Is FLDS a separate branch from the LDS? Are they related sects or completely separate?
Man, the answer to that question has led to many a flame war.
Short answer is that the FLDS views itself as the “true” LDS church, primarily due to an FLDS view that the abandonment of polygamy directly violated the tenets of the church, and that Joseph Smith’s endorsement of polygamy was divinely inspired and intended to remain in perpetuity.
They are two churches with the FLDS formed by members of the LDS that either left the church or were excommunicated.
Usually a discussion of the history gets pretty ugly though.
They are not a seperate branch of the LDS. They have nothing whatsoever to do with the LDS church. They’re a bunch of perverts who pretend to be related, nothing more.
The FLDS broke away from the Latter Day saints in 1890 and formed their own weird sect. The site below will answer many of your questions about Mormonism.
FLDS are not LDS!
http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/
The forerunners of the FLDS broke away from the mainstream LDS church around 1890, when the mainstream church publicly disavowed polygamy. Since then, polygamous Mormons have splintered into a large number of individual sects. The leaders of these sects all claim that they are the rightful successors of Joseph Smith, and that their sects are the one true Mormon church. The FLDS church is one of bigger splinter sects.
Kind of like the snake handlers are a offshoot of evangelical Protestant gone over to the dark side and tempting God-superstitions, dictatorial elders, secret rituals--all in the name of God, with no love of God and fellowman, no joy, no honor.
vaudine