Overview and Application Guide

What Is the Cult Assessment Test?

The Cult Assessment Framework is a 100-point objective evaluation tool designed to identify religious organizations that exhibit harmful cult characteristics. Unlike subjective opinions about theology or doctrine, this test measures observable behaviors, organizational practices, and measurable social outcomes to determine whether a religious group poses systematic risks to individual autonomy, family relationships, and community welfare.

The assessment evaluates five critical areas:

Leadership Accountability (25 points): How leadership operates and responds to oversight

Information Control (20 points): Whether members can freely access external information and express dissent

Financial Practices (20 points): How the organization handles money and member financial obligations

Social Control (20 points): The degree of isolation and relationship control imposed on members

Child Welfare (15 points): How well children are protected and allowed to develop normally

Additional risk factors can reduce scores further when organizations demonstrate patterns of abuse cover-ups, legal violations, financial fraud, retaliation against critics, or systematic discrimination.

Why We Created This Assessment Tool

Primary Motivation: Protecting Children–end of story. The framework was developed specifically to address the crisis of youth suicide in religious communities, particularly Utah's consistently ranking as #1 in America for youth suicide rates. Traditional approaches to addressing religious harm often get bogged down in theological debates or accusations of religious persecution. This objective framework cuts through those distractions to focus on measurable outcomes and documented behaviors.

Scientific Approach to Religious Evaluation Rather than attacking religious beliefs, this tool applies established psychological and sociological research about cult dynamics to create an objective measurement system. It's based on decades of academic study of high-control groups and their impact on individuals and communities.

Child Protection Focus. Every aspect of the assessment prioritizes the welfare of the most vulnerable—children who cannot protect themselves from institutional manipulation or abuse. When religious organizations create environments where children suffer disproportionate mental health problems, someone must provide tools to identify and address these systematic failures.

Democratic Accountability. In a democratic society, no institution—religious or otherwise—should operate beyond accountability when it creates measurable public harm. This framework provides communities with tools to objectively evaluate whether religious organizations are serving or harming their members and broader society.

Understanding the Test Results

Score Ranges and Their Meanings:

90-100 Points: Healthy Religious Community
Strong democratic accountability and transparency
Members are free to make autonomous decisions
Children are protected and thriving
Positive contribution to community welfare
Example: Many mainstream Protestant denominations, Reform Jewish congregations

70-89 Points: Some Concerns
Generally healthy but with areas needing improvement
Most members are autonomous, but some are controlled by practices
Minimal risk to children and families
Monitoring recommended for vulnerable populations
Example: Some evangelical churches with strong pastoral authority

50-69 Points: High Risk
Multiple concerning practices indicate systematic control
Significant risk to individual autonomy and family relationships
Children facing educational or developmental limitations
External intervention may be necessary
Example: Jehovah's Witnesses, some fundamentalist groups

30-49 Points: Severe Cult Characteristics
Systematic exploitation and control of members
Serious risk to individual and family welfare
Children at risk for abuse and developmental harm
Immediate intervention recommended
Example: FLDS, Scientology

0-29 Points: Dangerous Cult
Extreme danger to individual and community welfare
Children in immediate danger requiring protection
Legal intervention is likely necessary
Community-wide harm documented
Example: Peoples Temple (Jonestown), Branch Davidians

Negative Scores: Institutional Public Health Crisis
Risk factors so severe that they exceed standard cult measurements
Systematic harm to the broader community beyond membership
Public health crisis requiring comprehensive intervention
Democratic governance is compromised by organizational influence

Key Warning Signs in Results:

Information Control Red Flags:
Punishment for reading external sources
Excommunication of scholars or questioners
Discouragement of contact with former members
Claims that outside criticism comes from evil sources

Financial Exploitation Indicators:
Mandatory contributions tied to religious privileges
Leadership lives luxuriously while members sacrifice
Secretive financial practices
Below-market wages for organization employees

Child Welfare Concerns:
Higher rates of youth mental health problems in organizational communities
Inappropriate adult questioning of children about sexual topics
Educational limitations or restrictions
Documented failures to protect children from abuse

Social Control Patterns:
Family relationships damaged by organizational demands
Geographic concentration of members
Time commitments that prevent outside relationships
Marriage and dating restrictions

Applying the Results: What Do Low Scores Mean?

