How Mormonism Keeps Good People Under Control
Ever wonder how a group of genuinely good people can be tied to a system with cult-like control? Here’s a blunt look at Mormonism’s hidden side.
Let’s get this straight from the jump—most Mormons are amazing humans. Kind, helpful, hardworking. Some of the friendliest folks you’ll meet. So this isn’t a takedown of the average Mormon on the street. This is a blunt, unapologetic look at how the system they’re in operates. And sorry, but a lot of that system smells real culty.
When people say “Mormonism,” they usually mean the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)—headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. The clean-cut missionaries on bikes, the massive temples, the family values commercials on TV. But behind all the smiling faces and tidy church clothes is a structure that’s eerily similar to a cult.
Exclusivity: We’re the Only Ones Going to the Good Heaven
One of the biggest red flags for cults? Claiming to be the only group that has the truth. Mormonism checks that box hard.
LDS theology teaches that while other people might end up in heaven, the top-tier Celestial Kingdom is reserved for faithful, temple-worthy Mormons. Everyone else? They get second or third class seats—or, worst case, outer darkness (hell’s weird cousin in Mormon theology).
It’s not just about having a truth. It’s about having the truth—and everyone else being wrong, misled, or spiritually lazy. That’s cult-level exclusivity. And this belief bleeds into everything—who you marry, what you read, what underwear you wear (we’ll get to that), and who you trust.
Groupthink: Don’t Question the Prophet
If you question church teachings, you’re seen as a threat. If you leave, you’re an apostate. If you speak out, you might get excommunicated. Not just kicked out—formally booted and spiritually condemned.
And let’s talk about the prophet. The president of the LDS Church is called a prophet, seer, and revelator. That’s not symbolic. Mormons believe he literally speaks for God.
Whatever the prophet says is gospel. Even if it contradicts what a previous prophet said. You don’t argue. You don’t challenge. You obey.
Sound familiar? That’s how cults work. Replace “prophet” with “guru” or “supreme leader,” and you’d be watching a Netflix documentary on mind control.
Obedience Over Everything
In Mormonism, obedience is the highest virtue. Higher than love. Higher than compassion. Higher than logic.
From childhood, Mormons are taught catchy songs like “Follow the Prophet,” drilled into their brains at Sunday school. Every lesson, every talk, every meeting circles back to one thing: Do what you’re told. God will bless you. Question it? You’re rebelling against God.
The result is a deeply embedded sense of guilt and fear. Don’t believe it? Ask any ex-Mormon how long it took them to stop being terrified that they were going to destroy their eternal family by walking away.
Tithing: Pay to Pray
Now let’s talk money.
Mormons are required to pay 10% of their gross income to the church. Not net. Gross. That means if you make $50K, you owe the church $5K—even if you’re broke.
Can’t afford rent? Too bad. Tithing comes first. You’re taught that if you pay your tithing, God will magically take care of the rest.
And this isn’t optional if you want to stay in good standing. If you don’t pay up, you lose your temple recommend—the golden ticket to Mormon heaven. No recommend? No temple wedding, no celestial glory, no salvation.
And where does all that money go? The church refuses to disclose full financial details. But thanks to whistleblowers and leaked documents, we know the LDS Church has over $100 billion in investments. Real estate. Stocks. Even a shopping mall.
So yeah. You can’t drink coffee, but your tithing money helps run a financial empire.
Temples and Secret Ceremonies
Most Mormons attend Sunday church in chapels. But the temple? That’s where the real action is—and it’s invite-only.
You have to be temple-worthy (read: fully obedient and paying your tithing) to get in. Once you’re in, you wear special clothing, participate in secret rituals, and make lifelong covenants that you’re not allowed to talk about outside.
This includes things like baptisms for the dead, where you stand in for a dead person and baptize them posthumously, and endowment ceremonies, which used to involve miming your own death as a punishment for breaking temple vows. (That was quietly removed in the 1990s.)
You also get temple garments—basically holy underwear—which you’re supposed to wear at all times. They’re considered sacred. Take them off, and you’re disrespecting God.
You tell me—rituals, secrets, special underwear, threats of spiritual punishment if you don’t comply. Does that sound like your average church?
Information Control: Don’t Google That
Cults love to keep members uninformed. Mormonism isn’t any different.
For years, the church covered up its messiest history—polygamy, racism, Joseph Smith’s treasure hunting and fake seer stones, the Book of Abraham being a bogus translation, and more.
Only when the internet made hiding impossible did the church quietly start posting “essays” on their website—deeply buried, rarely discussed, and written in the softest PR-friendly language possible.
Members are discouraged from reading critical sources. Anything outside the church is branded as “anti-Mormon,” even if it’s based on facts and original church documents. You’re told that doubting is bad, dangerous, and from the devil.
That’s information control 101. Don’t trust outside sources. Only trust what the group tells you. That’s how brainwashing works.
Missionary Work: Convert or Be Converted
Missionaries are the poster children of Mormonism. Clean-cut teens in dress shirts and name tags knocking on your door, offering you a free Book of Mormon.
But behind the smiles is an intense system of control and pressure. Young men (and sometimes women) are expected to serve two years in the field—usually at their own (or their family’s) expense. They’re cut off from friends, media, and most contact with family.
