[jatopilot99]

What makes them a cult is the idea of a cult-mind.

When you are a member of the Mormon church, you are expected to not question the validity of doctrine or the validity of your Prophet who speaks on behalf of God Almighty, or you will be labeled an Apostate. If your labeled as such, you will find yourself not being able to do business with other Church members who know of your “apostacy” and you and your family will be ostracized.

As a member of the Mormon church, you are expected to participate in ceremonies in order to further your “rank” in the church. You must wear certain garments and you must participate in specific temple rituals in special temple clothing. I believe a huge part of the definition of a cult is that you must keep things secret. The Mormon church keeps temple activities secret and during the Temple ceremonies you are to run your hand in a cutting gesture across your throat and abdomen, symbolizing that revealing the temple secrets mean death. I don’t know, all this doesn’t sound just like any other church to me. What other church do you have to make such a gesture and swear to secrecy?

I guess a great example is the Mountain Meadows Massacre. A group of Mormon men surround and killed over a period of days a wagon train of 150 men women and children that was passing through Utah. They told the remaining men women and children that they would let them surrender after several days. Then, when the wagon train folks laid down their weapons and were escorted from their train, the Mormon men were told by the Mormon leader (Lee) to shoot them all in the head except for children under 8 years of age.

A cult mind means that a person is so unquestioning to a religious organization that they will do anything that their leaders ask of them (in this example, the men killed defenseless women and children and men). Other examples would be like the Jim Jones poison coolaid drinkers, the David Koresh fanatics, etc. History is full of examples.

Once your involved with the cult, it is not easy to get out of it, and ramifications of membership oftentimes effect family relationships.

[Choose Ye This Day]

What a load of guano.

[LeGrande]

Once your involved with the cult, it is not easy to get out of it, and ramifications of membership oftentimes effect family relationships.

I am a former Mormon and I still have great relations with all my Mormon friends and family (well to be perfectly honest, I don't get along all that well with my Mother, but that has nothing to do with religion).

Where does this intense anger come from? Just what is it about the Mormon Church that makes you so upset?

[tantiboh]

I'm not even going to address your most silly claims; if you don't care to go out there and find out the real stories behind these myths, then the chances are slim that you will listen to me when I try and refute them.

Since, however, research is more difficult regarding what you term "temple secrets," I will attempt to correct the record for the sake of people who aren't too bigoted to take into consideration what I am saying. Does this include you? We shall see.

The temple ordinances are not secret; they are sacred. You will doubtless think of that as a distinction without a difference, but the difference is real. We are counseled by Christ Himself not to cast our pearls before swine, and the promises I made to God in the temple are among my most precious assets. When and where the circumstances are appropriate, these ordinances may be freely discussed.

What I will tell you, however, is what they are NOT. You can take or leave my word on this; that's your decision. Nevertheless, I have participated in these ordinances dozens of times in my life, so I am qualified to tell the truth.

Therefore, let it be clearly understood: There is no part of any temple ordinance where a slashing motion is made against the throat or abdomen; nor is there any part of any temple ordinance where any symbol or motion is used that could be interpreted to have similar significance. We do not kill animals, plants, or minerals, (except, of course, for the roast beef sandwiches in the cafeteria, which aren't really that great), nor do we utilize blood in any way. The consequences of inappropriately discussing temple ordinances are spiritual; if I were to do so, they would as a natural consequence become less meaningful for me and therefore less of a power for good in my life, and therefore I am commanded not to do so unless appropriate. No consequence is stated or implied against the safety or physical well-being of any person who does.

The record is set straight. Take it or leave it, it's up to you.

And now, one final point regarding your statement: A cult mind means that a person is so unquestioning to a religious organization that they will do anything that their leaders ask of them

By that definition, I will gladly accept your absolution of the LDS Church as being guilty of cult status. We are not counseled to accept ANYTHING that we are taught in blind faith. There are those who are too lazy to do otherwise, but a truly faithful Mormon is one who questions EVERYTHING; he or she will probe and prod every doctrine for weaknesses and flaws, will pray for confirmation of its truth, and will test it out in his or her life. In that way, the truth of the doctrine is found through the good that it brings to one's own life. (Indeed, there are a number of points of doctrine that I continue to study, ponder, and pray about, because I remain unconvinced. But that lack of knowledge in no way disqualifies what I already know to be true.) That is not blind faith; that is the kind of faith that cannot be blinded.

Is it any wonder that we are so eager to share the kind of joy and spiritual security that only this kind of belief can bring?

[cookcounty]

"the Mountain Meadows Massacre."

Seriously? I was a college history major and from memory could write a pretty long and mostly accurate narrative of the Mormons from Palmyra to the Nauvoo burn-out to the "Reorganized" split to Brigham Young and the seagulls and beehives and unique address-coding in Salt Lake City, but I am stone-cold ignorant of such an event. I better go back to my books.