For Individuals and Families: A low score indicates you may be involved with a high-control group that poses risks to your autonomy, family relationships, and children's welfare. This doesn't mean your personal faith or spiritual experiences are invalid, but it suggests the organizational structure around your faith may be harmful.

For Communities: Low scores for dominant religious organizations in your area indicate potential public health and democratic governance concerns. Communities should monitor youth suicide rates, family welfare statistics, and ensure equal opportunity regardless of religious affiliation.

For Policymakers: Organizations scoring in cult ranges while claiming tax-exempt status or operating massive business enterprises deserve scrutiny. Democratic societies cannot allow religious organizations to create systematic public harm while claiming constitutional protection.

For Researchers: Low scores correlate with measurable social problems in areas dominated by such organizations. This provides frameworks for studying the relationship between religious institutional practices and community welfare outcomes.

The Utah Case Study: When Test Results Predict Reality

The LDS Church's assessment score of -5/100 points predicted exactly what we observe in Utah:

Highest youth suicide rates in America
Systematic discrimination against non-members in business and politics
Family relationship damage for those who question or leave
Financial opacity despite massive wealth accumulation
The legal system is biased toward organizational interests

This demonstrates the framework's predictive validity—low scores correlate with measurable community harm, particularly to the most vulnerable populations.

Important Disclaimers

Individual vs. Institutional: This assessment evaluates organizational structures and practices, not individual faith or spiritual experiences. Many sincere, good people participate in high-control religious organizations. The test identifies systematic institutional problems that may harm even well-intentioned members.

Religious Freedom vs. Accountability: Protecting religious freedom doesn't mean exempting religious organizations from accountability for measurable harm to individuals and communities. Democratic societies must balance religious liberty with the protection of vulnerable populations, especially children.

Correlation vs. Causation: While low assessment scores correlate with community problems, establishing direct causation requires additional research. However, the consistent patterns across multiple high-control religious organizations suggest systematic relationships between organizational practices and social outcomes.

The Ultimate Purpose: Protecting the Vulnerable

This assessment framework exists for one primary reason: protecting children and vulnerable adults from institutional religious abuse while respecting legitimate religious expression. When religious organizations create systematic harm—measured by suicide rates, family destruction, and community problems—society has both the right and responsibility to identify and address these harmful practices.

The test provides an objective tool for distinguishing between healthy religious communities that serve their members and harmful cult organizations that exploit them. In a democratic society committed to both religious freedom and human welfare, such tools are essential for protecting the most vulnerable while preserving legitimate religious expression.

Biblical Assessment of LDS Institutional Practices: A New Testament Perspective

"But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." - 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

The Truth Beneath the Veneer

The assessment results reveal a devastating reality: an institution claiming Christ's name has created the very system Christ condemned. With a score of -5/100 on objective cult criteria, the LDS Church represents not Christian discipleship, but Pharisaical control. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in" (Matthew 23:13).

While individual Latter-day Saints demonstrate genuine faith and sacrifice, their institutional structure systematically destroys the very children it claims to nurture, creating Utah's unprecedented youth suicide crisis through impossible standards of perfection that mirror the burdensome regulations Christ came to abolish.

The Apostolic Standard vs. Institutional Reality

The early church described in Acts operated with radical transparency: "And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need" (Acts 2:44-45). In stark contrast, LDS leadership accumulates over $100 billion in secret investments while requiring members to sacrifice financially for temple privileges.

The SEC's $5 million fine for deliberately hiding $32 billion through shell companies reveals an institution operating in deliberate deception. Where the apostolic church shared everything openly, this system hoards wealth while children lack mental health resources. "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?'" (Acts 5:3). The Ananias and Sapphira account becomes deeply ironic when applied to institutional leadership hiding billions from their own members.

The Berean Test: Information Control vs. Biblical Study

"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). The Bereans were praised for examining everything, yet LDS institutional practice systematically discourages examination of critical information, punishes scholars who publish honest research, and creates cultural fear around "anti-Mormon" materials.

The September Six purge of 1993 demonstrates institutional terror of scholarship that might reveal uncomfortable truths. This represents the antithesis of Berean nobility—creating a system where faithful members fear investigation lest they discover facts that might disturb their faith. Paul commended those who examined his teachings; LDS leadership excommunicates those who examine theirs too carefully.

Shepherds or Wolves: Leadership Accountability

Paul established clear standards for church leadership: "An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money" (1 Timothy 3:2-3). Yet LDS leadership claims divine authority that places them beyond member accountability, lives in luxury funded by member sacrifice, and punishes any questioning of their decisions.