Their job? Baptize as many people as possible. Even if those people have no clue what they’re getting into. Quantity over quality.
Many return home burned out, disillusioned, and depressed. But they’re not allowed to admit it, because doing so would mean questioning the system. And we’ve already covered how well that goes.
The Social Trap: Leaving Is Hell
You don’t just leave Mormonism. You escape it.
Because it’s not just a church—it’s your whole social world. Your family, your neighbors, your support system. Everything is built around the church.
If you stop believing, you can lose all of that. Parents disown children. Friends ghost you. Communities treat you like you’re diseased. People have lost marriages, custody of kids, jobs, and housing just for walking away from the faith.
That’s not a church. That’s a hostage situation.
What Happens If You Speak Out?
If you start speaking openly about problems in the church, you risk church discipline. That can mean disfellowshipment or outright excommunication.
Even high-profile LDS historians, scholars, and faithful members have been kicked out for telling the truth. Not attacking the church—just revealing uncomfortable facts.
The church doesn’t want reformers. It wants obedience.
And if you leave? You become a project. People try to “rescue” you. You’re told you’ve been deceived. You’re pitied, feared, or ignored.
But Aren’t Mormons Good People?
Yes. Many are absolutely wonderful. And that’s what makes all this harder to criticize.
Because when a system wraps itself in kindness, family, and charity, people hesitate to call out the toxic parts underneath. But that’s the trick. That’s how control hides.
You can have good people inside a bad structure. People who are doing their best. People who truly believe. People who love their families and think they’re following God.
But that doesn’t change the fact that the LDS Church uses cult tactics to keep them obedient, controlled, and quiet.
So… Is It a Cult?
Depends on your definition. But if we’re talking:
Exclusivity and superiority? Check.
Authoritarian leadership? Check.
Control over money, information, and behavior? Check.
Punishment for dissent and social isolation? Check.
Love bombing and pressure to recruit? Check.
That’s a hell of a lot of red flags.
It may not be Jonestown or Heaven’s Gate. But the LDS Church sure as hell isn’t just “another Christian denomination.” It’s built on manipulation, secrecy, guilt, and control.
Last Thoughts
You don’t need Kool-Aid to be in a cult. Sometimes, the control is slow. Subtle. Wrapped in love and Sunday school songs.
Mormonism looks clean on the outside. But once you peel back the layers, it’s clear the system isn’t just a little weird. It’s dangerous.
Not because the members are bad—but because the structure demands obedience, punishes doubt, and traps people in fear of losing everything if they walk away.
If that’s not cult-like, what is?
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Sources and Further Reading
BITE-model.pdf
https://freedomofmind.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/BITE-model.pdfBITE Model of Authoritarian Control
https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model-pdf-download/Temple Recommends (General Handbook)
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/26-temple-recommends?lang=engChurch Updates Temple Recommend Interview Questions
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/october-2019-general-conference-temple-recommendWhat Is Tithing?
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/article/what-is-tithingSEC Charges The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Ensign Peak Advisors
https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023-35SEC Order (Ensign Peak Advisors / LDS Church) PDF
https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/admin/2023/34-96951.pdfMormon Church Fined $5M for Obscuring Size of Portfolio (AP)
https://apnews.com/article/a598c9ef9544f57e0b60d5ca80774bf7Ward (LDS Church Newsroom Explainer)
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/wardProphets, Seers, and Revelators (General Conference)
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2004/10/prophets-seers-and-revelators?lang=engMissionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/missionary-standards-for-disciples-of-jesus-christ?lang=engPlanning When to Serve a Mission (Term of Service)
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/mission/mission-timingMissionary Recommendations and Service (General Handbook)
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/24?lang=engOfficial Declaration 2 (1978 Priesthood Revelation)
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/od/2?lang=eng
I was wondering how long it would take before you took this on, and glad that you did.
I was in the camp that LDS was just another Christian denomination until I had a negative work experience with a LDS boss who was both into the obedience thing and who showed favoritism towards LDS co-workers. That is another aspect that is ingrained in the culture.
One of their darkest chapters is the Mountain Meadows Massacre, which they definitely don't want you to know. That one is tied to the Mormon concept of Blood Atonement, which is officially no longer orthodoxy, but many LDS still believe it They also don't like to talk about their long history of racism, with Joseph Smith talking about favored groups being 'white and delightsome'. Brigham Young cranked racism up to 11, and Black men couldn't become priests (kind of like confirmation) until 1978.
Then there is the rampant homophobia, with gay Mormon kids experiencing a high rate of suicide.
The article is spot on, appreciate what you do.
I would suggest you might want to cover the Amish, who have a great PR image covering up a lot of darkness.
This is one of the most clear and readable explanation of how control works in Mormonism that I have read. That framing is what finally helped me understand why so many good, thoughtful people stay. The system trains you to confuse survival decisions with agency. When community, family, livelihood, and eternal security are all on the line, compliance isn’t consent, it’s self-preservation, and it’s honestly difficult to fault people for that (very easy to fault the institution though), Thanks for this. I’ve been writing about the same topic lately, so I appreciate reading others’ perspectives.