and why so many defend it so bravely.

Hello to all. No introduction needed because I have posted several times for a while now. Also, some of you know me in person. I just want to say that I am no longer a believer. Not happy with the outcome of my investigation of almost two years, because coming to the conclusion of a fraud of such scale, as the one this organization is (TSCC), is not good news for anyone, neither for those who are members or those who are not.

But there is a group, a few, I will call it "the elite", a few group of people that, like in a pyramid scheme, are the beneficiaries of the organization.

Having known closely many people who have work for the church and some that actually work for it, I can tell that it is them, and those who associate with the organization, the ones that benefit from the rest of the members who faithfully pay their tithing.

Where I come from, working for the church means a decent income, but you only get there if someone helps you in. Living is SLC I have noticed it is the same in here... difficult to get in.

Anyway, analyzing TSCC and why so many people can't open their eyes and to the truth, I realize that for many or for the majority, leaving the church will mean to leave their jobs, many of them with pretty good positions. If you notice, most GAs at least within the 70's most of them held positions in the church.
Many others benefit throughout contracts. Therefore the many chapel buildings and temples. That is how so much money moves around the church and many people benefit from it.

I am not saying that what they do is wrong, because that is exactly like the government works, but I am saying that for those people, those who live from the church, those with jobs in the church, IT WORKS. And I am sure, many of them are non believers, but oh well, they have to feed their families.

It is fair for them, but not for those people who work really hard to pay their tithing, under the promise that it is "the lord's work" and that they will be blessed or worse yet, they will be "burned" if they don't pay.

I would like to see TSCC becoming frugal, reducing their high ranking officers and employees who get the most money, getting a cut in their salaries, instead of demanding more and more from the regular members.

That's not how an MLM works. They need to increase their downline in order to expand the number of people actually receiving any profits.
Since the people are beginning to see the light and leave, they have to find new ways to squeeze money out of them.

The REAL business secret for Utah's best known corporation:
Holding families hostage in eternity aka EXTORTION in the name of God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LA_Eusla4o

Whether it "works" I think come down to whether it makes you happy or not in my opinion.

Mormonism didn't make me happy, but I guess for some people it does make them happy.

The people I feel bad for are the ones who don't feel happy in mormonism, but they feel they have to stay mormons because they're trapped.

Lots of things that are 'unhealthy', work for *some* people.
if you name almost any activity which is condemned by the majority of society, you will still find people who embrace it and think it's the bees knees.
severe BDSM
swinging
slavery
polygamy
consensual adult incest
mormonism
......the list goes on and on

1) The social climbers, like the Romneys, who get a lot of power and prestige from Mormonism. The Romney family has gotten very wealthy and powerful by climbing the LDS hierarchy. Leaving the church would devastate them socially and financially.

This is true for lesser families who get off on being stake presidents, bishops, mission presidents, or even just EQPs. It gives them a network and sense of belonging and authority they do not get outside Mormonism.

2) The sunshine Mormons, those who enjoy the social life and are not deep thinkers. I have close family members like this. Their entire social life is tied to the church, and they plug their kids into church programs. The doctrinal problems do not bother them since they don't tend to think too much about history or philosophy.

I had put one of my sisters in this category, but she had a terrible time and came home early from her mission. She got married and adopted a black child, and then later got divorced. She has a gay older brother (me), so the social aspects of Mormonism were not working for her anymore. I sent her "Under the Banner of Heaven" and she got so disgusted with JS that she never wants to go back.