The apostolic model shows leaders serving the church; the LDS model shows the church serving leaders. When Paul confronted Peter, he accepted correction (Galatians 2:11-14). When LDS leaders are confronted with evidence of institutional failure—like the youth suicide crisis—they double down on member inadequacy rather than examining institutional practices.

The Galatian Error: Works-Based Salvation

Paul's letter to the Galatians directly confronts the LDS system: "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3). The assessment revealed systematic pressure for financial contributions tied to religious privileges—temple attendance requires tithing compliance, creating a literal payment system for spiritual access. This mirrors the very Judaizing errors Paul condemned.

LDS Members work desperately to maintain worthiness through exhaustive rule compliance, creating the perfectionism that drives Utah's youth to despair. "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1). Yet the institutional system creates precisely such a yoke—elaborate behavioral requirements monitored through regular "worthiness" interviews that would make the Pharisees proud.

The Little Children: Institutional Harm vs. Christ's Protection

"And He took a child, and set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, 'Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me'" (Mark 9:36-37). The assessment's most damning findings involve child welfare—systematic failures to protect children from abuse, inappropriate sexual questioning in "worthiness interviews," and the creation of perfectionist environments that drive youth suicide rates to America's highest levels.

Christ's fierce protection of children stands in stark contrast to institutional priorities that protect reputation over vulnerable lives. The Associated Press investigation documenting how the church's abuse hotline directed reports to lawyers rather than authorities reveals institutional calculation that would horrify Christ, who said it would be better to have a millstone tied around one's neck than harm a child.

The Mammon Question: Wealth Accumulation vs. Gospel Simplicity

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth" (Matthew 6:24). The LDS Church's $100+ billion accumulation while operating massive business enterprises raises the fundamental question Christ posed about divided loyalties.

Early Christians sold possessions to help those in need; this institution accumulates possessions while members sacrifice retirement savings for missions. The contrast between apostolic simplicity and institutional wealth accumulation suggests which master is truly being served.

When the rich young ruler couldn't part with his wealth, Christ let him walk away sadly (Matthew 19:22). Here, the institution has become the rich young ruler—unable to part with accumulated treasure despite the obvious need in their own communities.

The Exclusion System: Jew vs. Gentile Revisited

Paul's ministry centered on breaking down barriers: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). Yet the assessment documented systematic discrimination against non-members in LDS-dominated communities—business networking that excludes outsiders, political representation that favors insiders, and economic advantages tied to religious affiliation. This recreates the very Jew-Gentile division Paul spent his ministry destroying. The temple system with its exclusionary requirements mirrors the temple practices Christ cleansed, creating insider-outsider dynamics that contradict the gospel's universal accessibility.

The Discipleship Deception: Control vs. Freedom in Christ

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). The institutional system documented in the assessment creates precisely the opposite—heavy burdens, constant surveillance through worthiness interviews, exhaustive time commitments, and systematic anxiety about spiritual adequacy. True Christian discipleship should produce peace and rest; this system produces the highest youth suicide rates in America. The institutional "yoke" breaks people rather than healing them, suggesting it originates from a different source than Christ's gentle invitation.

The False Prophet Test: Fruits and Results

"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15-16). The assessment's most sobering finding is the correlation between institutional control and community harm—not just individual spiritual damage, but measurable social pathology in areas of highest LDS concentration. Christ said we would know false systems by their fruits. The fruits of this institutional system include America's highest youth suicide rates, systematic family destruction for those who question, economic discrimination against non-members, and the creation of shame-based mental health crises. These are not the fruits of the Spirit Paul described—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)—but their precise opposites.

The Spiritual Abuse Syndrome: Shepherds Who Scatter

Ezekiel's prophecy applies directly: "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them" (Ezekiel 34:2-4). This perfectly describes the institutional system revealed in the assessment—leaders living in comfort while members sacrifice, the spiritually wounded driven to suicide rather than healed, families scattered through institutional demands, and force-based control replacing gentle shepherding. The scattered sheep include the thousands fleeing to Utah's mountains to end their pain, and their blood cries out for institutional accountability.

