This is a quote from Michael Shermer's "Why People Believe Weird Things."

"...belief and behavior were shaped by operant conditioning on a variable-ratio schedule of reinforcement — lots of misses but just enough hits to shape and maintain the behavior.

And the thing is, those "hits" don't need to be real; they only need to be perceived as hits. This is one of ways Mormonism hooks people. It makes various promises about happiness, and about spiritual and physical well being, but it doesn't need to deliver any of that itself, because the believers will supply their own confirming evidence. Testimony bearing supports the operant conditioning. Mormons share their positive hits, which then become vicarious hits for others.

One of the reasons I got out of Mormonism was my lack of hits. I followed the program faithfully, but never got any results — at least none that passed the sniff test — because my REAL problem was that I couldn't do the mind trick of self-delusion.

Fascinating. I always thought FAT meeting was weird, in addition to the whole testimony bearing aspects of mormonism. The ol' boyz at temple square are sure shrewed and crafty. Don't think they don't know where they're doing in terms psycho-social/congitive psychology.

this is part of the story that tells me that the Q12 & FP KNOW that it's a Hoax.

Seen Jesus lately? Ah ... No.

Hadn't thought about it that way, S.M. - you're so right! And maybe that's why I couldn't buy into any of it, even when almost everyone else seemed to be able to - I could see right through it and was often disgusted and contemptuous of what appeared to be collective insanity at work. "Oh, the spirit has been so strong here this morning!". "Really? Where? Are we even in the same meeting?". I never felt ANYTHING, even when people insisted the spirit was so strong you could literally feel it in the room. I was determined to never let someone else dictate whether or not I thought I felt any sort of spirit, so therefore I never did. I thought it was because I was too cynical, but all along it was more likely because I wasn't susceptible to the operant conditioning you're talking about. Thanks for a fascinating angle to it all.

Although I don't recall faulting myself for being too cynical; I don't think I really tried to get the spirit or a testimony, either. Church just seemed boring and like what I had to do, until I realized that I didn't have to! I used to wonder how ANY body could enjoy it! ;)

And it is hard to give up or change from a lifetime of mormon conditioning.

In order to escape, you have to enter the logic and negative world. And it can be uncomfortable. And without the pro mormon conditioning, there seems to be a void.

Mormonism strokes one ego. It is a performanced based, ego gratifying cult. If you like to put on an image of perfection to mood alter, mormonism is the religion for you. You get to dress up in suits and dresses, you get to wear special underwear, you get to have a temple recommend and go to the very exclusionary temples, you get to feel that you are one of the chosen ones, and that through you, others can find the "truth". You can leave being "unworthy" and can become "worthy"

The reality is that mormonism is fake, and are all its myriad of mormon rules and commandments that are designed to make you feel special if you follow them, and better than nonmormons, and mormons alike.

That is why mormons only do mormon stuff, because they feel that when they do mormon stuff, they are being righteous, noble and will get blessed for it. The reality is that mormonism is just busy work that will damage relationships. Let me repeat that, mormonism damages relationships because members are taught to have conditional love. You must do your mormon expectations or else they (parents, spouse, children) won't love you, will look down on you, might disown or divorce you.

Mormons have been conditioned to think that factual research is evil, all that matters is feelings. The truth doesn't need scrutiny, that once a leader has spoken - the thinking has been done, you are not supposed to say no, everything the leader does is inspired, facts on the internet are lies and of satan. You are not allowed to be independant in thought and dress and activities.

To leave this conditioning might require one to realize that mormons and mormonism is very damaging. Unless they can see the damage to their own lives and self esteem, or the damage to others, they will continue to believe that they live in utopia.