not watch television on Sunday, tells on her 15-year-old friend for dating before age 16, and who insists that others do so as well, perhaps claiming to be "setting an example". Abstinence from these behaviors is not required by the church to remain as a member in good standing, but is often preached unofficially as interpretations of church teachings in lessons taught by members of the church's local leadership.
Usage
The term "Molly Mormon" can take on both positive and negative connotations, depending on who is using it, and toward whom. When used by or toward teens, it can refer to prudish behavior.
When it refers to an adult LDS woman, it often refers to a stereotype which may or may not be welcome.
[Susan Noyes Anderson]
"Molly Mormon No More: Becoming an Artist of Life"
''LDSLiving'' magazine, October 21, 2002
The term is used sometimes amongst members of the Church, and has even appeared in a magazine published by the LDS church -- in the phrase "they had taunted her and called her a 'Molly Mormon' because she would not participate in their questionable activities",
[LaRae Clarke,]
I Have a Question
, ''Ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
'', February 1989, pp. 60–61 which appeared in a 1989 edition of ''
The Ensign''.
The term is often simply abbreviated to "Molly" (or sometimes to "Momo") or used as an adjective: "She's gotten so molly lately—all she could say about these new shorts is that they were too short."
Commercialization
A company calling itself ''Shameless Humor'' sells a line of clothing, including T-shirts and underwear, bearing the name "Molly Mormon".
A series of paperback romance novels written by
LDS fiction
LDS may refer to:
Organizations
* LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah, US Religion
* Latter Day Saint movement (LDS movement), a collection of independent church groups
**The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest group within th ...
author
Tamra Norton has also appropriated the term into the series' title. Books in the series include ''Molly Mormon?'', ''Molly Married?'', and ''Molly Mommy?'', and follow a Mormon girl named Molly through her teens on to married student life at
BYU Idaho
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
and then on to parenthood.
See also
*
Anticipatory socialization
Anticipatory socialization is the process, facilitated by social interactions, in which non-group members learn to take on the values and standards of groups that they aspire to join, so as to ease their entry into the group and help them interac ...
*
LDS cinema
Mormon cinema usually refers to films with themes relevant to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The term has also been used to refer to films that do not necessarily reflect Mormon themes but have been made ...
, also known as "Mollywood"
*
Jack Mormon
The term Jack Mormon is a slang term originating in nineteenth-century America. It was originally used to describe a person who was not a baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints but who was friendly to church members an ...
References
{{LDSaffiliation
Placeholder names
Latter Day Saint practices
Latter Day Saint terms
Stereotypes of women
Mormon, Molly
Mormonism and women