The Gamaliel Principle: Divine vs. Human Origins

When the apostles faced persecution, Gamaliel counseled: "And so in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it" (Acts 5:38-39). The institutional system's desperate need for information control, critic silencing, and legal protection suggests human rather than divine origins. Movements of God don't require SEC violations, abuse cover-ups, and systematic retaliation against truth-tellers. The apostolic church grew through persecution; this system requires protection from investigation. The assessment documents an institution that cannot withstand examination because its foundations are human ambition disguised as divine revelation.

The Corinthian Mirror: Division and Pride

Paul condemned the Corinthian church for divisions and pride: "For when one says, 'I am of Paul,' and another, 'I am of Apollos,' are you not mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:4). Yet the LDS institutional system creates precisely such divisions—insiders vs. outsiders, faithful vs. apostate, temple-worthy vs. unworthy. The assessment documented how this creates systematic community harm, family division, and spiritual pride among the "chosen." Paul's solution was to return to Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2)—the ultimate leveling of human pride. An institution that creates elaborate hierarchies of worthiness has departed from the cross's fundamental message that all have sinned and need grace.

The Philadelphia vs. Laodicea Test: Love vs. Lukewarm Wealth

Christ's letters to the seven churches provide a diagnostic framework. The LDS institutional system most resembles Laodicea: "Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Revelation 3:17). The institutional accumulation of massive wealth while claiming spiritual prosperity, combined with systematic blindness to the youth suicide crisis in their own communities, mirrors Laodicean self-deception perfectly. Meanwhile, true Christian communities should resemble Philadelphia—characterized by brotherly love and genuine care for one another's welfare. The assessment documented systematic failure in precisely this area.

The Ultimate Question: Babylon or Jerusalem?

"Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues" (Revelation 18:4). The assessment reveals an institutional system that systematically contradicts New Testament Christianity while claiming to represent its restoration.

The documented patterns—wealth accumulation while members sacrifice, information control contradicting Berean principles, leadership immunity contradicting apostolic accountability, works-based temple access contradicting grace, systematic harm to children contradicting Christ's protection—all point to a Babylonian system masquerading as the New Jerusalem.

The sincere Latter-day Saints trapped within this system deserve to hear the biblical call to "come out" from institutional practices that contradict the very Christ they seek to serve. Their faith is real; their institutional framework is fundamentally anti-Christian, and the assessment's correlation with community harm proves that bad trees cannot produce good fruit, regardless of the sincere intentions of those caught within the system.

LDS Church Assessment Using Cult Identification Framework

Methodology and Sources

This analysis applies the previously established cult assessment framework to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints using only documented, verifiable information from:

Official LDS Church publications and websites
Published academic research and studies
Court records and legal documents
SEC filings and financial disclosures
Published memoirs and testimonies of former members
Investigative journalism from credible news sources
Historical documents and church records
Statistical data from government agencies

The assessment focuses on observable behaviors, documented practices, and measurable outcomes rather than theological beliefs or doctrines.

Section A: Leadership and Authority Structure (25 points possible)

Question 1: Leadership Accountability (Score: 0/5 points)

Evidence:

The First Presidency and Twelve Apostles claim to receive direct revelation from God
Members taught that questioning church leadership is equivalent to questioning God
No democratic oversight or removal mechanisms for leadership
Official church doctrine states: "When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done" (Improvement Era, 1945)
Current handbook states members should "sustain" leaders regardless of personal feelings

Documentation:

LDS Handbook 1: "Members should not criticize Church leaders"
Multiple General Conference talks emphasizing "follow the prophet"
No recorded instance of membership voting to remove leadership

Score: 0 points - Leadership claims absolute divine authority and prohibits questioning.

Question 2: Financial Transparency (Score: 0/5 points)

Evidence:

Church ceased publishing detailed financial reports in 1959
SEC fined church $5 million in 2023 for hiding $32+ billion through shell companies
Current financial reports contain no specific numbers, only vague statements
Ensign Peak Advisors operated in secrecy for over 20 years
Members required to pay tithing but given no specific information about fund usage

Documentation:

SEC Settlement Agreement, February 2023
Washington Post investigation: "The Mormon Church amassed $100 billion" (2019)
Comparison with other major religions shows LDS uniquely opaque about finances

Score: 0 points - Financial information kept secret from members and public.

Question 3: Succession Planning (Score: 1/5 points)

Evidence:

Succession by seniority in Quorum of Twelve Apostles
No member input in succession process
System created leadership crises when senior apostle mentally incapacitated
Recent examples: Ezra Taft Benson, Howard W. Hunter served while experiencing dementia

Documentation:

Church handbooks detailing succession procedures
Historical records of leadership during periods of incapacitation
No democratic or membership input mechanisms

Score: 1 point - Succession controlled by existing leadership structure.

