The Mormon Cult

Craig Bergman resigned yesterday (probably asked to leave) from Newt Gingrich's campaign because of his comment claiming Mormonism was a "cult". Well, shame on Mr. Gingrich for not defending one of his campaign manager's truthful statements. It's not everyday, a man exposes a religion for what it is; a cult. The Mormon religion has always been regarded as a cult, and it is a fair assessment. It doesn't matter how much Mitt Romney hates his religion coming up in public discourse, the truth is the truth. The Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) has been around since the 1830s and its history is full of cult-like qualities. From its founding prophet and leader, to its modern religious interpretations, the fundamentals of Mormonism are as strange as any cult you have heard of.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's make sure we are using the same definition of the word cult. As defined by dictionary.com a cult is, "a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies." I double checked the reliability of this definition with the Merriam-Webster definition. Interestingly enough the definitions were similar, but the latter applied the modern connotation that most people apply to a cult. It reads, "a religion regarded as unorthodox, or spurious," meaning false. Therefore, using these two descriptions, Mormon religious belief falls under the cult qualifications. The Church of Latter Day Saints is both a system of religious worship and regarded, rightfully so, as spurious.

In order to prove a simple point, I would like to give the reader a scenario. A young man, around the age of 22, named Joseph Smith comes to you claiming God, through an angel, has given him the mission of beginning a new religion. He tells you about the golden tablets he has uncovered, practically in his back yard, and how they came equipped with, "two stones fastened to a breastplate," which has the ability to translate the 1400 year old text (The History of Joseph Smith verses: 34-35). On top of this, the stones actually have names; Urim and Thummim, says the young man, have allowed him to translate the literal word of God. So tell me, would you believe him? If your answer is absolutely not, then I commend you on your sanity and regret to inform you that the Mormon religion and Mormon cult are not for you.

And, the evidence against the fundamental pieces of mormonism don't stop there. Not only does the founder of Mormonism have a tendency to exaggerate the truth, but he is also a plagiariser. B.H. Roberts, a Mormon leader and firm holder of the faith, questioned the Book of Mormon and began to compare it with the Bible. The results are interesting. The table below will hopefully exemplify the plagiarised tendencies of Joseph Smith.

These are only the first verses of both Isaiah and 3 Nephi, however the entirety of that Book of Mormon chapter is identical to Isaiah 54. Here's another one:

If the reader is familiar with the beatitudes then they will know the rest. And yes, the Books of Mormon uses, pretty much, the same exact ones. Nonetheless you see the copying that took place in the 1830s. And trust me, it didn't stop there. When you get a chance, and if you're interested, compare (1 Nephi 20-21) and (2 Nephi 7, 8, 12-24) to (Isaiah 48-49, 50, 51:1-2, 52: 2-14). But, in order to stop kicking a dead horse I'll move on.

The founder of Mormonism and the golden tablets he "translated" have evolved into modern Mormon beliefs. I'm not going to be ignorant enough to claim that polygamy is still rampant throughout the faith, but I will bring up three interesting "fun facts". First and foremost, Mormon doctrine states that Jesus, after being resurrected actually set foot on American soil where he presented himself to the Native Americans. Although there could never be actual solid evidence for such a story, it is a cool story nonetheless. Secondly, Mormons believe that the Garden of Eden was an actual place and it was found in the state of Missouri. That's right, the Garden of Eden is an American landmark right along with Mount Rushmore, the White House, and the Baseball Hall of Fame.

All joking aside, the last fact is actually a bit disturbing. Until 1978 blacks were forbidden from entering the priesthood. Although segregation had been outlawed for quite sometime, the Mormon religion still refused the entry of blacks into high ranking positions within the church. It was church doctrine to believe that the race was black due to the mark of Cain, which shows the racial tendency of a cult. The most disturbing piece to this story is that Mitt Romney was a practicing Mormon adult during this time. A man, with the ability to reason properly, would not stand for such injustice even within his own church. As a presidential candidate this should be a question that is drilled into him in every debate and ever interview. His compliance with such a disgraceful rule says more about his character than all the family ads he has been spewing over mainstream TV.

So, as can be seen, Mormonism is undoubtedly a cult. First of all, they follow religious rites and worship. Secondly, and more importantly, the Church of Latter Day Saints is unorthodox and completely false. Joseph Smith created a hoax that may go down as one of the greatest in history, and the religious culture he grew degrades blacks to the point of punishing them with the supposed mark of Cain. It makes sense that a disgusting cult would derive from a young man who was given too much power at an early age. But, I digress. This should be a national topic and Mitt Romney should be forced to answer tough questions about it. Newt Gingrich helped Governor Romney yesterday by allowing Craig Bergman to resign, and with him went our chance to have a national debate on Mormonism specifically, and cults in general.