I have been doing some research on Mormons and what they believe. It is starting to look like to me anyways that behind the publics eye there is something going on there. Is that true? Or am I just not believe this whole we love and help every body stuff? Its just to me Im not buying to that to me they seem like a cult and very very odd!!!!!! So I guess whats up with them really?? What does go on behind the publics eye. Thanks

See [www.culteducation.com]

Dear Sris,

I was raised mormon and lived in Utah for many years. Most of my family is still mormon. I'd be happy to answer any specific questions you have based on my own experience and understanding.

Whether it is a "cult" I suppose depends on how one defines that term.

The LDS church definitely discourages critical thinking. I recall hearing many times "When the prophet speaks, the thinking has been done." (the church president is considered to be a living prophet.)

I consider the church to be sexist. All men are ordained with "the priesthood". No women are.

There is a definite authoritarian heirarchy.

The mormon brand of christianity is a bit different from other christian churches I am familiar with.

There is a strong orientation on the importance of family relationships. This I consider to be a strong positive.

Sris,

I am a former member of the Mormon (officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints). I converted to it when I was 18 while attending Brigham Young University in Utah - I ended my membership 20 years later. Although many other Christian churches may disagree, the Mormon religion is generally christian and, as Questionlady said, it is a matter of opinion as to whether or not they are a cult. They do believe in the holy trinity (God the father, Jesus the son of God, and the Holy Spirit), but they do not place the emphasis on the trinity as other christian faiths.

The leader of the Mormon church on earth is their Prophet, considered infallible like the Catholic pope. He is assisted by 12 apostles, also known as the "general authorities". The general authorities often render opinions and, in the past have claimed to have visions, but they are not considered infallible - they can be wrong if the Prophet says so.

The Mormons believe that 600 years before the birth of Christ, that an angel of God manifested itself to a righteous man, named Lehi, living in or near Jerusalem. This angel warned Lehi that Jerusalem was about to be attacked and possibly destroyed in the near future. Lehi was instructed to take his family and household, following God's intructions, and move to another location. It is thought that Lehi took his family across North Africa and upon "inspiration" from God, built some kind of sealed boat, traveled across the Atlantic Ocean, and landed somewhere on the South American coastline, ala Thor Heyerdahl.

There, they began to populate what is assumed to be a previously unpopulated land. Lehi had two sons, Nephi and Laman. Nephi was a good and righteous man, while Laman was not righteous (more or less like Cain and Abel). Eventually, Laman left with his own followers to establish their own community. Nephi stayed and assumed command of his father's community. The 2 groups became known as "Lamanites" and "Nephites" - they eventually became bitter enemies.

In time, God supposedly turned the Lamanites' skin dark so they could be easily distinguished from the "white and delightsome" Nephites, thus helping to prevent intermarrying between the two. Native inhabitants of the Americas (American Indians, Aztecs, Incas, Inuits, etc. are all considered descendants of the Lamanites, along with native peoples of the Pacific Islands). Over time, the Lamanites drove the Nephites northward into the area now considered the eastern United States, where the Nephites were eventually wiped out by the Lamanites

One of the last righteous leaders of the Nephites, named Mormon, buried a record of the Nephites and Lamanites stamped or carved on gold plates per God's instructions before he was killed. These golden plates were supposedly dug up by Joseph Smith, under the direction of the angel, Moroni. The record on the golden plates was called "The Book of Mormon", thus the common name of the LDS Church.

Initially, the Mormons practiced polygamy and for a while resided in Missouri. However, growing local animosity and persecution drove them to migrate westward to Utah in the mid-1800s. Before the migration, Joseph Smith was murdered and Brigham Young was placed in charge. Under Brigham Young's leadership, the Utah community was established. The Mormons were forced to renounce polygamy in the early 1900's under pressure from the U.S. govt. However, various splinter groups still practice polygamy - usually in remote locations. The Mormon church disavows these groups.

The center of activity for Mormons are their temples, where all ordinance work (except baptisms) is performed. Only the most faithful and devout Mormons are allowed in the inner areas of the temples. The ultimate goal for a Mormon couple is to be married and have their union sealed for eternity in one of the temples. Marriage outside of the temples is only for time on earth, not eternity. Mormons believe in doing ordinance work for the dead, they perform baptisms and marriages by proxy for the dead in their temples. At one time, I was an endowed elder and allowed access into the temples. Out of respect for friends, I will not detail the ceremonies and rituals there, but I can assure all that there is nothing dark or sinister going on there. The temple ceremonies and rituals are very tame and almost silly. When I went through, I had to stop myself from giggling and rolling my eyes at what I saw.

Mormons believe very strongly in chastity until marriage and are almost obsessive about having large numbers of children. The devout follow a "dietary" code called the "Word of Wisdom" taken from one of their scriptures called the "Doctrine and Covenants". The Word of Wisdom is simple: no alcohol, no coffee, no caffeinated tea, no smoking. This also includes caffeinated cola drinks and any other beverage containing caffeine, as well as illicit drugs.

I, too, consider the Mormon religion sexist. Women are very much second - class citizens in Mormon society. Men have the priesthood and women are expected and required to defer to it. Men advance from deacon to priest to elder and are all expected to fulfill a two year mission for their church. Those that do not are considered suspect and unworthy by other members. Unlike the Catholic church, Mormons do not have or revere saints.

The Mormons do believe in an Apocalypse and an Armageddon, they refer to it as the "Last Days". They strongly preach that their members maintain a 2 year supply of foodstuffs, water, etc. for this eventuality.

The Mormons do not believe in a Hell as the Catholics do. They have three stages of afterlife. The highest where only the most righteous will go is the Celestial Kingdom where they will have a fully functional resurrected body and can continue to have children to create and populate new worlds. The middle stage is the Terrestial Kingdom where again they will have resurrected bodies, but will be unable to have children and somehow it will not be as nice or desirable as the Celestial stage. The lowest is the Telestial Kingdom which is supposed to be comparable to life as we have in now on earth, but somehow still undesirable.

The Mormons also believe in the existence of the Devil, considered a rebellious, usurping, power-hungry rival of Jesus in the Pre-Existence (our existence in spirit bodies before the earth was created). He proposed an alternate "plan" for the salvation of mankind, involving removal of our free will (called free agency), which God rejected in favor of Jesus' plan. The Devil, (Lucifer, I think they call him) responded by leading a rebellion to unseat God, which failed. He and his followers were cast out and are allowed to tempt humanity as part of God's / Jesus' plan involving free agency.

The Mormons have three basic scriptures: The "Inspired" version of the King James Bible, The Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants. It's been a few years, but I think that's all the significant stuff.

Whew!! sametanner

Sametanner,

Your post was very informative. I've always been curious about what Mormon's believed, but never got around to finding out myself. Thanks for sharing.

Driver,

You and anyone else who found this useful are very welcome. I am happy to have been some help.

Sametanner