Windy Sydney

Mind control cults have always fascinated me.  David Koresh had his people convinced that he was the messiah, and when a stand-off with federeal agents ended up in a siege, the cult members set fire to the compound... even though there were small children inside.

Jim Jones moved his followers to a different country, and they committed mass suicide as well. His followers drank poisioned Kool-Aid and ended their lives... again, children were among the dead.  It's horriffic.

Is the Mormon Church a cult?  Ask any believing Mormon that question and you are likely to offend them.  That goes with all religions, including Scientology... any Xenu fans out there?

Most associate the word cult with things like this:

• Strange clothing
• Weak or emotionally unstable people
• Religious nut cases

Unfortunately, that is just plain untrue.  Cults are full of everyday people like you and me.  They go to our schools, wear the same clothes we do, they live next door, they eat the same food we do.

Do, the leader of the Heaven's Gate group.

When I was in high school, Heaven's Gate, a religious cult run by a leader named Do, committed mass suicide in a California mansion.  Home video from the house-o-dead people was shown on almost every national news show in the country.  Bodies were found on cots and mattresses throughout the rooms of the home, and all but two of them had purple colored shrouds covering their faces.  The cult members even wore the same brand of tennis shoes (Nike).  I remember being really freaked out because the home video showed some of the deceased people lying on bunk beds... I had a bunk bed exactly like theirs in my bedroom.  It freaked me out.

Do convinced his followers that the Hail Bop comet was evidence that they were going to be taken away to another place, and that suicide was the only way to get there in time.  They trusted him completely.  They cut themselves off from family and friends that didn't share their beliefs, they gave everything they owned to their leader, and five of the male members even went as far as to get castrated because their leader told them to.

So, does the Mormon church really fit into the cult mind control mold?  Lets take an objective look at this... what do all of these groups have in common?

• Deception
• Being a part of an elite or exclusive group
• Fear and intimidation
• Love Bombing
• Relationship control
• Information control
• Reporting structure
• Time Control
• Pressure "selling"

Here are many things that people look for when determining if a group is a cult or not:

• A single charismatic leader
• A constant push to be happy and enthusiastic
• Instant friendship
• You are told who you should or should not associate with
• They hide what they teach
• They say they are the only true group, so why go anyhere else?
• Attendance of many, many meetings
• Illogical ideas or beliefs
• Asking for money before you can go to the next level

Well, we all know that the Mormon Church, had an extremely charismatic leader.  Joseph Smith was good.  Real good.  He was convincing people he could do things like find buried treasure on their land, and when he didn't produce any treasure he was arrested for fraud.  Even though he was arrested, people still believed in him and many of the things he said.  Here are more things that show just how charismatic Joseph Smith was:

• He convinced many he was speaking with God, Jesus and angels
• He convinced many that the translated the Book of Mormon from ancient gold plates even though no one even saw the plates personally.  Those who claimed to be witnesses later admitted that they saw the plates with their "spiritual eyes."
• He convinced everyone, even his wife (after lying to her), that he was commanded to practice polygamy or he would be killed by an angel with a flaming sword.
• He convinced a friend to let him marry his 14 year old daughter, Helen Mar Kimball

The biggest one (there are many, many more):

• People still believe he was a prophet of God even though there is no evidence to back up any of his claims.  He is still charismatic... even from the grave.

The Mormon church is run by a man who claims to be a prophet... to keep the church going, a new prophet is selected after the other dies.  While none of the prophets have been anything close to having the charisma that Joseph Smith had, people are still convinced that these men speak with, and for God on the earth.  They will do anything the prophet asks of them, and won't ask questions.

I have spoken with many people about this, and most of the ex-Mormons I know tell me that they believed in the church so much that they would have killed or hurt someone if the prophet would have asked them to.  That, my friends, is control... and lots of it.  You don't question the prophet.  You just don't.

Cult leaders also tell their members that they can't trust anyone as much as they can trust them. Some even go as far as to tell their members to stay away from people who don't have the same beliefs... these people are toxic, or evil in some way.  People should be wary of those outside the group.

Is the church guilty of this?  Hell yeah!

The church tells its members not to trust information that doesn't come from them.  Anything negative about Mormonism is "Anti-Mormon" and evil.  The devil himself supposedly puts thoughts into other's minds to bring the church down.  Church members are supposed to stay away from this kind of information, and those who supply it.

It goes further... The church tells it's members that they should marry those of their own faith. If you marry someone that practices another religion you will not get the same blessings in the afterlife that others will.  Only a group practicing mind control could convince a grown person not to marry the person they love simply because the church says so.

Many Mormons take this to an extreme level (not all).  They won't let their kids play with non-Mormon kids in the neighborhood.  When I talked with others who left the church, their children were suddenly friendless.  Their old friends were forbidden from going into their homes.  That is hard for a kid to understand.  What do LDS parents think will happen?  Are non-Mormon kids without morals?  Do they think their little angels are good all the time?  It's ridiculous when you think about it.  It's control.

Deception.  We all know that the church is deciving people every single day.  They change history to make it easier to swallow, and they practice "milk before meat" doctrine... keeping new converts from the controversial stuff until they can "handle it."  The church doesn't tell the truth.  The problems with the Book of Abraham and the translation of the Book of Mormon are proof enough that the church uses this tactic to gain control.

