why do people say Mormon's belong to a cult?

Question

I want honest answers, I have been in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints my whole life and I always heard from other people(some) that they think mormons are a cult. I don't understand this when we teach about free agency and choosing for yourself. You are very much Christians. People say we believe in poligamy, but we don't. I think they get that from the RLDS religion. I always thought it was funny cause people would tell me I'm not Christian, how do they know, I very much believe in God. Can some one anwer this for me, cause I always wondered way people said it was a cult. I will tell you straight up I'm not a cult member!

I am not brainwashed. I know my religion. I have studied the bible and in the bible it talks about the book of mormon and the coming of joesph smith. I know this to be true because I have prayed about it and have recieved my own answer. I think alot of people just say what they hear....but have you really studied the mormon church you would see for yourself what it is all about instead of saying little things about us that aren't true. Also I am not ignorant! why do you say that?

Answer 1

It's just blind hate

They are brainwashed into thinking that anything outside the narrow definition of so-called "Christianity" defined by a few hate-mongers is a cult.

When you see their posts you can tell they talk about Christ but have no clue how to act like Christ.

They are told half-truths by disgruntled whiners who left the church because they couldn't have it their way. I mean they point to websites (most unreliable source in the world).

D

The irony did not escape me that some of my above comments could be taken as un-Christ-like by some. If I offended you I am sorry; but this is how I see it -- calling The LDS church a cult and non-Christian is blind hate.

Answer 2

People really show their ignorance when they make statements like mormons dont read the Bible. We read the King James version of the Bible. In fact, right now in sunday school, since we rotate which books are focused on, everyone in this church is uniformily, in every building around the world, learning about the New Testatment. It rotates between the Old Test, New Test, Book of Mormon and Doctrine of Covenants. How many people here that accuse the mormons of being a cult for changing the Bible or for not believing in the "original" teachings of the Bible read a modern condensed or changed language version of the Bible. There are so many modern versions of the Bible that basically are individuals interpretations of what they think the Bible is saying. If you read those then couldnt I accuse you of reading altered versions of the Bible? Also, if you arent a catholic then arent you just a breakaway cult of the original christian church???? The mormons dont claim priesthood authority thru the catholic church. Can your church say that? What right did your church have to break away from that socalled original Catholic doctrine and form your own church??? How is your church any different then the mormon church if it is merely a breakoff from the church that claims the direct line from the church Christ established thru Peter (no I dont believe he did establish a catholic church thru peter but its where the foundations of the Catholic church and thus all breakoff esp the Protestant religions stems from and claims its authority)

So if you arent Catholic you are just part of another breakaway church. I could accuse you of being in a cult just as easily. Why do you think your church has the authority to define what a christian is??? If you dont have prophets or divine revelation what right did your original pastor have to claim the divine inspiration to leave the original Catholic church? If you dont believe mormons had a right to divine inspiration or prophetic change, then why did your leaders do it?

for those of you that just dont believe in religion in general, I think your arguments are actually more valid because it isnt coming from a completely hyppocritical standpoint. However, that being said, you dont have all the answers either. It takes just as much faith sometimes not to believe in anything. I completely understand why someone wouldnt be religious. You listen to some of these stories and laugh at how insane they sound. But what doesnt make any sense is why atheists have to go out of their way to bash people of faith. Religion hasnt inspired anymore violence in this world then any other organization. Communists were anti god and their gvts over the years have murdered more people in the history of this planet than anyone other. Every war fought in the name of religion would have fought in the name of something else if religion never existed because wars like those of the crusades were not fought over religion, but land and used religion as an excuse. So stop blaming religion for everything. Look around at what so many religious charities do for the good of society. If the people within a religion are good people then why do you have issue with where they are learning to be good people?

Answer 3

(Just a quick head's up: the RLDS has never accepted polygamy in it's 147 year history. I believe you're thinking of the FLDS or Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

In a general sense, it is a common tradition in the Western world to label any church people don't understand (or don't agree with) as a cult. In a more specific sense, many of the non-Protestant Christian denominations, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists and Seventh-day Adventists are labeled 'cults' because their docrtines are believed (by some) to differ greatly from 'mainstream' Christianity. Although I'm not sure who gets to decide what's mainstream Christian and what's not.

In recent years, some have attempted to define cults as churches that people are very committed to, but the same could be said of the church that Christ himself established when he lived on the earth. Seriously...Mormons only give 10%, but the early Christians weren't allowed to follow Jesus unless they gave EVERYTHING.

