The problem is that they don't use reason or logic at all. If they put to use some critical thinking skills, they would get out in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, cult like organizations are good at discouraging thought.
but I probably gained that from mormonism or a mother who worried about EVERYTHING. My siblings and I all worry too much. We had a deaf grandmother, who was my mother's mother, who worried more than all of us. If I couldn't hear, I'd probably worry more, too. So it is something learned in our family.
I overthink things like quitting my job this past week. Glad I did it, but the whole experience is still bugging me.
This is probably why I still go to my therapist. I go tell him what is bothering me and he zeroes right in on why I do that and tells me why. Once he tells me why, I'm done with it.
I did find it rather telling that my father didn't worry about dying except he didn't know what to expect, and that bothered him, but he wasn't afraid. My stake president uncle was horrified at the thought of dying. He hung out in a nursing home for years. Why would a leader be afraid of dying and my dad wasn't? (My dad wasn't very mormon.)
I've had the same experience that the more TBM a family member was, the more they feared dying. I think the basic problem is that true believers are convinced that unless they do everything Just Right, something terrible will happen. That's a worldview deeply rooted in fear.
Fear of dying is just a subset of their fear of everything in life.
Priesthood used to set up chairs in the culture hall on Sundays (when the church was still full of people). It was the responsibility of the deacons and teachers to get it done. It shouldn't have required a lot of thinking, but it did.
You see, it all depended on which penishead adviser thought that he knew best. One guy wanted them to face the stage with an aisle that created two sections (l-r). Another one wanted no aisle (Just one group) and another wanted 3 groupings.
Factor in that a member of the bishoprick wanted the chairs to face the opposite direction (near the overflow hallway) for one of those heavily attended missionary farewells when even non-members would show up.
And of course, there were times when the great dictator stake president would show up and we had to move the chairs to face his way (facing north). That meant that he stood under a basketball net (they were permanently down) and I daydreamed of chuckin' a ball at him.
They accept illogical conclusions, then they must force their thinking to twist and turn and tangle to get to there. It's more a case of using their brains illogically than in actual realistic thinking.
They under think everything they are told, and over think everything they do after being told. Examples.....
Church Leaders: Sex is only appropriate within the bounds of marriage.
Church Member (under thinking): Yep, I'll follow that counsel!
Church Member (over thinking): Is sex like meat in the word of wisdom...to be used sparingly and only in times of procreation? Can we remove our garments for sex? Can we lay together with no garments after sex? Do we need to pray before sex? Is performing XYZ on each other allowed? Can I do XYZ while my partner watches? Can we enjoy sex? Do we need to read scriptures before sex?
Or.....
Church Leader: Read and study the Book of Mormon.
Church Member (under thinking): Yep, I'll follow that counsel.
Church Member (over thinking): Is it best to read in the morning or before bed? How many times do I have to read it? Do we need to read out loud as a family? Am I supposed to give out copies with my picture and testimony in it so all my friends to read it? Can I read the older versions? Can I skip a day of reading and not be sinning?
A TBM from one of those mega families that produce hundreds of offspring, posted a video on Facebook of their grandpa giving the family (kids, grandkids, great-grandkids) a lecture about saving/investing money. He gave pretty good advise but ended by stressing the importance of tithing. He said that planet earth is a gift from God for us to use for our needs, and that tithing was how they paid God back for the use of planet earth.
I don't know if Mormons overthink everything but they definitely have a unique perspective on everything that favors the LDS corporation. They don't view the planet as a place shared by so many species, all doing what they can to survive, but a place specifically created for the needs of humans. Paying tithing to LDS Inc is how members pay God back for the use of the planet. It's a crazy warped way of viewing things, all to benefit LDS Inc. So twisted.
Mormons I have dealt with tend to suspend thinking.
During my marriage to a TBM wife she had reduced every decision to a choice between: keep a temple recommend; lose a temple recommend. Anything else was irrelevant. The result is not much deep thought or philosophy.