Yes, but rare earths do occur naturally in mineral (ore) form. The AP does need to get their semantics in order notwithstanding.
All minerals are made up of elements, arranged in a crystal-lattice structure. The only non-crystalline natural materials are liquids (including glass, a liquid of very high viscosity) and gases. So it’s not simply the rare earths that occur in minerals — all elements do, including the most common (rock-forming) elements (e.g., Al, Fe, Ca, Si).