I recently have been reading some essays and books by Steven Hassan, a well-known therapist who deals primarily with the victims of destructive cults like the Heaven’s Gate group or the Moonies. Although I do not consider myself an expert, I wrote a reply to an individual on a message board who asked “Is Mormonism a Cult?”.
It looks like a simple question. I don’t believe, however, that a black-and-white answer is adequate. Different people at different times have had vastly different experiences. Mormonism has spawned over 11,000 splinter groups which may or may not be destructive cults, and among all these groups are individual congregations which vary dramatically.
I recently have been reading some essays and books by Steven Hassan, a well-known therapist who deals primarily with the victims of destructive cults like the Heaven’s Gate group or the Moonies. Although I do not consider myself an expert, I wrote a reply to an individual on a message board who asked “Is Mormonism a Cult?”.
It looks like a simple question. I don’t believe, however, that a black-and-white answer is adequate. Different people at different times have had vastly different experiences. Mormonism has spawned over 11,000 splinter groups which may or may not be destructive cults, and among all these groups are individual congregations which vary dramatically.
Note that Hassan’s use of the word “cult” differs from that used by Evangelical Christians, for whom “cult” appears to refer to any organization with heretical or blasphemous beliefs compared to mainstream Christianity. Hassan’s approach deals mainly with the use of personal influence in destructive, unhealthy, or controlling ways. (See: “Influence: Science and Practice” by Robert Cialdini) Hassan also distinguishes between cults and “destructive cults”, and appears to be very picky about when he uses which term.
Picture a triangle with a circle in the middle touching each side. The circle within the triangle represents the experience of the average member of a group. Those outside the circle at the top represent the leadership, whose experience in the organization is dramatically different than that of the average member. To the bottom left are the experiences of those who are not very active in the group, and to the right are those who are extremely active. The experiences of these four groups within a large organization are sufficiently unlike one another that they can be considered individually. Even if the rest of the group is not this way, the outliers may exhibit symptoms of being in a destructive cult. Many groups — even some corporations — have sub-groups which exhibit cult-like behavior.
As an example, I point to the coercive interviews I experienced as a teenager. The bishop of the ward would pull me into his office and question me explicitly about my relationships with my girlfriends, personal sexual and cleanliness habits, and basic worthiness. This was done twice a year. It included lines of questioning which, due to the family-oriented nature of this site, I’d rather not delve into. Accompanying these were demands for confession of other sins, and information about these transgressions became common knowledge among the ward leadership.
My wife, on the other hand, remembers no such explicit questions while growing up. Her family went to church most of the time, and she recalls having worthiness interviews prior to going to the temple to do baptisms for the dead or advancing in the Young Women’s program. For her, these were not bizarre or sinister experiences, and they were not terrifically detailed examinations or demands for confession. And as far as I know, her leaders maintained the sanctity of the confessional.
The mission field is a special case within the church. In my opinion, there is no question those in the mission field have mind-control methods used on them, and are taught principles of personal influence with the goal of gaining converts. Many of the worst abuses symptomatic of destructive cults, however, are absent in the field. A distinguishing feature of the mission field is one shared by the U.S. Military, and Hassan considers it reason enough to exempt the military from being considered a destructive cult:
There is a way to honorably exit.
For soldiers, it’s to serve your tour. For missionaries, it’s to serve your two years (or eighteen months). Hassan gives organizations which have a method of honorable exit a “pass” on being considered a destructive cult because they have a job to do which requires mind-control methods.
Here’s a list from Hassan’s book to evaluate whether a loved one is involved in a destructive cult:
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF A MIND CONTROL ENVIRONMENT
Exclusivity/isolation
* manipulation, deception, dependency and isolation * all the other churches are dead and unspiritual * demanding a one-over-one discipling relationship * has turned his back on all his friends. * spending more and more time with her * secret meetings * moved into the group’s headquarters * the cult member refuses to respond to letters and phone calls * the family doesn’t even know where their loved one is
Abuse of power
* psychological blackmail * threatening prophecies * gives her large sums of money * the group will extract as much money as it can * her guru wants to get his hands on our property and savings * he wanted to have sex with me
Creation of the cult identity
* I don’t recognize my own bright, warm, loving son. * controlled my behavior, my thoughts and my emotions * a cult member is like an actor/ they actually come to believe the “role” is reality
If more than one of these characteristics sound familiar, there is a good chance that the group in question is a destructive cult. The chapters that follow will give you more specific criteria for evaluating the destructive potential of a group.
Is Mormonism a destructive cult? That’s a simple question with a complicated answer.
