Reminding Mormons that they are in a dangerous world, the adversary wants to destroy them, and reiterating the persecutions that happened to Mormons in the past increases stress and emotional arousal.

"...stress and emotional arousal narrow attention, making people 'more susceptible to poorly supported arguments, social pressure, and the temptation to derogate nongroup members'" this in turn leads to the loss of "access to counterarguments....Because the cult frowns on or punishes disagreements, the apparent consensus helps eliminate lingering doubts." (Meyers, 2004).

It is every mormon's sacred duty to pretend that they remain valiant in the face of some imaginary onslaught. After bearing testimony of their own personal victories, they imagine that every pat on the back is a crown of glory. None of this would be possible without the constant reminders of being "persecuted" many years ago.

fat.