Mormonism: Dangerous Cult

Ok, here we go, off on a rant about, probably the most dangerous of all cults, Mormonism. Having spent time in SLC im quite familiar with these automaton-type religious zealots.

1. Source of Authority. Mormonism teaches that the canon of Scripture was not closed when the Bible was completed. They have three sources in addition to the Bible, all of which they believe contain God's revelations -- the Book of Mormon 2 (changed in more than 4,000 places since 1830), Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. However, Mormons follow the teachings of these three books even when they contradict the Bible. For example, Mormonism teaches that the Bible is the Word of God "as far as it is translated correctly." Then whenever a Mormon belief contradicts Scripture, the Mormons say that particular part of Scripture is translated incorrectly, and that the correct translation is in one of the Mormon scriptures (The Maze of Mormonism, p. 131). Thereby, the Bible is rejected as the infallible Word of God. [e.g. "The Bible is considered usable, but suspect due to its many errors and missing parts" (Articles of Faith No. 8, Ensign, January 1989, pp. 25, 27).

2. Trinity. Mormonism teaches polytheism (versus monotheism taught in the Bible), believing that the universe is inhabited by many gods who produce spirit children. Joseph Smith declared, "I will preach on the plurality of Gods. I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 370). Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie spoke about the Godhead in this way, "Plurality of Gods: Three separate personages: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, comprise the Godhead. As each of these persons is a God, it is evident, from this standpoint alone, that a plurality of Gods exists. To us, speaking in the proper finite sense, these three are the only Gods we worship. But in addition there is an infinite number of holy personages, drawn from worlds without number, who have passed on to exaltation and are thus gods" (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 576-577).

3. God. In Mormon theology, the god of our planet is believed to have once been a man on another planet, who through self-effort and the help of his own father-god, was appointed by a counsel of gods in the heavens to his high position as the god of planet Earth, and now has a physical, resurrected, glorified body. Mormonism teaches that through the atonement of Christ and by their good deeds and "holy" living, men can one day become gods, and with their multiplicity of "goddess wives," populate their own planets. (This is what the celestial marriage and the Mormon temple vows are all about.) Mormon theology, therefore, humanizes God and deifies man.3

4. Christ. Mormonism acknowledges the divinity of Christ, but as noted above, Mormon doctrine on what constitutes divinity falls seriously short of the Biblical standard. Mormonism teaches that Jesus, Lucifer, and all the demons, as well as all mankind, are actually all spirit brothers and sisters, born in the spirit world as spirit babies to our man-god Heavenly Father and his goddess wives. Mormon leaders have consistently taught that God the Father ("Adam-god") had sexual relations on earth with Mary (his own spirit daughter), to produce the physical body of Jesus. Early Mormon apostles also asserted that Christ was a polygamist, and that His wives included Mary and Martha (the sisters of Lazarus) and Mary Magdalene.4

5. Holy Spirit. In Mormonism, a distinction is drawn between the Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit. As LDS Apostle Marion G. Romney stated: "The Holy Ghost is a person, a spirit, the third member of the Godhead" (Ensign, May 1977, pp. 43-44). The sixth LDS prophet, Joseph F. Smith, explains that the Holy Spirit is not a person but rather an impersonal force: "You may call it the Spirit of God, you may call it the influence of God's intelligence, you may call it the substance of his power; no matter what it is called, it is the spirit of intelligence that permeates the universe" (Mormon Doctrine, McConkie, pp. 752-753).

6. Sin. In Mormon theology, it is not quite clear how the first humans, Adam and Eve, came to live on this earth and received bodies, but somehow they did and began the process of human procreation, whereby bodies are produced for their spirit children. But at the very beginning of the process of human generation, sin entered necessarily. The earthly bodies of Adam and Eve were intended to be immortal tabernacles for their spirits, "but it was necessary for them to possess through mortality and be redeemed through the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ that the fullness of life might come." Therefore, they disobeyed God's commands. Since the fall of man was necessary, it became necessary for men to disobey God in order to do His will. Adam's fall, thereby, was a fall "upward."5 Concerning the transmission of sin to Adam's posterity, Mormons take a negative position -- they believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression. Having rejected the doctrine of the imputation of the guilt of sin, Latter-Day Saints likewise repudiate the transmission of inherent corruption or original sin.

