The LDS Church vs. The BITE Model
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or as the Mormon Church, is a Christian religion that was established in 1830 in the northeastern United States by Joseph Smith. While LDS Church members do worship Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father (albeit as two distinct beings, unlike those who accept the trinity), there is one fact that sets them apart from the majority of protestant faiths: They claim to be the literal restored church of Jesus Christ, having had the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods restored to Joseph Smith. With this somewhat unique sense of officiality come standards and practices that many would view as controlling. In this essay, we will utilize the BITE Model in order to evaluate to what extent the Church is controlling its members. It should be noted that, while I personally believe that the BITE Model is useful for detecting healthy and unhealthy organizations on a spectrum, I do not think that it should necessarily be used as the determining factor for whether or not an organization is a cult. My reason for this is that some organizations who may not have any ill intent, such as militaries, could easily check some of the boxes on the BITE Model. It is helpful to a point, but I believe there are additional factors to take into account when attempting to label something as a cult.
Starting with behavior control, the Church has long held its members to high standards in all aspects of life, whether at church, at school, at work, or at home. Dress-wise, members are to wear modest clothing at all times. If the member has gone through the Endowment ceremony, they are to wear garments at all reasonable times. When choosing what to drink, members are not authorized by the church to consume alcohol, coffee, or tea, with the exception of herbal tea, regardless of their country’s laws on such beverages. Lastly, members are instructed to follow a conservative sexual code of conduct that strictly forbids premarital sexual relations, even between consenting adults. When compared with the laws in every U.S. state, these rules are nothing short of extreme. Failure to uphold such rules will likely result in the loss of the member’s temple recommend – the slip of paper that allows them to enter into the temple in order to make covenants with Heavenly Father. Considering these facts, it is evident that the Church places emphasis on how its members should behave.
In terms of information control, the Church is very invested in ensuring that members only know what they are allowed to. The Church makes it quite clear that members should not seek information from unapproved church sources, nor should they take counsel from “those who do not believe.” This provides an excellent opportunity to control information. Having spent countless hours in classes and curriculum made by the Church itself, I am able to testify firsthand that many facts brought forth in the CES Letter have never so much as been introduced in Sunday school; Come, Follow Me; seminary, nor in mission preparation classes. For example, the CES Letter has an entire discussion on the controversial origins of The Book of Abraham, a canonized scripture supposedly accepted by members, yet I was not made aware of such problems until I stepped away from church sources. Even more concerning, facts such as this are completely avoided in Preach My Gospel, the handbook that contains lessons to be taught to prospective converts.
The current age at which one becomes eligible to be baptized is 8 years old. At this age, they may not yet have the mental capacity to understand the problematic history of the Church. After all, even adults may find the history to be confusing. In such a case, it would be reasonable to wait before teaching about such topics. For that reason, those seeking to join the Church, whether born-in members or converts, ought to be baptized only after years of study and preparation. At the “age of accountability” in the Church, one is not generally expected to make entirely rational decisions. For example, expecting an 8 year old to manage a mortgage would be insanity. Under these circumstances, I conclude that it is wishful thinking to believe that this same child could determine for themselves whether or not the Church is true. Seeing as they could not make an informed decision based on the understanding of facts, most all eight year olds who are baptized into the Church do so out of expectation and emotional manipulation.
The Church utilizes emotional manipulation in order to keep members on the “straight and narrow path”. By way of example, I have often seen my inactive friends be reminded that they are breaking their covenants with Heavenly Father by committing acts of apostasy. For almost all of these friends, these “promises” were made when they were eight years old. Furthermore, the Church structures missionary interactions in such a way that prospective converts are given a sense of false friendship; another form of emotional manipulation. For example, while those interested in learning about the Church were previously labeled as “investigators”, missionaries now commonly try to refer to them as “friends”. While it may initially appear as a nice gesture, the role of a missionary cannot adequately be described by such a word. Missionaries are there to “serve others and share the gospel of Jesus Christ”; not to talk about the weather, sports, et cetera. A true friend is one attached out of affection or esteem; not out of a desire to profess a religion.
Lastly, the Church is very strict on how its members are to think. Young children in the Church routinely sing the song “Follow the Prophet”, the chorus being:
Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,
Follow the prophet; don’t go astray.
Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,
Follow the prophet; he knows the way.
This song supports the idea that the prophet of the Church, who at the time of writing this is Russell Marion Nelson, “knows the way.” As such, members of the Church are taught to follow the guidance of the prophet, even if they do not agree. This may cause members to believe that the beliefs of the prophet are more important than their own, causing them to doubt themselves when they disagree with him.
Overall, it is evident that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints marks every letter in the BITE acronym. The Church controls how members behave, what information they receive, how they think, and how they are controlled emotionally. It is worth asking, would Jesus Christ match the controlling behavior described in the BITE Model? If not, is this truly the “Church of Jesus Christ”?
3 Nephi 27:8: And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.
In the above verse, taken from the Book of Mormon, Christ says that the Church may only be his if it is “built upon [his] gospel.” If it is not, then it is not truly his church. At that point, it would simply be the church of whoever decided to start it. Considering my prior analysis of the Church in regards to the BITE Model, I would not think that an all-loving savior would support the exploitation of members in such a manner. In fact, deceiving and manipulating anybody is declared a sin in the Bible. As Christ cannot sin, I find it impossible that he would tolerate such standards in his church. Therefore, I would elect that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not truly the “Church of Jesus Christ.”
In conclusion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints strongly fits the BITE Model’s definition of a high controlling organization. Its high levels of behavior, information, thought, and emotional control are indisputable. The Church regulates how its members are to behave, to access information, to think, and their emotions are greatly taken advantage of. Undoubtedly, this system of control is contrary to how the Savior would operate his church.
Sources:
Understanding the Military: The Institution, the Culture, and the People, 2010
History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
What do Latter-day Saints Believe?
Modesty
Garments
Word of Wisdom
What is the Law of Chastity?
26. Temple Recommends
Using Divinely Appointed Sources
Think Celestial!
CES Letter - My Search for Answers to my Mormon Doubts
Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham
Preach My Gospel: A Guide To Missionary Service
Development Milestones for your 8-Year-Old Child
The Special Status of Children
Inviting Investigators to Act Important in Missionary Work
Missionary Friend
Who Are the Missionaries and How Can They Help You?
Friend Definition & Meaning
Follow the Prophet
How Can I Follow the Prophet When the World Makes It Hard?
3 Nephi 27
1 Peter 2
The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Without Sin