An Assessment of Mormonism as a Cult
I. INTRODUC
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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 a deity or spirit. Again, this definition encompasses almost all religions, and certainly all Christian sects. Third, the rites, ceremonies, and practices of a religion the formal aspect of religious experience is defined as cult. This definition, too, is too broad for the isolated assessment of a single sect. Fourth, cult is defined as the reverence and ceremonial veneration of God, the Virgin Mary, the saints, or objects that symbolize or represen
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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 words jargon to refer to God, beliefs, and other facets of group life. The resulting simplified and clich? heavy language holds both psychological appeal and power. Together, sacred science and language loading reinforce the concept of doctrine over the individual. Thus, if one's experiences differ from what dogma says those experiences should be, the individual concerned is made to feel guilty, an
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2090
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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