Critics sometimes label the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon) as a cult. What is the definition of a cult, and is there a "Mormon cult?"
Notably, while a handful of faith groups could be described as "Mormons," this article uses the term "Mormon" to refer solely to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Definition of a Cult
As reflected in reputable dictionaries, it's hard to define what a "cult" actually is. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary says simply that a cult is "a system of religious beliefs and ritual" or "a religion regarded as unorthodox."
Popular Usage of the Word 'Cult'
Although the real definition of a cult only addresses the public perception of a religion rather than the content of the religion or its beliefs, most people use the word "cult" to mean something very different.
In popular use, the word "cult" has a decidedly negative connotation. People usually use it to describe a dangerous religious group that brainwashes or otherwise controls its members. The word particularly refers to fringe groups such as suicide cults and doomsday cults.
Cult Characteristics and Mormonism
Though there is no single, definitive, or authoritative list of the features of a dangerous cult, many scholars have compiled lists based on their research. Here are some of a cult's characteristics and how they relate to Mormonism:
- Cults are short-lived, small, and geographically contained. The LDS church is 180 years old with nearly 14 million members in over 28,000 congregations located in 170 countries.
- Cults claim exclusive truth. The LDS church teaches that while other religions have many true points to them, it alone has the full measure of God's truth.
- Cults emphasize bringing in new converts. The LDS church has a robust missionary program and teaches the importance of sharing the gospel with others through word and example.
- Cults encourage members to distance themselves from non-member family and friends, only living and associating with members. The LDS church encourages civic participation and friendships with neighbors, friends, and family members regardless of religious affiliation.
- Cults are preoccupied with making money and are secretive about finances. The LDS church teaches the Biblical doctrine of tithing, which goes to fund buildings and other church purposes. Finances are not made public, but the church is audited every 6 months by certified CPAs.
- Cults encourage unwavering devotion to a messianic, self-appointed leader. Leaders of the LDS church aren't self-appointed and don't claim divinity, but do claim to be prophets of God. Mormons feel that prophets, as God's spokesmen, should be circumspectly obeyed.
- Cults feature a stringent set of rules from which the leader or leaders are exempt. The LDS church teaches that God's commandments (rules of conduct) are strict but are the same for everyone regardless of age, race, gender, or church position.
- Cult leaders dictate personal details of members' lives. The LDS church teaches members to adhere to God's commandments, but individuals are responsible for choosing their own spouses, family sizes, careers, schooling, residences, political affiliation, and so on.
- Cults demand a great deal of a member's personal time and effort. In the LDS church, active members fulfill all leading and teaching positions. Their service is seen as a vital part of active church membership but is voluntary.
- Cults introduce new members to a group that appears loving and supportive. The LDS church is a tight-knit group that consciously works to fellowship new members and visitors to make them feel comfortable and needed.
- Cults are preoccupied with an imminent end to the world. The LDS church believes in Christ's second coming and an eventual end to the world, but the church's focus is mainly on individual spirituality rather than doomsday events or when they may occur.
Some who call Mormonism a cult may do so based on their interpretations of LDS practices and church structure as they relate to these considerations.
Weird Mormon Beliefs - Do They Make Mormons a Cult?
Other people who call Mormonism a cult simply feel that Mormonism has strange beliefs. Some uniquely LDS beliefs include (click on each to learn more about it):
- Apostasy and restoration
- Book of Mormon
- Living prophet leading the church
- Priesthood power
- Temples
- Baptism for the dead
- Three degrees of glory in heaven
- Exaltation (becoming gods)
- Non-belief in the Trinity
Many of the unique beliefs of the LDS church encourage those outside the Mormon religion to label it as a cult.
Cult vs. Religion – What is a Mormon?
Authors Bromley and Shupe write in their book In Strange Gods: The Great American Cult Scare, that “sociologically, a cult is the starting point of every religion." New faith groups, or cults, either "go on to become what we know as larger religious traditions, such as Islam, Buddhism, or Christianity, or they disintegrate and fade away."
Because they are sometimes viewed as cult members, Mormons often feel a connection to the first Christians who were also seen as a cult by their contemporaries. LDS author and religious scholar Stephen E. Robinson remarks: "any definition of 'cult' that fits the LDS Church also fits New Testament Christianity! But that’s not bad company to be in."
"Cult" is an emotionally charged word with a meaning that a lot of people (including those who use it) don't fully understand. People who say Mormonism is a cult usually refer to a perceived presence of cult-like characteristics or Mormonism's more unorthodox beliefs. It depends on who you ask, because as Robinson writes, "use of the term cult does not tell us what a religion is, only how it is regarded by the person using the term."
Sources:
Janja Lalich and Michael D. Langone, Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups.
David G. Bromley and Anson D. Shupe Jr. Strange Gods: The Great American Cult Scare. Boston: Beacon, 1981.
Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson. How Wide the Divide: A Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation. Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1997.
Stephen E. Robinson, “Are Mormons Christians?,” New Era, May 1998, 41
Jenny Evans - Jenny Evans is a freelance writer and editor specializing in parenting and the family. She is also the Mormonism Topic Editor for ...
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