Years ago, having read articles and books about cults, I happened to sit next to a woman on a four hour flight. She noticed the book I was reading about cults and we went on to have a lengthy discussion about cults and her several year experience in a real cult. She had successfully, after some effort, left the cult and returned to a normal life.
When people say our church is a cult, they don’t really understand what a cult is. Cults are typically small, closed societies that keep the adherents close and controlled. Outsiders, not interested in joining, are unwelcome. Ours is large, worldwide organization that’s open and largely transparent. We welcome outsiders, even the uninterested and skeptical.
The cult moniker is used out of ignorance or as a disingenuous, and lazy, means of marginalizing our faith.
NealOctober 4, 2024
Dropping the "cult" card is much the same as dropping the "race" card. those who resort to these practices actually know not of which they speak...they are merely haters.
Cynthia C.October 4, 2024
Insightful.
Bradley AndersonOctober 4, 2024
What is often left out in the claim that the Church is a cult, is that a cult typically has a charismatic leader who has complete control. Underlings are used for recruiting, but only one supreme leader. Upon the death or exposure of that leader the cult collapses. Think Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Mansion, Sun Myung Moon. For the Church to trust apostles, seventies, bishops, Relief Society presidents, YM and YW leaders, even deacons with decision-making abilities further calls the cult concept into question.
ChristineOctober 4, 2024
Amen! I love the way you compare and contrast our church with other world religions.
Satan certainly likes to target us, and “cult” is a buzzword that gets a lot of attention but is certainly used incorrectly.
Comments | Return to Story
BobOctober 10, 2024
Years ago, having read articles and books about cults, I happened to sit next to a woman on a four hour flight. She noticed the book I was reading about cults and we went on to have a lengthy discussion about cults and her several year experience in a real cult. She had successfully, after some effort, left the cult and returned to a normal life. When people say our church is a cult, they don’t really understand what a cult is. Cults are typically small, closed societies that keep the adherents close and controlled. Outsiders, not interested in joining, are unwelcome. Ours is large, worldwide organization that’s open and largely transparent. We welcome outsiders, even the uninterested and skeptical. The cult moniker is used out of ignorance or as a disingenuous, and lazy, means of marginalizing our faith.
NealOctober 4, 2024
Dropping the "cult" card is much the same as dropping the "race" card. those who resort to these practices actually know not of which they speak...they are merely haters.
Cynthia C.October 4, 2024
Insightful.
Bradley AndersonOctober 4, 2024
What is often left out in the claim that the Church is a cult, is that a cult typically has a charismatic leader who has complete control. Underlings are used for recruiting, but only one supreme leader. Upon the death or exposure of that leader the cult collapses. Think Jim Jones, David Koresh, Charles Mansion, Sun Myung Moon. For the Church to trust apostles, seventies, bishops, Relief Society presidents, YM and YW leaders, even deacons with decision-making abilities further calls the cult concept into question.
ChristineOctober 4, 2024
Amen! I love the way you compare and contrast our church with other world religions. Satan certainly likes to target us, and “cult” is a buzzword that gets a lot of attention but is certainly used incorrectly.
ADD A COMMENT