The other day I was thinking to myself, self, what is the Mormon Church really about?

I came to the conclusion that in the end I really believe its all about Control & I think the "Big 15" must get together every week and laugh their @sses off at how stupid we all are/were for letting them into our lives to control everything we do/did. To top it off, besides all the control we gave them, they were also able to extort our hard earned Money. I feel like the biggest "dupe" sometimes. I may as well have had the word "SUCKER" tattooed across my forehead. What makes it worse is my Parents made me a part of it. I never had a chance. It really pisses me off.

Your thoughts??

It's not a church; it's a corporation. A for-profit corporation, no less. And like any other for-profit corporation, emphasis is on the bottom line. The "church" stuff is just to keep the sheeple in line so they'll continue to pay, pay, pay.

Period. End of comment.

I call it an "Organized Crime Syndicate" since it uses extortion to keep members in line and spends money on things like commercial real estate development instead of humanitarian purposes.

I don't think the top folks really care about control, or about their image. They care about tithing.

Control is sort of a part of tithing and their image is sort of a part of tithing, but individually I doubt any of them care about it. As long as people are paying their tithing, things are going to be just fine.

I agree with the tithing quotes. Dont be so niave. It is human nature to want power. How do we get power? Money? How do we get money? tithing? How do we get tithing? Tell people who live in fear that you know the answers. Fear is a great business, isnt it?

You undserscore that fear by telling lies about eternal families and then threatening to withhold family from one another in the afterlife.

That eternal family promise/lie is exactly why exmos encounter such anger and vitriol from loved ones upon exiting the church. Because YOU, my dear fellow apostates, are mucking up the Perfect Eternal Family® for the rest of us (within your respective families). There's your fear, again. Now that you're afraid, we have the answers. Please hand over 10-15% of your income, thankyouverymuch. Enjoy your blessings.

money money money money...MONEY!

I think Joseph Smith started it to gain money, power, specifically sexual control over women. Since then, the many changes that have been made can be linked to one of these three motivators.

“We shall pull the wool over the eyes of the American people and make them swallow Mormonism, polygamy and all.”

- Prophet Brigham Young, July 12, 1875, quoted in E.A. Folk, “Story of Mormonism,” see Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, p. 281

Yep, power and money. The end.

Money drives Mormonism.
What the church ends up tolerating and not tolerating is what affects it's revenue.
The "unpaid clergy" lore is just trite bullshit.
There are tens of thousands of church beneficiaries, a whole subculture of church-sponsored economy. The church universities are the biggest. What are Institute instructors if not paid clergy? The GAs are full-time salaried clergy and the church doesn't even have to try very hard to hide behind the folklore about that. They even try to out themselves occasionally like when Hinckly openly admitted it in GC. And then theres church construction contracts that go to mormon-owned companies. Just to name a few.
The economy of it isn't wrong in itself...except for one small thing: IT ISN'T TRUE! They sell a fraudulent product drive their little economy...the "gospel".

At the end of every year, the church asks every member one question, and only one question:

"Are you a full tithe-payer?"

That's what the mormon church is all about.

Brethren,adieu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At the end of every year, the church asks every
> member one question, and only one question:
>
> "Are you a full tithe-payer?"

and after the person responds that "yes, I am a full tithe payer"

then the church records that they are the kind of member that the church really wants -a fool tithe payer.

It's an MLM scheme. If you pretend it's not about religion for a second, which is what makes it a cult, IMO, and just follow the money... it's clear that it's an MLM. Missionary work is all about building your downline. Tithing is your "startup investment."

Money money money....

and in the beginning it was about babes too. Old horny Joe, what a guy!

Their crazy rules about being married and to who is starting to cost them a lot of $$$.

When they deny you the right to be sealed to someone you want to be sealed to, what do you do? You go to the internet and try to find the rules. You have to go to the internet, because the rules aren't written anywhere for your basic member to see. They aren't on the internet either. Why? Because they use them to manipulate people. They make up the rules in a case by case. The more connected you are, the less rules there are. Just some little tithe paying drone? They have an eternity of hoops to jump through. Even then, there is no promise at the end.

The church never saw the divorce situation, the kids, the parents, the step family situation. The gays, adoption, abusive spouses, etc. They didn't see it coming, and they can't get their policy about it straight. It their rules don't accommodate your situation, they tell you it will all be worked out after you die. If that's the case why are they doing any of it? Because it's been a good money making control mechanism for them. They don't give a rats behind if its traumatizing people.

As others has pointed out The Church is a corporation masquerading as a religion but like ALL churches is granted a “special” favoritism by the IRS exempting churches from filing the exacting 990 form which all other tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charities must file. The 990 form requires the tax-exempt entity to provide an exact accounting for finances, ensuring that individuals do not profit and that money that is being raised under nonprofit auspices is being spent for nonprofit purposes.

They collect BILLIONS of dollars a year in tithing but do NOT have to account for how or where all that money goes.

Power and money - agreed. The Mormon church is really no different than any other dictatorship at heart. The people in power want to stay in power and feel no guilt in controlling those who put them in power. The want money for all their comforts and for all their little schemes too, so they feel no guilt for telling any lie or using any good teaching to accomplish their goals. Hell, tell the people Jesus would want a high end mall in Salt Lake City and oh, by the way, Jesus wants you to clean the church toilets so there will be money for it. Doesn't matter to them, as long as they get their pound of flesh.

Sure, it's a business but it's more like the Mafia is a business than WalMart is a business, ethically speaking. WalMart has it's problems but the Mafia's methods are worse. And Mormonism leans more toward the Mafia style of doing business than WalMart's.

Wait. You wayward gaggle of apostates all mean to imply it's not the restored Church of Jesus Christ on earth?

Fraud, guilt, mind control and the bottom line!

1. Proclaiming the Gospel
2. Perfecting the saints
3. Redeeming the BWAHAHAHAHA!

Well, I almost made it all the way through. I'll try again.

1. Selling the brand door-to-door
2. Brainwashing the customers
3. Conversion Chicago-vote style

Also, if you meet some Crips or MS13 at the pearly gates those tokens might come in handy.

MOReMONey, its just that simple.

whats the difference between a Mc Donalds and an LDS ward house?

an LDS ward house only has to be open 1 day of the week to be a successful business.