Mormons certainly believe they are part of an elite group.  They are the one true church.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims to have all the answers, and it's members are taught that if they accept the gospel and then turn away from it, they are committing the worst sin in the world.  Also, those with temple recommends are seen as more elite than those without them.

It goes further into levels within Mormonism...  Men are an elite group within the church.  They have the priesthood and more control over those who do not.  Then the priesthood itself is taken into levels... local leadership, stake leadership... all the way up to the prophet himself.  The closer to the top you are, the more elite you are.  Men who reach the top are praised and it's assumed that they are highly spiritual and chosen by God to be in their positions.

Fear and Indoctrination... It's all over the place in the church.  Indoctrination starts when you are a child.  Everyone you know tells you that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that the church is the only true church.  Kids don't get the opportunity to believe anything else, and I speak from experience.  

People in the church are afraid to do a lot of things... They are afraid to drink coffee and tea, afraid to do things their church leadership wouldn't agree of, but the most important thing is that they are afraid to leave.  Believing mormons are scared of the downward spiral that their lives might take if they step away from the rules and regulations the church has given them.  Many people think they will become alcoholics, drug addicts, or even murderers if they leave the church because they think it's the church that gives them morals... it makes no logical sense, but that is something that is accepted. Control.

Love Bombing.  My favorite... I have been the victim of love bombing more times than I could count.  People want to know you, learn about your hobbies and interests, and be best friends with you just to get you to go with them back to church.  It's fake, and insincere... it's manipulation to gain more control.

Relationship Control.  Wow, this happens all over the place in the church.  Girls are taught who they should marry and when.  A return missionary and in the temple.  Nevermind that they might actually be in love with someone else, and that they would live happily for the rest of their lives, it's more important to the church that they marry a fellow member and raise kids within the bounds of Mormonism.

Mormons go to their leaders for marriage and relationship advice.  Sometimes they are sent to an LDS approved counselor.  If one spouse leaves the church and the other stays, bishops and stake presidents have been known to encourage the believing spouse to leave with the children and marry someone else.  This does not happen in all cases, but I have heard plenty examples.

Information Control.  You are told what you should read, and what you shouldn't read.  Anything negative about the church is from Satan, as he is trying to bring the one true church down.  Members are told that they shouldn't trust anything that doesn't come directly from them.  They print their own lesson manuals, and emphasize what should and should not be discussed in the church classes.  

Information is also held back about the history of the church.  Also, people are not supposed to talk about anything inside the Mormon temple, even to other believing members.  Non Mormons find this strange, and so do I, because there is no real reason for it.  Personally, I believe that they want the ceremonies secret because they are just weird.  There are fake names in the temple, secret handshakes, chanting... you name it.  They don't want other people to know how weird it is, or they wouldn't get as many converts. 

Reporting Structure.  Easy one.  The levels of leadership are designed to keep track of people all the time.  Home teachers, visiting teachers and friends stop by each others houses all the time.  If the visiting person sees something they didn't think the leadership would approve of, like an ash tray on the coffee table or a rated R DVD laying by the television, they will more than likely discuss it with you, and then with the local leadership.  People are convinced they are doing this for the other person's good and they rarely see how intrusive and absurd it is.  

If a ward member sees you in the grocery store and you have coffee grinds or tea bags in your shopping cart, it will get back to you.  It happens all the time.  You are constantly being evaluated, even if you don't realize it.  This is why many Mormons feel they need to put on a show of some kind.  They make their appearance, and the appearance of their family and home "perfect."  They don't want anyone thinking that they are less spiritual.  Hell, there are even people who walk up to others, hug them, and feel for temple garments under their clothing.  That is insane, isn't it?  Who the hell cares what kind of underwear people are wearing?  The church does.  Control.

Time Control.  Big one.  There are three hour long meetings every Sunday.  Families are asked to hold Family Home Evening every Monday night to teach all things church and read scriptures.  There are callings that keep people busy all week long.  Young Women's and Young Men's groups meet on Wednesdays and sometimes more.  There is scouting for the boys, priesthood meetings, relief society meetings... their whole lives revolve around the church.  The more time the church asks of it's members, the less time they have to research things and find out the truth.

Pressure Selling.  Missionaries do this.  They are taught in the Missionary Training center how to approach people, how to gain trust, and how to sell the story.  After a few lessons, people are challenged to be baptized into the church.  It's not until after you are already a member that you learn about other doctrine like Kolob, men on the Moon... you name it.

So, is the Mormon Church a cult?  Yes... and here are more examples of why...

• There is a constant push to be happy and of good cheer, even if you are depressed by your situation.  Putting on a happy face is important to keep the spirit around you.
• Instant friendships happen when new converts go to church for the first time.  People can't wait to learn more about them, and it makes the convert feel loved and well liked.  If this convert were to meet the same Mormon walking down the street, most of the time the Mormon couldn't care less.  It's all because they want the convert to stay in church.
• Associate with other Mormons.  Don't associate or learn things from those who have opposing views.

There are many, many more examples... and I could seriously sit here all day and list them.  Unfortuately, I need money and I have to go to work :)  

Andee