Is The Mormon Church a Cult?

If you had asked me this question 5 years ago I would have replied with an adamant NO! I would have taken great offense to the statement had you asked me and I likely would have disassociated myself from you and shunned you.

As a faithful Latter-day Saint for over 44 years, I held strongly to the following beliefs:

I will follow the prophet and Church leaders without question, and have faith in the beliefs, ideology, and practices as the literal Truth, and as Heavenly Father's law.

I am afraid of losing my membership in the Church and risk being punished if I question, doubt, and or show signs of dissent. It is wrong to criticize the leaders or the Church, even if the criticism is true.
I will read my scriptures, go to church every week, do my home teaching, go to the temple, and do everything that I am asked to do because it makes me happy and I will one day be judged for my good works.

I will follow the leadership's counsel at all times, even when it dictates how I should think, act, and feel; who I should date, where I should marry, and what types of clothes I should wear; how I should spend my free time, how my family should spend our free time together and what types of extra-curricular activities are appropriate; what I should or should not read, and what food and drinks I should consume or avoid.

I believe the Church to be the only true church on Earth. I believe membership to the Church and faithfulness to its leaders and teachings are the only way to find true happiness and eternal life. I believe it is my duty to share my beliefs with my non-member neighbors, coworkers, friends and strangers, so they can have the opportunity to be saved and receive blessings.

I believe in supporting the Church even if it goes against what the world may believe. For example, I don’t believe in giving marriage rights to those practicing same-sex attraction if the prophet says that it shouldn’t be allowed.

I believe the only authority the prophet or Church leaders are accountable to is the Lord and no one else.

I believe Heavenly Father will test our faithfulness to Him by asking us through his servants to do things that others may find are reprehensible or unethical. For example, although I may not like it, I would support polygamy if the Church reinstated it. I believe we do not have a full understanding of what is needed to achieve exaltation, and all things Heavenly Father commands us to do are for our best interest and will enable us to return to His presence and have everlasting life. I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

I will keep myself worthy to receive blessings in this life and next. I believe those who succumb to worldly temptations or disregard the prophet and Church teachings are not worthy to receive personal happiness in this life or be an eternal family after death. I believe it is appropriate to give a personal accounting on a regular basis of my thoughts, words and actions to a Bishop, for he has the authority to determine my worthiness to participate at church and receive blessings. He also has the authority to punish me if I begin to break the Lord’s commandments and sin.

I believe all Church members are my brothers and sisters. I believe the Bishop is the father of our ward and helps strengthen our "family" by spending hours together studying, listening and praying, going to the temple together and visiting each other in our individual homes to reinforce what we have studied and heard. I do not want to discuss or hear anything negative about my beliefs, and view them as hostile attacks from an enemy who wants to destroy my faith and relationship with Heavenly Father. I will also realign my life with whatever the Church asks of me.

I will willingly put my life on hold for 2 years in an effort to bring new members into the Church. I will continue to do missionary work throughout my life and will share the gospel with everyone I meet. I pray for missionary opportunities.

I will willingly pay 10% of my gross income to the Church for tithing and will donate each month to fast offerings, missionary fund, etc., to build up the kingdom of God. I believe paying a full tithe makes me worthy to participate at church and enter the holy temple, and participate in special meetings. I will pay the Church first, even if I or my family must make personal sacrifices and go without basic necessities of life. I have no doubt the Lord will bless us for making this financial sacrifice. Heavenly Father will open the windows of heaven and there will be not room enough to receive his blessings.

I believe it is an honor to receive callings in the Church from inspired leaders through direct revelation, and the inordinate amounts of time expected to devote to these callings or Church activities will bring me and my family many blessings.

All of my true and closest friends are LDS. I will only date/marry an LDS person in the temple. I have little in common with non-members, and am careful not to associate with non-members unless they share my same moral background or express interest in learning more about the gospel.

I can't imagine not being a member of the Church. My whole life is tied into the Church. If my membership were to be revoked, it would be comparable to death. All would be lost and life would become meaningless. My only hope would be for me to repent of my sins and be forgiven by those in authority over me so I could be re-baptized. My eternal salvation is dependant upon my membership in the Church, and I will never doubt it or even consider leaving, no matter what.

So what of the question, "Is the Mormon Church a cult?" We can either retreat and further entrench our long held beliefs and views, or we can consider the possibility of that claim and examine it, scrutinize it, study it, research it and draw our own conclusions. Do the following "cult characteristics" apply to my formerly held beliefs?

http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm

http://freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/bite/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BjecRzDoHg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az4tE2eLoKc

1. The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.
2. Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
3. The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).
4. The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).
5. The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.
6. The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).
7. The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).
8. The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.
9. Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.
10. The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.
11. The group is preoccupied with making money.
12. Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.
13. Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.
14. The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.

Without any doubt or hesitation I can in the most clearest and unrefrained terms I know, declare I was self deluded and experienced first hand the harmful effects of cult mind control. I only needed to open my eyes, heart and mind to the possibility that the Mormon Church wasn't what it claimed to be. I have my integrity and honesty intact, I am happy, my marriage is strong and life is sweet! Where we go from here is a mystery. The past is history. The present is now and I'm living it!