Mormonism Is Not a Cult, Research Paper Example

Because of the daily presence of news stories and TV programs on Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, the Mormon religion has come under great scrutiny in the United States, due in part to the fact that most Americans lack a basic understanding of the Mormon faith, its beliefs, and principles. This is so true in today’s U.S. that the Mormon faith is now considered by many in the media, as well as large numbers of Americans, that it is nothing more than a cult, comparable to the Branch Davidians of David Koresh in the early 1990’s and other groups whose religious beliefs do not exactly correspond with Christianity, one of the major three world religions and which is practiced by most Americans.

According to Pastor Mark Driscoll, the argument posted by Rod Dreher, an Eastern Orthodox Christian, in The American Conservative, demonstrates that the Mormon faith is not a cult–“It is especially offensive,” declares Dreher, “to hear Christians speak of Mormonism as a cult. Usually when you hear that word being applied to a church or religious group, it’s designed not to describe, but solely to marginalize,” ¹ meaning that those who practice Mormonism are members of a group lying outside of the traditional viewpoints and beliefs of orthodox Christians or those who adhere to the words of the Holy Bible as if they are literal truth.

What exactly is a cult? By definition (and depending on who you might ask), a cult is usually described as “any religious group which differs significantly in one or more respects as to belief or practice from those religious groups which are regarded as the normative expressions of religion in our total culture.” Another definition is a bit more relevant to the main question regarding the alleged cultic status of Mormonism–“A cult might also be defined as a group of people gathered about a specific person or person’s misinterpretation of the Bible.” ² Therefore, according to these definitions, Mormonism could be viewed as a cult; however, there is one immense difference between true cults and the Mormon faith, namely, that Mormons are some of the finest and most upstanding members of their various communities and truly live to help others less fortunate and to make their communities (and American society at large) a better place to live.

As Douglas J. Davies points out, Mormons, such as Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and former President Richard Nixon, are fully dedicated to the principles of Christianity and view Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Redeemer, much like traditional Evangelicals. ³ Also, James H. Snowden, himself a Mormon, declares that the followers of Mormonism are mandated by their religious beliefs and principles to uphold the law of the land and to live in accordance with the desires of society as a whole. ⁴

Perhaps Richard J. Mouw, the current president of Fuller Theological Seminary, says it best with his argument that Mormonism is not a cult because “they are not isolationist and have a university,” meaning that Mormons do not separate themselves from society as do true cults like the Branch Davidians who lived exclusively in a compound ruled by David Koresh. Mouw also admits “While I am not prepared to reclassify Mormonism as possessing undeniably Christian theology, I do accept many of my Mormon friends as genuine followers of the Jesus whom I worship as the divine Savior.” ⁵

Therefore, it is clear that although Mormonism could be viewed as a cult on a very broad basis, it is not in fact a cult but is truly a devoted Christian denomination of outstanding citizens who simply see things differently as opposed to traditional Christian viewpoints on theology and the Holy Bible.

Endnotes

1. Mark Driscoll. “Is Mormonism a Cult?” Accessed May 28, 2012, http://pastormark.tv/2011/10/18/is-mormonism-a-cult.
2. Ibid.
3. An Introduction to Mormonism (UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 143.
4. The Truth About Mormonism (New York: Kessinger Publishing Company, 2006), 215.
5. Ibid.

Bibliography

Davies, Douglas J. An Introduction to Mormonism. UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Driscoll, Mark. “Is Mormonism a Cult?” Accessed May 28, 2012. http://pastormark.tv/2011/10/18/is-mormonism-a-cult

Snowden, James H. The Truth About Mormonism. New York: Kessinger Publishing Company, 2006.