7. Salvation. Mormon theology teaches that the atonement of Christ was essential to our salvation and eternal life with God, but that it is not sufficient. Christ's shed blood on the cross provides for universal resurrection of all people, but does not pay for personal sins; according to Mormonism, only Christ's blood shed in the Garden of Gethsemane atones for personal sin. Besides faith in Christ, complete and permanent repentance of all sin as well as many good works are required.6 Mormonism also teaches that one must be baptized in water to be saved (baptismal regeneration), and that salvation will also be available in the next world for those "missing-out" in this one. Therefore, Mormons avidly pursue genealogy and practice baptism for the dead.

more to follow....

8. Heaven and Hell. Mormonism teaches that there are three degrees of glory: Celestial (for good Mormons able to cease sinning in this lifetime -- see endnote #6 below), Terrestrial (for good people who do not comply with all the teachings of Mormonism), and Telestial (for those who have lived unclean earthly lives). (See also Mormon Doctrines, p. 348.) Mormonism teaches that there is a hell, but only for the "sons of perdition," a very small number of souls that cannot be redeemed. According to Mormonism, then, the vast majority of mankind will be "saved," though it should be obvious that no one will make it to the Celestial Kingdom. [Blacks used to be totally out of the equation: "Black people are black because of their misdeeds in the pre-existence" (Three Degrees of Glory, LDS Apostle Melvin J. Ballard, p. 21); "The Negro is an unfortunate man. He has been given a black skin. But that is nothing compared with that greater handicap. He is not permitted to receive the priesthood and the ordinances of the temple, necessary to prepare men and women to enter into and enjoy a fullness of glory in the Celestial Kingdom" (Elder George E. Richards). In 1978, however, the Mormon Church announced that God had lifted his curse from the African race.]

9. Temple Rituals. A typical temple ceremony would take place as follows: "The ritual began in a small cubicle where we had to strip completely. We then put on 'the shield,' a poncho with a hole for the head, but open on the sides (similar to a hospital gown). We went through a series of 'washings and anointings,' as various parts of our bodies were touched by elderly temple workers who mumbled appropriate incantations over them. Our Mormon underwear, 'the garments,' are said to have powers to protect us from 'the evil one.' It had occult markings, which were so 'sacred' that we were instructed to burn them when the garments wore out. The endowment ceremony mocked all doctrines held to by Biblical Christianity, and Christian pastors were portrayed as servants of Satan. We had to swear many blood oaths, promising we would forfeit our lives if we weren't faithful, or if we revealed any of the secrets revealed to us in the temple ceremonies. We were made to pretend by grotesque gestures to cut our throats, chests, and abdomens, indicating how we would lose our lives. We were never told who would kill us! The inference was, and history testifies to, that it would be the Mormon priesthood." (Testimony of a former Mormon.) [Note: The blood oaths and portrayal of Christian pastors were removed in April of 1990, despite the fact that the ordinance was purported to have been given originally by a revelation and was never to be changed.]

10. More from the Mouths of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

Joseph Smith

"God made Aaron to be the mouthpiece for the children of Israel, and He will make me to be God to you in His stead, and the elders to be mouth for me; and if you don't like it, you must lump it" (Documentary History of the Church, vol. 6, pp 319-320).

"I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I" (D.H C., vol. 6, p. 408-409).

"The whole Earth shall bear me witness that I, like the towering rock in the midst of the ocean, which has withstood the mighty surges of the warring waves for centuries, am impregnable ... I combat the errors of ages; I meet the violence of mobs; I cope with illegal proceedings from executive authority; I cut the gordian knot of powers, and I solve mathematical problems of universities, with truth -- diamond truth; and God is my right hand man." (D.H.C., Vol. 6, p. 78).

"And I prophesy in the name of the Lord God of Israel, unless the United States redress the wrongs committed upon the Saints in Missouri and punish the crimes committed by her officers that in a few years the government will be utterly overthrown and wasted and there will not be so much as a potsherd left, ..." (D.H C., vol. 5, p. 394). [This prophecy was made in May of 1843, and the United States government has not been overthrown and wasted.]

