Too many things here to ignore. Mormonism "wants" your money and your soul. What is offers you in return pales compared to living your life free from its clutches.

http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html

1 Internal Control: Amount of internal political and social power exercised by leader(s) over members; lack of clearly defined organizational rights for members.

Mormon Example = Vote of Thanks (Oxymoronic Vote)

2 External Control: Amount of external political and social influence desired or obtained; emphasis on directing members’ external political and social behavior.

Mormon Example = Mitt Romney was assume to own "The Mormon Block"

3 Wisdom/Knowledge Claimed by leader(s); amount of infallibility declared or implied about decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations; number and degree of unverified and/or unverifiable credentials claimed.

Mormon Example = The Prophet will be taken if he errs

4 Wisdom/Knowledge Credited to leader(s) by members; amount of trust in decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations made by leader(s); amount of hostility by members towards internal or external critics and/or towards verification efforts.

Mormon Example = "Follow The Prophet he knows the way"

5 Dogma: Rigidity of reality concepts taught; amount of doctrinal inflexibility or “fundamentalism;” hostility towards relativism and situationalism.

Mormon Example = Any given General Conference talk about the evils of moral relativism

6 Recruiting: Emphasis put on attracting new members; amount of proselytizing; requirement for all members to bring in new ones.

Mormon Example = Missionary Work (now even more with lowered age)

8 Wealth: Amount of money and/or property desired or obtained by group; emphasis on members’ donations; economic lifestyle of leader(s) compared to ordinary members.

Mormon Example = The not-so-much Widow Ballard's gifted condo

9 Sexual Manipulation of members by leader(s) of non-tantric groups; amount of control exercised over sexuality of members in terms of sexual orientation, behavior, and/or choice of partners.

Mormon Example = "Same-Sex" instead of Homosexual and not legitimzing it as well as pushing people to marry young

11 Censorship: Amount of control over members’ access to outside opinions on group, its doctrines or leader(s).

Mormon Example = Temple "worthiness" questioning, no "grass roots" meetings, and no "evil speaking of The Lord's Anointed"

12 Isolation: Amount of effort to keep members from communicating with non-members, including family, friends and lovers.

Mormon Example = Mormonism is so all encompassing that people who are critical of it are naturally shunned by family members and friends

13 Dropout Control: Intensity of efforts directed at preventing or returning dropouts.

Mormon Example = Every statement from LDS Inc. where former members are mentioned they are mentioned with an invitation to return

15 Paranoia: Amount of fear concerning real or imagined enemies; exaggeration of perceived power of opponents; prevalence of conspiracy theories.

Mormon Example = Glenn Beck, Cleon Skousen, Ezra Benson

16 Grimness: Amount of disapproval concerning jokes about the group, its doctrines or its leader(s).

Mormon Example = No "loud laughter"

17 Surrender of Will: Amount of emphasis on members not having to be responsible for personal decisions; degree of individual disempowerment created by the group, its doctrines or its leader(s).

Mormon Example = Doing what your priesthood leader tells you will bless you regardless of if you think it is wrong or not

18 Hypocrisy: amount of approval for actions which the group officially considers immoral or unethical, when done by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s); willingness to violate the group’s declared principles for political, psychological, social, economic, military, or other gain.

Mormon Example = Prop H8

This reminds me of a recent article I read, where Iranian youth were arrested by the "morality police" for having a public water gun fight.

Why were they arrested?

1) They were having fun
2) It was a mixed gender event, disturbing social norms
3) The event was organized through social media (Facebook)

All threats to fundamentalist/authoritarian religions, no matter what Prophet or God they worship.

Senoritalamanita Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 3) The event was organized through social media
> (Facebook)

It was an unapproved event. One thing I have noticed in cults is that they like to control "fun" by stamping their approval on their ideals of accepted forms of it.

Loud laughter, sexual innuendo, playfulness outside "the bounds" their lords have set, sets them off.

This is why I find it hard to believe that people don't think Mormonism is a cult. See their ideals of fun.