The Mormon Cult: A Former Missionary Reveals the Secrets of Mormon Mind Control

by Jack B. Worthy

Scrutinizing the experience of growing up Mormon, this personal narrative tells the story of one man's disillusionment with his faith and subsequent excommunication from the Church. This account reveals what is posited as inherent racism and sexism within the church and seeks to expose the controlling methods of indoctrination and the harsh process of excommunication. The basic tenets of the religion are explained, personal stories and analyses are shared, and church authorities are cited to support the claims of extreme gender and racial discrimination. From unknowing follower to angry rebel, and finally to a content, worldly man, this book recounts the experience of a survivor who feels the duty to explain his truth.

Genres: Religion, Mormonism, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of this type, one that takes a critical look at any religious institution – the Mormon Church in this case - almost always suffers from one of a few common faults depending on the history of the author. Non-Mormons would appear to be best equipped to take an unbiased view, but those I’ve read have all misinterpreted, misunderstood, and gotten key facts wrong. They also suffer from bias due to their religious views or lack thereof. You won’t find anything written by an active and devout Mormon that takes a truly critical look at their religious practices if for no other reason than they’ll find themselves in the ex-Mormon category by the time of publication. That leaves former Mormons, the category this author is in. They may also have an ax to grind – but that possibility is always obvious and easier to account for in your evaluation.

This author got it right, at least those parts I can evaluate from my personal experience and observations. He also did extensive research to bolster and validate the conclusions based on his own experiences. Last, I think he is far enough removed due to the time that has passed since his break from the church to be able to view his experiences more dispassionately. Operating from a similar background as the author for the first 18 years of my life I found this book totally credible. Many of the author’s insights and conclusions gave me new perspectives. Highly recommended.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latter half of the book reads entirely different from the first, and while both are very interesting, it's a really disjointed shift. I could, however, read this author's summaries/retellings of the Mormon "religion" all day long. Brief enough to be easily understood (in ways Church literature NEVER is), witty enough to make it engaging (despite being...well, what it is).

[LaShay Moran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected. I think the author should have gone with another title. The book is more about his personal experiences rather than raw facts about why Mormonism is a cult.

[Judy Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oddly informative and written clearly.

[Rubi Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Narrator jumps around a lot but the book itself is really good and informative. It felt like I was listening to a friend's story. Great read.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have always thought the Mormons were a cult and not a real religion. This book explains a lot.