"Here then is eternal life -- to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you..." (Teachings of the Prophet, Joseph Smith, p. 346).

"In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted a plan to create the world and people it" (Ibid., p. 349).

"The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead" [Our God of the Bible has forbidden us to have anything to do with the dead (Deut. 18:10,11).

Brigham Young

"I have never yet preached a sertuon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call Scripture. Let me have the privilege of correcting a sermon, and it is as good a scripture" (Journa1 of Discourses, vol. 13, p. 95; also see vol. 13, p. 264).

"I say, rather than the apostates should flourish here, I will unsheath my Bowie knife, and conquer or die. [Great commotion in the congregation, and a simultaneous burst of feeling, assenting to the declaration.] Now, you nasty apostates, clear out, or judgment will be put on the line ... If you say it is right, raise your hands [All hands up], let us call upon the Lord to assist us in this, and every good work." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 83)

"I could refer you to plenty of instances where men have been righteously slain, in order to atone for their sins ... This is loving our neighbor as ourselves, if he needs help, help him, and if he wants salvation and it is necessary to spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be saved, spill it." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, p. 220). [Many were killed under what is called the "Blood Atonement Doctrine" Leaving Mormonism was one of the sins that the blood of Jesus could not atone for, and a person's own blood must be shed by Mormon priests as an atonement for sin.]

"Gold and silver grow, and so does every other kind of metal, the same as the hair upon my head or the wheat in the field; ..." (JOD., vol. 1, p. 219).
so...you can see that they clearly misuse Christianity for their own sick ideals.

The WORD is complete, they added

[edit on 28-12-2007 by blueyedevil666]

I agree with the premise of this thread, but I'll go it further:

They're ALL dangerous cults.

Choosing delusion over reason is dangerous. It's like choosing to be insane.

The only good religion is an extinct religion, IMO.

But thanks for all the info on the Mormons. It's nice to see an opinion from someone previously on the inside.

When I think of a "dangerous cult" I think of Heavens Gate or The Branch Davidians or Jim Jones' Peoples Temple.

Besides the wackados that use distorted mormon beliefs to fulfill their own prophesies such as that guy who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart, Mormons are fairly good people who live a fairly moral life, heck, they probably live a more moral life than most Christians do.

So what if they don't believe exactly the same things that Christians do?
I don't think that makes them "dangerous".

I don't understand what, apart from the racist crap (which was rectified in the 70's) that can be found in any number of religions, makes Mormon doctrine "dangerous." Why is it a more dangerous cult than, say, the Church of Christ? Or Scientology? Or any of a myriad of objectively bizarre belief systems.

I don't disagree that the things they believe are nothing short of delusional, but they are no more dangerous than any one else. In fact, my experiences with Mormons have been pretty pleasant, which is more than I can say for interactions with people of other faiths. They don't have a hate agenda and I certainly never hear them being nasty about other religions.

What is it about them you find so threatening?

i happen to be very glad to see some people among the board defending, for the most part, the people of the LDS faith. As it is true they live more of a moral life than most, with family values being one of the keystones of their foundation. While the "church" is not perfect as no church on earth is, it's people, for the most part, are some of the most well meaning people in the world. And it is very true that you will not hear from them, their lack of liking of other churches as it is said "All churches hold a portion of the truth." Yet they are slandered all the time by other churches (including atheism, as it is a church).

It is funny to watch such a strong writing of a person raised in it's atmosphere, place such a widely negative spin on it in a few short posts, as it took years for your understanding to elevate, and only minutes to place a very forward and very distorted perspective of the churches principles. i wonder at the effects it may have on others? As truly inside the principles of the church, there are more positive aspects than you speak.

1. They are the only church on earth that requires a tithing of 10%, which makes it the
only church on earth to literally follow biblical teachings in regards to what Jesus
taught as right and just in our giving. And it goes to support its functions such family
assistance, in which has helped more families than i have seen other organizations
do. BYU tuition is affordable because of tithing, otherwise the cost of its education
would be comparable to an IVY league school.

2. The principles in the church are that family comes first! The father is the protector
and guider, the mother takes care of things of the home and children, and the
children have parents that are devoted to their upbringing. Is there something wrong
with traditional values? As i see it, with the lack of them the world is falling apart.

