I keep reading people who say tithing keeps LDS loyal to the organization. I do not see other people leaving Christian churches because they are not required to give 10%. Is the church’s cult-like demand of tithing keeping Mormons from leaving?

If any mormon profit demands members to go jump in a lake, then members will go out and "jump in the lake".

Members are conditioned/brainwashed to follow the prophet; no matter how dumb or stupid it is.

Paying tithing is dumb. The church doesn't need $$$.

But the members believe that god wants them to pay up because the profit says so.

So if the profit quit demanding it they would just consider it wonderful revelation.

In the sense that it increases the sunk costs; if they leave they have to admit that all the tithing $$$ they paid were wasted. (Same principle as holding onto worthless stocks too long.)

Many would pay anyway for virtue signaling and "blessings."

Psychologically it works to keep people in.

The more you invest in something, the more you need it to pay off.

If someone were only lightly invested, and it wasn't enjoyable, they're out of there. Make them invest a lot of time and money, and they will stay due to the investment in time and money.

Psychologically, it is a proven principle. That's why they won't make it easy to be a Mormon. People would hear the weird shit and leave.

Of course, because a religion that does not demand all things lacks the power to bring about salvation. Surely someone else out there is demanding more.

Attributed to Mark Twain is an old proverb, "It’s Easier to Fool People Than to Convince Them That They Have Been Fooled." This is especially true when the person has fooled himself. OTOH, I notice that converts, who have a previous, comparative, belief system, seem more able to break away from LDS. BIC's, not that much.

Logged Off Again, I especially like your stock metaphor. It takes an adult, real-world investor to accept losses. A similar situation: the retailer who keeps slow-moving merchandise on the shelf instead of moving it to the sale bin.

Members are liabilities for the church. There is no reason for the church to have members if they do not pay tithing. How many farms raise animals that do not produce anything of value to the farmers?

"I do not see other people leaving Christian churches"

This message loses all validity by this statement. People are leaving religion in droves.

Conservative and ethnic churches are growing. This could explain the LDS mainstreaming agenda: to appear more mainstream/conservative/Evangelical, and also gain minority converts and grow minority/ethnic wards.

If the US is going "minority majority," they want to be in on that. Sure, this may call for a very long game in 3rd world nations, but if they can pull it off in 1st world nations (and economies), then evangelizing the 3rd world areas can be seen as developing something of a farm system.

Let's not overlook that 1st world immigrants still have families in their native countries. These may become investigators after hearing about their families' new, and very American, religion.