Answer 4

It is a way for Christian denominations to make themselves feel righteous.

Many Christians do not have a good sense of the history behind their individual denominations, and don't understand that most of them had prophets just like Smith that spurned change or a rethinking of theology.

Christians will say that Mormons don't believe in the divinity of Christ or that you use additional books for inspiration from God. That ignores the entire canonization process of the New Testament, which chose NT books in order to establish doctrine, in the same way that Smith wrote, and plagiarized some text to establish a new doctrine.

All religions are cults. They cause people to shun family members, and fight amongst themselves over theories and doctrine relating to a God they cannot prove exists.

And Jamie Glasscock's statement about God forgetting to add the book of mormon till later, can and should be applied to the New Testament.

Answer 5

It's rather simple. The definition of a cult is "a cohesive social group devoted to beliefs or practices usually contrary to the norms of democracy."

So, the word cult would apply to LDS, FLDS, and other small religions.

This is not being critical at all ... this is the dictionary definition of cult. In other words, by the dictionary, you are a member of a cult, but it's not necessarily a negative comment.

You must admit, that even without polygamy, the LDS faith has beliefs that are outside of the norm (for example, that men will become gods to populate and rule over their own planet).

I have many very good LDS/Mormon friends. I just don't believe what they believe, and they don't believe what I believe.

Answer 6

No. he's a Christian. The features of a cult are thoroughly opposite of his faith. He basically informed you to no longer check out different web content by way of fact a lot of them are the two incorrect or blatantly mendacity approximately our faith. there's a lot crap suggested human beings, and the vast majority of that is thoroughly unfaithful. He in basic terms had to spare you from the nonsense. i'm sorry that your suited pal thinks we are a cult, yet why no longer ask her WHY she thinks that? most of the human beings who have faith we are a cult have been informed so by using somebody they have faith--their pastors or a parent or yet another pal. that is nonetheless no longer genuine, yet she could have some fake or incomplete suggestions. calmly ask her for her motives, and then take them on your boyfriend and notice what he says. nonetheless, whilst that is great which you have faith him, in basic terms be careful whilst utilising the internet for suggestions. something on the internet is questionable, isn't it? you need to continually use hassle-loose experience, yet once you do come for the time of something that will enhance doubts, in basic terms ask him. ...and the intercourse interior the celestial kingdom factor? Yeah. that is between the lies. we don't think that.

Answer 7

All religions, just like all individuals, are starting places. None are better, none are worse, they're just the place one would logically start a search for the divine. If you think you've found the divine within your religion (any religion) then you are still at the start of your search. It is when we think we have found what we seek that we stop searching. Search as you must, there will always be people discontent with you even if you joined their religion.
Religion just like flesh is earthly. One could argue that everything earthly is flesh from a spiritual perspective. Doomed is the flesh that depends on the soul ; doomed is the soul that depends on the flesh. Choose which you want doomed.

Agape

♥Blessed Be♥
♥=∞

Answer 8

They say that because it is true.
-The nature of God is not that of the Bible or Book of Mormon
-The nature of salvation is not that of the Bible or Book of Mormon
- The "priesthood" they say was restored really wasn't if you look at the book of Hebrews.

The gauge of whether you are a Christian or not is not that hard to tell.
-who do you put your trust in for salvation? Is it the church or Joseph Smith? If you trust anything other than Jesus for salvation, you have trusted in vain.
-will Joseph Smith be there with Jesus doing judging of you? The Bible says he wont be.

Answer 9

Today's Mormons are more mainstream than in previous generations...however, for most Christian denominations [those believing in a Triune God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] a church that was started on a bizarre experience related to Joseph Smith, an American farm kid, finding the gold tablets buried in a field [regarding which no contemporaneous translations or further evidence can be shown], and moving along to Temple garments, a belief in marriages kept in heaven, the baptism of the dead into the church...? The Mormon lifestyle is full of family love, responsibility, prudence and thrift--but the founding beliefs are difficult, if not impossible, for most folks to swallow. It has taken several generations to create a mainstream public image...brilliant public relations and a downplaying of some of the more arcane beliefs have certainly helped bring this about. By definition & belief, Mormonism isn't truly 'Christian' to those for whom the Nicene Creed is the bottom line.

Answer 10

If your on this site much, you'll see it pretty often. Don't let it bother you. If that's what they want to think, let them. The word cult is thrown around so much by Christians, atheists and others, they might as well use the word "banana" and define it however they want. Just keep on answering and asking questions as you see fit.

Good luck