3. Because of the type of commitment that is created between husband and wife within
an LDS relationship, one of eternity for Loves sake and purpose (and not just in this
life as all other churches) there is more compromising and willing behavior
in the relationship, which is required for a marriage to last! LDS relationship are
more capable of standing up and staying strong during a time where more than
half of all marriages are falling apart.

5. Children are raised with moral values, which create moral people.

These are just some of the many benefits inside this church. The people support each other. The people are dedicated to serving others, as no other church on earth is as willing to give of their time and efforts for the betterment of others. It is the only church wherein their leaders are not paid for the work they do, but it is done with a charitable heart. It is the only church that has had its men and women dedicate so many years collectively to serving others at their own expense (literally in both time and money).

They are not perfect, as no one church on earth is, which is Perfect. They have faltered in only one major thing against the teachings: Pride. In which they consider some unworthy of the truth, in which all are worthy to hold truth. Even the highest of truth, for understanding and appropriate decision making regarding ones chosen faith. (And yes Atheism is a faith and decision.)

And, every spiritual text, no matter the text, has been altered. That isn't anything new. Man does often change things and distorts things. It is how this world goes.

Out of All the churches, it is as they state, the most true and correct on earth.

i am very sorry if you have a hard time with just a small portion of the higher law of Love, as the LDS faith truly only holds only a portion, as they will tell you such in all honesty and sincerity. They will tell you there is more to come.

Furthermore, regarding it's higher teachings:

It is funny. People at times might be arrogant enough to consider we are the only "beings" in the universes, yet not arrogant enough to consider that God would continue to instruct and guide us through out all ages of time? As it is said in the church "Precept upon Precept", meaning just as a babies learn to crawl, and walk and then run, we learn in stages.

So, if this is His purpose, this world and all its people, and the majority learn through reading, while others (myself) learn through experience, why do we consider that God would stop talking to us through out His entire process of our experience? It does not make Any Sense! It's like a parent giving birth and walking away never to come back until it is full grown. Anyone who knows Love can recognize that is a false thought, which means over time and as we are ready He will deliver "prophecy", or better yet
His conversations and His instruction to elevate our understanding of Love.

So, why do you take issue with a higher law of Love? Why do you take issue with actually believing that You might have the capacity to become a god? A child becomes as a parent teaches, unless the child will not listen. And a parent wants for a child,
all of which the parent has obtained and more...

The scripture you state the LDS faith contradicts is in accordance, for even in the beginning He created them in His image. The LDS faith is just carrying it forward in the continuation of His image for our learning.

Everyone deserves to see the other side of what you wrote. This is only a portion.

And this is not from a bias perspective. This is from a perspective that has been open, since childhood to all faiths (even atheism, which is the most destructive of them all.)

love always

reply to post by snowflake_obsidian


The danger is in their self-professed 'Blood Atonement'..as well as the twisting of the 'Word'....look into the process of blood atonement youll see what i mean.

We're talking about people whom believe that upon death they will all be God's and rule over their own planets...thats kinda creepy.

reply to post by Nutrients


Blood Atonement.

High Political places of office

One of the richest of all cults/religions short of Catholicism

Repression runs rampant with high suicide rate / 'snap' murders

Highly elitist and racist

wolves in sheeps clothing...look into the social standards and actions in politics of these epople, not to mention their process of brainwashing very yound immigrant children from the Polynesian states

theres more. These are the highlights

reply to post by michaelsannie


oh this is too easy:

1. They are the only church on earth that requires a tithing of 10%, which makes it the
only church on earth to literally follow biblical teachings in regards to what Jesus
taught as right and just in our giving. And it goes to support its functions such family
assistance, in which has helped more families than i have seen other organizations
do. BYU tuition is affordable because of tithing, otherwise the cost of its education
would be comparable to an IVY league school.

- Largest amount of welfare recipients nationwide. Deadbeats.

2. The principles in the church are that family comes first! The father is the protector
and guider, the mother takes care of things of the home and children, and the
children have parents that are devoted to their upbringing. Is there something wrong
with traditional values? As i see it, with the lack of them the world is falling apart.

