Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 11:31     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand all the hate. Is there room for improvement in the LDS church. Absolutely! A lot needs to be reformed just like other religions.

But there are a lot of positives that can't be overlooked. I am not religious at all but if I were I would love the sense of community and the safety net Mormons have. Growing up a neighbor family who was Mormon lost the dad in a car accident and the mom was left with four kids. She was able to stay in their house and raise her kids only with the help of the Mormon church. There is also a lot of emphasis on being healthy with no smoking, no alcohol and an emphasis on not being overweight. Everyone belongs to a neighborhood ward so you can move anywhere in the world and have an instant connection because you are required to join your neighborhood ward.

I don't think I could ever believe all the improbable stuff they believe in but all my interactions have been really positive with Mormons. Very friendly and helpful.



When it quacks like a duck it is a duck.

There is one reason only why non mormons can not be in the baptism room.

Mormonism is 100% a cult.

If you try to leave they hound you.
If you don't give enough moneis the hound you.

Main stream Mormanism is a cult just like Warren Jeffs group is there is no difference. They may wear mainstream clothes still a cult.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 11:29     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Has anyone watched this on HBO? Wow, I was clueless about this religion. so many atrocities and obsession with appearances.


The Mormon church is a real estate investment company masquerading as a religion.


Yep this and many other scammy businesses as well. Lot's of pyramid schemes.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 11:26     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Under the Banner of Heaven - there is a book that I haven't read but also a miniseries that I did see that is very good. I haven't seen the doc referenced in the OP but I had a similar reaction to the Under the Banner of Heaven miniseries.


Under the Banner of Heaven is about the fundamentalist offshoot FLDS cult most famously known due to the infamy of their current “prophet” Warren Jeffs. As much as the LDS church (colloquially the Mormon church) is highly problematic it’s important to make the distinction. The book is far superior to the mini series, telling the horrifying truth of the girls and women, while the tv show invents a male LDS detective to drive the narrative, too much of which is focused on him and his LDS faith struggle.



+1. FLDS is a very different thing.


It is and it isn't. There is a lot to be gained by framing Mormonism as a sort of mainstream, Protestant Christian religion but they've also been really slow to disavow a lot of their origins and beliefs. For all intents and purposes the FLDS are living more in line with God and scripture than anyone else and that's a very uncomfortable truth.


PP you quoted and I think we are actually in agreement in the sense that if someone says they survived Mormonism, it is very reasonable that they are talking about the mainstream Mormon church, and that their practices are very destructive. That is to say- you don't have to come from a Warren Jeffs situation in order to have a terrible experience. I'm not saying LDS is great and FLDS is not. I'm saying, don't think it's only FLDS that's problematic. We're encouraging the distinction in order to highlight the problems with LDS itself.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 10:45     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Under the Banner of Heaven - there is a book that I haven't read but also a miniseries that I did see that is very good. I haven't seen the doc referenced in the OP but I had a similar reaction to the Under the Banner of Heaven miniseries.


Under the Banner of Heaven is about the fundamentalist offshoot FLDS cult most famously known due to the infamy of their current “prophet” Warren Jeffs. As much as the LDS church (colloquially the Mormon church) is highly problematic it’s important to make the distinction. The book is far superior to the mini series, telling the horrifying truth of the girls and women, while the tv show invents a male LDS detective to drive the narrative, too much of which is focused on him and his LDS faith struggle.



+1. FLDS is a very different thing.


It is and it isn't. There is a lot to be gained by framing Mormonism as a sort of mainstream, Protestant Christian religion but they've also been really slow to disavow a lot of their origins and beliefs. For all intents and purposes the FLDS are living more in line with God and scripture than anyone else and that's a very uncomfortable truth.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 09:16     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Under the Banner of Heaven - there is a book that I haven't read but also a miniseries that I did see that is very good. I haven't seen the doc referenced in the OP but I had a similar reaction to the Under the Banner of Heaven miniseries.


Under the Banner of Heaven is about the fundamentalist offshoot FLDS cult most famously known due to the infamy of their current “prophet” Warren Jeffs. As much as the LDS church (colloquially the Mormon church) is highly problematic it’s important to make the distinction. The book is far superior to the mini series, telling the horrifying truth of the girls and women, while the tv show invents a male LDS detective to drive the narrative, too much of which is focused on him and his LDS faith struggle.



