https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_lie

"In religion, a pious fiction is a narrative that is presented as true by the author, but is considered by others to be fictional albeit produced with an altruistic motivation. The term is sometimes used pejoratively to suggest that the author of the narrative was deliberately misleading readers for selfish or deceitful reasons. The term is often used in religious contexts, sometimes referring to passages in religious texts."

It's not "noble" to collect tithes from the starving and invest them in your real estate empire.

Nor is it "noble" to drive LGBT youth to suicide.

For them to think it's noble would require an absolutely INCREDIBLE suspension of disbelief. But those wasted-skin-bags are probably capable of it.

I think most of them still believe it's all true. They've grown up with the indoctrination, invested their lives and careers in it, and the stakes are now too high for them to ever allow themselves any critical thinking that might indicate otherwise. It's not like they spent years getting theology degrees, after all. They use the same standard of proof all Mormons use: their feelings and emotions.

When Mormonism works out well for you and feels good, it's easy to believe that anyone for whom it doesn't work well isn't faithful, isn't trying hard enough, or is being tested by God (because that's what their version of God does to his loyal followers). I think they really believe that if the members just had enough faith and stopped listening to Stan, they'd all be as happy as the GAs themselves.