- The unscrupulous lies and twisting of gods word is the very worst for the youth. Furthermore there are writings of Smith and Young that contradict their own teachings.

3. Because of the type of commitment that is created between husband and wife within
an LDS relationship, one of eternity for Loves sake and purpose (and not just in this
life as all other churches) there is more compromising and willing behavior
in the relationship, which is required for a marriage to last! LDS relationship are
more capable of standing up and staying strong during a time where more than
half of all marriages are falling apart.

- Secretly still support Bigamy..racial elitism, high high suicide rate for both wives and children in LDS...look it up

5. Children are raised with moral values, which create moral people.

- Children are NOT taught the message of christ (the gospel)..furthermore, through DNA genetic mapping we've deduced that in no way do any indigenous indian people anywhere in north/south american have jewish blood (Levites).....false prophesy and teaching.

In closing this is a prime example of Cult of Personality...Smith never performed any miracles and all the documents and artifacts have been proven as bunk....so enjoy your Telestial life in the there-after as a god ruling your own planet.. (human diefication should be a red flag to any new believer in LDS)

I still don't see where they are dangerous other than the fact that YOU disagree with their beliefs and I feel that some of your information is incorrect.

Where do you get that mormons hold the highest percentage of welfare recipiants?

How do you figure that there is racism in mormonism more than there is in any other relicious, race or creed?

Where are you getting that they secretly still support bigamy?

As far as I know, all the people in the news recently who claim to be mormon and still attempt to practice bigamy have been excommunicated by the Mormon church. They never really "supported" bigamy before they ratified it to be illegal, they simply were not against it. Only 2% of the Mormon population before it was ratified practiced bigamy.

Who cares if they believe that they will be Gods when they die? That is just as wacked as any other wacky religious belief as Christians believing in the revelations, rapture and some big armaggedeon episode, the Jewish believing that they are the chosen ones and the Muslims believing that if they die Martyrs they will be greeted with 72 vigins gifted by Allah.

Christianity is a dangerous cult, just like moronism.

In fact, all major religions are cults.

Is it really wrong to believe that the Holy Trinity is actually 3 seperate beings?
After all,there is no clear statement of it in the Bible,and the idea didn't become a tradition until the 1st Council of Nicaea in 325.(and Jesus had been worshiped long before that time with no mention of a Trinity.)


Mormonism can be condemned of its past attitudes to women,gays,blacks,etc.but it is the past,and they are becoming more enlightened.(in 1978 blacks were allowed to become part of the priesthoods which means they were allowed in the church long before then and polygamy has not been practised for over a 100yrs.homosexuality is more widely accepted and women don't have to get married as soon as their old enough,the choice of when is theirs.).Also,the Catholic,Orthodox and Protestant faiths are not exactly whiter than white are they? The Church of England is the most progressive of the Christian religions,yet they get condemned by the Vatican and Catholics.



The Book of Mormon has contradictions in it,so what?
The Bible contradicts itself in its very 1st book!

They are the only church on earth that requires a tithing of 10%, which makes it the only church on earth to literally follow biblical teachings in regards to what Jesus taught as right and just in our giving.

And thats bad is it?
The tithing money is used in many areas;building temples,schools,homes.helping the poor and aiding charities etc.(and not just for those who are Mormons.)

Children are NOT taught the message of christ (the gospel).

Er,yes they are.Joseph Smith is a prophet but Jesus is more important to us.
many people can't accept a modern day prophet simply because God has been silent in their faiths for centuries!

In closing this is a prime example of Cult of Personality...Smith never performed any miracles

So what? The only prophet to perform miracles was Jesus because he was the Messiah.Name another that did?

We're talking about people whom believe that upon death they will all be God's and rule over their own planets...thats kinda creepy.

It is preached in the Bible that believers were to become like Jesus,and as Jesus is a God that means we will become one.In Matthew 14:24-32 when Jesus walks on water,so does Peter! His faith made him do what Jesus could do.(that is,until he doubted and started to sink.)[and its not just Mormons who believe that we will become like Christ.)

2 Corinthians.3;18.

18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD

Romans.8:29.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son

(just a cpl of examples.)


Bottom line is,Mormonism isn't perfect,but thats true of all Christian faiths.






[edit on 12-1-2008 by jakyll]