+1. FLDS is a very different thing.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 09:15     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand all the hate. Is there room for improvement in the LDS church. Absolutely! A lot needs to be reformed just like other religions.

But there are a lot of positives that can't be overlooked. I am not religious at all but if I were I would love the sense of community and the safety net Mormons have. Growing up a neighbor family who was Mormon lost the dad in a car accident and the mom was left with four kids. She was able to stay in their house and raise her kids only with the help of the Mormon church. There is also a lot of emphasis on being healthy with no smoking, no alcohol and an emphasis on not being overweight. Everyone belongs to a neighborhood ward so you can move anywhere in the world and have an instant connection because you are required to join your neighborhood ward.

I don't think I could ever believe all the improbable stuff they believe in but all my interactions have been really positive with Mormons. Very friendly and helpful.



And men have higher status the women- not just in the clergy but in everyday things, like blessing a new baby. Their scripture talks about skin color being "white and delightsome" and they didn't allow Blacks until 1978. They were vicious with Native American communities. They only outlawed polygamy because they had to and they revere prophets that were criminals. A great deal of scripture that still stands in detestable. Being gay is referred to SSA and they attempt to "counsel" that out of you with terrible repercussions. I could go on. But glad they're friendly and helpful to you!

And - Every religion that does these things is gross.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 04:50     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
I don't understand all the hate. Is there room for improvement in the LDS church. Absolutely! A lot needs to be reformed just like other religions.

But there are a lot of positives that can't be overlooked. I am not religious at all but if I were I would love the sense of community and the safety net Mormons have. Growing up a neighbor family who was Mormon lost the dad in a car accident and the mom was left with four kids. She was able to stay in their house and raise her kids only with the help of the Mormon church. There is also a lot of emphasis on being healthy with no smoking, no alcohol and an emphasis on not being overweight. Everyone belongs to a neighborhood ward so you can move anywhere in the world and have an instant connection because you are required to join your neighborhood ward.

I don't think I could ever believe all the improbable stuff they believe in but all my interactions have been really positive with Mormons. Very friendly and helpful.

Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 02:54     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
I haven't watched it yet but I'm a raised atheist observer who has read all the books and seen all the documentaries and could probably teach a class on origins and schisms on Mormonism so up my alley. Hot take: definitely a cult. Less hot take; the Utah Mormon culture is crazy. FLDS? Can't believe it exists in this country.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 21:57     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Anonymous wrote:Under the Banner of Heaven - there is a book that I haven't read but also a miniseries that I did see that is very good. I haven't seen the doc referenced in the OP but I had a similar reaction to the Under the Banner of Heaven miniseries.


Under the Banner of Heaven is about the fundamentalist offshoot FLDS cult most famously known due to the infamy of their current “prophet” Warren Jeffs. As much as the LDS church (colloquially the Mormon church) is highly problematic it’s important to make the distinction. The book is far superior to the mini series, telling the horrifying truth of the girls and women, while the tv show invents a male LDS detective to drive the narrative, too much of which is focused on him and his LDS faith struggle.


Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 21:18     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Anonymous wrote:Has anyone watched this on HBO? Wow, I was clueless about this religion. so many atrocities and obsession with appearances.


The Mormon church is a real estate investment company masquerading as a religion.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 17:49     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Anonymous wrote:Under the Banner of Heaven - there is a book that I haven't read but also a miniseries that I did see that is very good. I haven't seen the doc referenced in the OP but I had a similar reaction to the Under the Banner of Heaven miniseries.


The book is phenomenal and goes into more depth than the show. The show is good but the book is better.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 17:44     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Under the Banner of Heaven - there is a book that I haven't read but also a miniseries that I did see that is very good. I haven't seen the doc referenced in the OP but I had a similar reaction to the Under the Banner of Heaven miniseries.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 17:38     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Anonymous wrote:My friends son was recruited in HS.

His own mother could not watch his baptism.

They are a cult


That is horrifying. I had no idea. I thought it was a branch of Christianity, and always heard they were decent people. This is wild.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 17:33     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
My friends son was recruited in HS.

His own mother could not watch his baptism.

They are a cult
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 17:17     Subject: Surviving Mormonism
Has anyone watched this on HBO? Wow, I was clueless about this religion. so many atrocities and obsession with appearances.