Mormonism is a Cult

The issue I intend to research is how the modern religion of Mormonism shows the same qualities as a large cult. When we were choosing topics in class, we had discussed about a paper that a student intended to write about that was very broad. Does religion cause war? When we had to simplify that topic I wrote down something along the lines of why modern Mormons go on religious missions today? At home I had researched the means of why Mormonism is the only religion that continues to spread its works around and so on. But in most of my research a lot of associations of cults and secret groups kept popping up on my screen. Looking into these articles and conspiracies, I found small relationships of Mormonism and cults like forms of practice. What I found that really took my attention was the tie of Mormonism and politics. Fascinating conspiracies of cult-like ideas root from the election of Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. The issue of religion itself is included into the constitution and has many controversial issues within. My topic of religion matters because it is a very sensitive word that takes on a lot of meaning. People dedicate their lives for faith and frown upon certain human interactions like love and controls it. I chose this because I do not understand religion and for some reason it is wrong to question it. My basic research question stems from Mormonism and cults. Other key words when researching are religion and politics and cult definitions. From all of my research that has taken place already, I hope to gain knowledge on the Church of the Ladder Day Saints. I also want to know why certain things in the Mormon religion are so important such as polygamy, politics, and missions. I also would like to gain knowledge on cults. We seem to think cults are so bad, when you could be in a cult yourself with ties to your religion. Does that make religion bad? My hypothesis is that religion is just another word for a cult and a test of mental capabilities for control. Ultimately Mormonism itself has greater expectations for power and control than we think. My tentative thesis is Mormonism is just another word for a cult that has greater incentives to gain control of many people by using things such as leadership status, spread of religion, and regulations. Based on my research so far, cults use manipulation and fear to keep their followers. Mormonism uses manipulation to gain followers by having missions to spread the word and “heal” people. It also uses fear to make people stay by telling people if they do not follow the guidelines of the religion they will not have a good afterlife. 5. Some significant aspects or subtopics I plan to discuss is temples, missionaries, and modern cults. Temples are a place of gathering and are strict. Not open to the public. Missionaries are seen as a big respectable leave that parents hope their kids can be apart of. Modern cult definition is a religious group or other organization with deviant and novel beliefs and practices.

Annotated Bibliography
Hirschfield, Brad. "Cults and Religions Have Similarities." Cults. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "The Thin Line Between Religions and Cults." Washington Post 1 Apr. 2009. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.
Schwartz, Lita Linzer, and Florence W. Kaslow. "The Cult Phenomenon: A Turn Of The Century Update." American Journal Of Family Therapy 29.1 (2001): 13-22.Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.
Singer, Margaret Thaler. "Cult Recruitment." Cults. Ed. Jill Karson. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Contemporary Issues Companion. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.
Tevington, Andrew. “ Cults Represent Many Concepts in Religion.” The Oklahoman (2007): 2E. LexisNexis. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
Wilder, Lynn. "Mormon No More." Christianity Today 57.10 (2013): 80-79. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.

1.The distinction cannot be based on popular acceptance, and practices are widespread and many religious groups are obscure. The author proposes that all religions, at one point in time, have shown the characteristics of cults.
2. The authors examined the cults in the late 1970s and early 1980s, comparing their activities and requirements to those of "standard" religions. The present article looks at the changes and since then, noting modifications in a cults' target populations as well as the increases in many kinds of violence in some of the groups.
3. Discuses how cults are formed and the steps used to iniate, manipulate, and process its victims. It will be compared to siliarities of religious recruitment.
4. Discuses a brief history of cults meaning and how they are found inside religion. It is to be used with historical reference.
5. The author talks about how she escaped the Mormon Church she had loved for 30 years. She and her husband joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 25 after Mormon missionaries knocked on their front door.