Mormons as a Cult

C. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

IV. ASSESSING THE CULT STATUS OF MORMONS.

The designation of the Latter-Day Saints sects as Mormonism implies that this family of churches is a cult. Tagging the suffix "ism" on to the word Mormon provides a basis for other Christian sects to distance themselves from the Latter Day Saints; to place the Latter Day Saints beyond the pale of Christianity so that they may be attacked as constituting a cult that threatens traditional Christian values and beliefs. To assess the contention that Mormons are a cult requires both the definition of cult, and a determination of exactly what is meant by Mormon. Elimination of the "ism" connotation is also required, if the assessment is to be objective.

The Merriam-Webster Third International Dictionary of the English Language provides a variety of definitions of cult. First, it is religious practice or worship. Certainly, this definition is too inclusive if Mormons are to be considered separately from other sects. Second, cult is defined as a system of beliefs and ritual connected with the worship of

. . .
kes it appear that activities within the group occur spontaneously. Fasting, chanting, and limited sleep are some of the tools employed to achieve such manipulation. Mystical manipulation within a cult assumes a special quality when some particular individual, usually the group leader, is viewed as the source of salvation, or as a mediator between an individual and God. 3. Demand for purity, and the confession. This two-faceted criterion calls for a separation between pure and impure, and good and evil, both within an environment and within an individual. Purification is viewed as a continuous and institutionalized process. It involves the stimulation of guilt and shame, and is heavily dependent upon the confessional, self-criticism, and group criticism. 4. Sacred science, language loading, and the precedence of doctrine over the individual. Sacred science attempts to combine a set of dogmatic principles with a claim to a scientific embodying of truth about human behavior and psychology. Such efforts greatly simplify the world for those who accept them. Sacred science is reinforced through language loading, which is the development and intense use of special wordsùjargonùto refer to God, beliefs, and other facets of gro
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