Are Mormons a cult?

Today, in my calling as a mission leader, I was confronted with the direct question, "are you a cult?". My first instinctive reaction is to answer "well no you're not", but I wanted to be able to give a well-founded answer, as objectively as possible, yet based on the knowledge I have as a Mormon myself.

Finding a simple definition of "what is a cult" did not prove truly possible. I consulted various sources and from them drew some conclusions for myself and compiled a common list of characteristics.

A first important finding is: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appears on the list drawn up by the parliamentary inquiry committee in its synoptic table in April 1997 (see this report on page 230 and following).

But the committee clearly states: "Thus, the fact that a certain movement appears on that list, even if initiated by an official body, does not mean that the committee assumes it is a cult and, a fortiori, that it is dangerous."

So no conclusion can be drawn from that.

A second investigation I did was into the recognition of our church. In our country, six religious beliefs are recognized as recognized denomination: Catholicism, Judaism, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Islam and the Orthodox faith. organized secularism is also recognized.

But it is not because you lack recognition that you are by definition a cult. Buddhism is not recognized, but no one will call it a cult.

In Belgium, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may not be recognized as a church, but it is in other countries. Of course, in its country of origin: the United States. But there are still "kerken" (churches) recognized there that are recognized as cults in our country (and other countries).

For example, our church is also a recognized denomination in the Netherlands, just like in other European countries. So it strongly appears that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is generally considered a denomination, whether recognized or not.

The next attempt is the definition from Van Dale practical dictionary: “Sect: a closed religious group with a strong leader”.

That's simple to answer:

• closed: certainly not. Everyone is welcome at our meetings, member or not. And membership is also not closed: anyone can become a member.
• strong leader: yes, we have a living prophet whom we look up to enormously, but he is not alone. He is assisted by two counselors (together these three form the First Presidency) and by the Twelve Apostles. They all must ratify a statement before it can be recognized as doctrine.

My own list of characteristics

Based on everything I have read and because I could not find a conclusive definition, I have drawn up a list of characteristics that a sect must meet. These come partly from the criteria used by the parliamentary inquiry committee, partly from a list that the non-profit Study and Advice group on Sects uses.

1. Are we a closed group?
   No, as already indicated, as a church we are very open. We invite everyone with open arms to attend our meetings, both on Sundays and on other days.
   The only thing that has a restriction is access to our temples. This is only possible for worthy members. Not that mysterious things happen there, but because for us, this is truly a house of the Lord, where nothing unclean may enter. There we have some sacred rituals, which we do not discuss publicly because of their sacredness.
   
2. Deceptive recruitment methods.
   I know few churches that teach so extensively about what we believe and how things work with us before you become a member. It is even more or less a condition that you have attended church several times on Sunday before being baptized, so that you experience firsthand how you feel in our church community.
   We also don't lure anyone with false promises: we only promise the chance to find happiness. Whether you actually become happier is in your own hands with the choices you make.
   
3. Supremacy of doctrine.
   Naturally, we attach great importance to our doctrine, namely the teachings of Jesus Christ. In this, we do not differ from other Christian churches.
   But in the list of cult characteristics, this is considered suppressing free choice. This is exactly the opposite for Mormons. We believe in absolute freedom of choice, moreover, we believe that God has established this as an absolute law, a law that even He must adhere to.
   
4. Rejection of criticism and independent thought
   Everyone, as I stated, has the free choice to believe what he or she wants. This is even stated in our Articles of Faith: “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege: let them worship how, where, or what they may.”
   It is also natural that within our church we believe that Jesus Christ is at the head and He gives us guidelines. We have the free choice to follow them or not, but we must be willing to accept the consequences of those choices.
   Christ also has rules for those who wish to bear His name as Christians and thus for those who wish to be members of His church. Official doctrines can only be promulgated by the leadership of the church (the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles).
   
