Extended explanation:
Mormondom makes a HUGE deal of having access to the Mormon temple. Mormons carry a temple recommend in their wallets, and deem it a sacred document. It gives them access to the temple; without it, there's a huge debate if they could even make it into the highest degree of glory. See 25 posts from this very week where Lds debate the following question:
Source: Ldsfreedomforum.com: 'Is Current Temple Rec. Prerequisite to Get Celestial Glory?
(Ya know, Mormons "affiliate" with FReepers -- and are FReepers themselves! Some Mormons "support" FR. Some "agree" with the worldviews of this site) Temple recommend Qs
Ah. So the Mormon church for five years was even trying to root out all "sympathizers" of people who don't agree with the Mormon church!!!
Every “serious” pastor I’ve ever talked to on Mormonism says it’s a cult.
One Example: Lds Conference Talk October 1984-By Ronald E. Poelman-Mormon (OPEN)
Freeper poster Greyfoxx39 mentions: Through the miracle of modern technology, a conference talk focused on the importance of free agency turned into a conference talk focused on the importance of obedience and the fabric of time itself was altered such that the original conference talk turned out to have not ever existed and anyone who thought they had heard something else must have been listening to the influence of evil spirits. The Gospel and the Church By Ronald E. Poelman The First Quorum of the Seventy General Conference October, 1984
Go to the link -- and you can see how the Mormon church magically transforms transcripts of talks they make!!!
Another Example:
The Wasp (original newspaper report):
“Joseph Smith was arrested upon a requisition of Gov. Carlin,… in accordance with a process from Gov. Reynolds of Missouri, upon the affidavit of Ex-Governor Boggs,… the Municipal court issued a writ of habeas corpus according to the constitution of the State,… they left them in care of the Marshal, without the original writ by which they were arrested, and by which only they could be retained, and returned back to Gov. Carlin for further instruction, - and Messrs. Smith and Rockwell went about their business. As to Mr. Smith, we have yet to learn by what rule of right he was arrested to be transported to Missouri for a trial of the kind stated.” (August 13, 1842)
History of the Church (Joseph Smith, Jr. version):
“I was arrested… on a warrant issued by Governor Carlin, founded on a requisition from Governor Reynolds of Missouri, upon the affidavit of ex-Governor Boggs,… the municipal court issued a writ of habeas corpus according to the constitution of the state,… they left us in the care of the marshal, without the original writ by which we were arrested, and by which only we could be retained, and returned to Governor Carlin for further instructions, and myself and Rockwell went about our business. I have yet to learn by what rule of right I was arrested to be transported to Missouri for a trial of the kind stated.” (v. 5, pp. 86-87 – more direct quotes follow this passage)
Source: Plagiarism in Church History
Also, this “Is Mormonism a cult?” debate is one of the very, VERY positive things to fall out from a Romney presidential bid. People are forced to actually think about it. And a portion of them were considering mormonism and now will look elsewhere for God. That is a Good Thing.
Actually, I do not think Mormonism is a Christian cult. That’s because I don’t think it is part of historic Christianity. It is an entirely new religion with its own revelation, its own holy book, and its own prophet.
If Mormonism, with its new definition of Jesus Christ, is a Christian cult, then so is Islam with its new definition of Jesus Christ.
A Christian cult would be something like the “children of god” with David Berg or “the people’s temple” with Jim Jones. They had their leader/prophet, their own interpretations, but they also used historic Christian writings and twisted Christian doctrine.