WTF is wrong with Mormons?

[mitchum]

In the past couple of weeks I have read an account of Ervil LeBaron's cult murders (can't remember the title) and "Prophet of Blood" about the cult of Jeffrey Don Lundgren. Granted, both of these murderous cult leaders and their followers broke away from the "mainstream" Mormon church, but it seems that once LDS founder Joseph Smith set a precedent of "revelations of convenience" (my term) it would only follow that sociopaths like LeBaron and Lundgren would have smooth sailing ahead (and not just on salt lakes)

Mormon Blood Cults: When the regular LDS church isn't nutty enough for you!

[XanaDUer]

1. I'm never sure what to make of LDSers

I visited Salt Lake City a while back. Granted, the people (Mormon) my relative and I hung around with were all very well educated people, one of who had been "excommunicated" from the Church of LDS for writing an unflattering book about the Church's elders.

They were some of the most generous, kindest people. They also did not prosletize.

Then, on the other hand, you have these fanatical whackoes, and in between you have Mormons like that guy who was faking the "authentic historic documents" for money because he grew to hate the Church of LDS and wanted to embarass them.

The whole thing is kind of nutty.

Ever read No Man Knows My History? Some weird stuff behind that guy...

[mitchum]

2. One of the nicest people I have ever known was also LDS...

in fact, he initially sorta creeped me out because he was so nice (of course, that actually reflects more on me than it does on him :)) and he also did not proselytize.
I was "pulling for" the Mormon forger (can't remember his name? Hoffman?) until he started killing people. I think it was brilliant how he was swindling the Mormon hierarchy with the "authentic" documents that they bought with the intention of burying. A conman conning the con men.
I have read Brodie's biography of Smith. The ironic thing is that she never intended it to be a hatchet job on Smith (although he richly deserved one) Good luck finding a copy in a public library.
Harold Bloom says that America has produced many fine novels and autobiographies, but there is still no American epic poem. He feels that the Mormon saga would be the ideal subject for such a work. Their story encompasses so many of the American themes. And, of course, many of said themes aren't necessarily "good" I think Bloom is right.

My wife calls Mormons "protestants on steroids" I've always thought of them as one huckster's land grab scheme which borrowed the tribal elements of Judaism and the hocus pocus rituals of Catholicism. But I'm a cynic :)

[BlueIris]

3. Respectfully toward those who will disagree: what's wrong? It's a cult.

Please visit Ex-mormon.org to read the stories of those who support that assessment.

[Skittles]

4. they are a cult

very brainwashed

[BlueIris]

5. Thanks, Skittles. And again, for the skeptical:

exmormon.org.

Check it out. Scary.