5. The presentation of an ideal
   Yes, our ideal is to live like Christ. That should be clear.
   But the SAS adds to that characteristic “Because such an ideal cannot be achieved, guilt, shame, and fear are induced in the members. The leaders who evoke and exploit these feelings of guilt, shame, and fear thus gain an even stronger hold on their members. The members become fixated on their shortcomings and lose sight of their strengths.”
   That is certainly not the case with Mormons. Let me be clear about that: our church is a church full of imperfect people. Even our prophet proclaims that he is not perfect.
   We strive to improve ourselves, knowing that we regularly make mistakes and sin and therefore need repentance and the atonement of Christ.
   Our church also attaches great importance to study and self-reliance. We encourage everyone to make the most of their life: to gratefully use their talents and pray for strength to learn from their weaknesses.
   
6. Use of specific jargon
   Guilty across the board. Living as a Mormon is a life that doesn't really align with what is currently common in the world, and consequently, we have customs that have very unique names, as do the structures in our church. Family home evening, ordinance, endowment, Relief Society, elders, youth activities, fast Sunday, testimony, Heavenly Father, stakes, wards, branches, ... These are all words that specifically belong in Mormon life.
   But do we shield ourselves with that? No, in that too we want to openly testify what it means to us. Just read Chrisy Ross's story about Mormon Lingo.
   
7. Public confession of sins to evoke feelings of guilt
   Confessing sins is primarily done to Heavenly Father (there I go with my lingo) and to yourself. Some sins you also need to discuss in a private conversation with your bishop, not to get his forgiveness, but to receive help and guidance on how you can repent of that sin.
   Even very serious sins that can lead to excommunication, such as child abuse, are not dealt with publicly, but behind closed doors, before a disciplinary council (so there too, no  strong leader who decides on his own).
   
8. Depriving the freedom to leave the group
   Do you want to stop? Then just stop. Don't come anymore, become inactive or go a step further and ask to be removed from the membership list. Then it will be as if you were never a member.
   Do we bother ex-members or less active members? Yes and no. We leave ex-members completely alone. Anyone who has themselves deregistered has made a clear choice (freedom of choice, remember?). Members who become less active do get a call or a visit to hear what's wrong. Not to put pressure on them, but we would be bad Christians if we were not concerned about the salvation of our brothers and sisters.
   
9. Breaking contact with family
   No way. Mormons attach enormous importance to family. We will never ask for that. The opposite sometimes happens: family members who no longer want to have anything to do with the convert. That is a pity and we will always strive to reopen those lines of communication.
   
10. It's 'us against them'
    No, again very clearly not. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not against society. On the contrary! Again, you can find an article of faith about this:  “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.”
    Respecting the laws of the society in which you live is therefore very important to us. We believe in democracy. Our members are even encouraged to serve in that democracy where possible.
    
11. Excessive financial demands
    I will be very clear about this. We follow the commandment regarding tithes that can be found in the Bible. We give 10% of our income to the church to finance its operations and thus help build God's kingdom.
    Always 10%. Never more. Also not in the form of expensive mandatory courses and trips. It even explicitly states in our handbook that participation in activities must always be free.
    Is 10% excessive? Everyone must decide that for themselves. I know that I give more than 50% to the state in exchange for various services. I also know that I give 10% to the church, for which I receive many more blessings in return.
    
12. Excluding dissenters
    Of course, there is a common faith in a church. You can hardly expect to be a member of an organization and then vehemently oppose that organization and its values.
    Are we harsh against criticism? No, independent thinking is something we expect. Even before baptism, we ask to go into prayer and ask God if you receive confirmation of the truth of our message.
    Are members sometimes expelled? Yes, sometimes based on a violation of fundamental religious reasons and a lack of repentance. And yes, sometimes also because what one proclaims does not correspond to our doctrine. But no, no one is excluded because of what they think, but sometimes based on what they do.
    

My conclusion after this self-examination

Had I ever thought that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was a cult, I would not have become a member of it. Instinctively I knew the answer to this question all too well, but after having thoroughly written down all the answers, I honestly believe I can tell the person who asked me the question: “no, we are not a cult”. But I leave the judgment to everyone themselves; I only hope that the information from this post can help to provide a well-founded answer.