Windy Sydney

Yesterday I wrote a little about the Mormon Church being a cult in the eyes of many who have been inside the church and who have studied it from the outside. Here is the rest of the article:

"Have confessionals where people demonize their early lives and only praise their life inside the group. Rewrite the past as terrible, even though it might have been great."

Testimony meetings are great for this kind of thing. People get up to the microphone and tell about the trials they have in their lives and how the Mormon gospel helps them cope. They also tell of times where they were not following the gospel and how much harder their life was.

"Isolate them from the rest of the world. Make them feel like they are part of an elite group with an important mission."

Most of the Mormons in Utah can identify with this quote. Everything in the state of Utah has some kind of influence from the Mormon Church. When you go to BYU (luckily for me I didn't!) you are in a mindset of following every rule the church lays out for you. You are pretty much cut off from everyone else, and you don't have the same issues as everyone else. Most people consider themselves lucky, I, on the other hand, think this stops people from growing up and dealing with real issues. You are also taught that you are part of an elite group in the Mormon Church... you are there to share the gospel with everyone you can. Every member a missionary is a common saying. What better mission is there?

"Tighten your groups by establishing scapegoats and enemies. Demonize outsiders as less than human: biased, corrupt, or conspiring against the group. Develop an "us verses them" mentality."

Anyone who disagrees with anything the brethren have to say is immediately labeled and dealt with. You are in meetings with your bishop, stake president, and your family members and friends are spoken with to try and 'save you.' If you disagree with the church, you are anti-Mormon to them. Us vs. them? Check.

"Fighting Resistance... tell them that critical thoughts about the group are evidence of "crimes" against the group. Investigate them and make up crimes."

Again, if you disagree with the Mormon leaders you are committing crimes against your own church and you are dealt with immediately. It happens every day.

"Make them feel guilty by making comments like:

• We are doing important work here!
• You expect saving the world to be easy?
• We are all called upon to make sacrifices for the cause!
• Just when things get tough you want to give up.
• What is more important? Our mission, our eternal salvation, or your petty grievances?
• Our leader is flawless
• The doctrine is flawless
• There must be something wrong with you.

This little piece of the puzzle sticks out for me. Why? Because it is what I am dealing with right now. My family and friends who are still in the church will ask me these very questions, and do their best to make me feel guilty about leaving the church. I have even been asked, "What is wrong with you? You don't want to be with me for all eternity?" How do you answer that? Of course I want to be with my family and friends for all eternity... but I don't see how following the Mormon Church's rules is going to make that happen. They are proven liars, and you can't trust them or anything they say. Point blank. My conscience won't let me stay in the church any longer.

"Indoctrinate with fear. Tell them that they could be possessed by evil spirits, or suggest that if they should ever leave something bad could happen to them. Say things like:

• I'm warning you that without us you are likely to get into a bad accident or get sick, or even die.
• If you leave, you will just be reincarnated into a lower life form.

I have mentioned on this blog that I have been told that I am possessed by Satan for leaving the Mormon Church. A friend of mine actually said, "You must be being led away by Satan because that is the only way someone could walk away from the one true church." Sickening, isn't it? Maybe it's just *ME* making my own decisions for once instead of letting this CULT make them for me!

As you can see, I clearly believe the Mormon Church fits the mold of a cult...