Question 4: Leadership Lifestyle (Score: 1/5 points)

Evidence:

General Authorities receive "living allowances" (amount undisclosed)
Leaders live in church-provided housing significantly above member average
Access to church-owned facilities, transportation, and services
Stark contrast with member sacrifice (many serve missions at personal expense while leaders travel in comfort)

Documentation:

Leaked documents showing GA compensation (roughly $120,000+ annually plus benefits)
Comparison with member sacrifice requirements
Historical records of leadership lifestyle vs. membership expectations

Score: 1 point - Leaders live significantly better than average members.

Question 5: Criticism Tolerance (Score: 0/5 points)

Evidence:

Systematic excommunication of scholars and critics (September Six, 1993)
Church discipline for "apostate" behavior including public criticism
Members taught that criticism of leaders comes from Satan
Recent disciplinary actions against podcasters, bloggers, and scholars

Documentation:

Disciplinary records of Michael Quinn, Lavina Fielding Anderson, others
Current handbook sections on apostasy and church discipline
Multiple documented cases of discipline for public criticism

Score: 0 points - Criticism forbidden and punished through formal disciplinary system.

Section A Total: 2/25 points

Section B: Information and Communication Control (20 points possible)

Question 6: External Media Access (Score: 1/5 points)

Evidence:

Members strongly discouraged from reading "anti-Mormon" literature
Official guidance to avoid material critical of the church
Internet filtering encouraged in LDS homes
Seminary and institute classes teach students to avoid certain information sources

Documentation:

Multiple General Conference talks warning against "evil speaking of the Lord's anointed"
Church Education System materials advising against critical sources
Official church website sections addressing "anti-Mormon" materials

Score: 1 point - Strong discouragement of external media that might be critical.

Question 7: Educational Freedom (Score: 2/5 points)

Evidence:

Church operates extensive educational system (BYU, seminary, institute)
Strong preference for church education but secular education not prohibited
BYU academic freedom restrictions documented through faculty dismissals
Honor Code restrictions on academic inquiry at church schools

Documentation:

BYU faculty cases (Scott Abbott, Gail Turley Houston, others)
Honor Code enforcement affecting academic freedom
Church Education System emphasis on faith over scholarship

Score: 2 points - Higher education supported but with significant organizational preferences and restrictions.

Question 8: Former Member Contact (Score: 1/5 points)

Evidence:

Strong cultural pressure to avoid "apostates"
Official guidance that former members pose spiritual danger
Family members encouraged to limit contact with those who leave
Missionaries specifically taught to avoid former members

Documentation:

Missionary handbook instructions regarding "apostates"
Multiple conference talks about influence of former members
Documented family relationship strain following church departure

Score: 1 point - Contact with former members strongly discouraged through official and cultural mechanisms.

Question 9: Internal Dissent (Score: 0/5 points)

Evidence:

Church discipline for expressing doubts publicly
Cultural pressure for conformity ("doubt your doubts")
No formal mechanisms for member input on doctrine or policy
History of disciplining academics and intellectuals for research

Documentation:

September Six disciplinary actions (1993)
More recent disciplinary actions (Jeremy Runnells, Sam Young, others)
Official statements about sustaining leadership decisions

Score: 0 points - Internal dissent forbidden and punished through formal disciplinary processes.

Section B Total: 4/20 points

Section C: Financial Practices (20 points possible)

Question 10: Financial Obligations (Score: 0/5 points)

Evidence:

Tithing required for temple attendance and full membership benefits
Members denied temple privileges for non-payment
Regular tithing settlement meetings to assess payment
Cultural and spiritual pressure for "honest tithe"

Documentation:

Temple recommend interview questions include tithing compliance
Official handbook requirements for tithing payment
General Conference talks emphasizing tithing obligation

Score: 0 points - Mandatory financial contributions with punishment (denial of temple privileges) for non-compliance.

Question 11: Asset Control (Score: 2/5 points)

Evidence:

Members not required to transfer personal assets but strongly encouraged to donate
Pressure for mission funds, temple building funds, other special assessments
Wills and estate planning guidance encouraging church donations
Cultural pressure for generous donations beyond tithing

Documentation:

Estate planning materials provided by church
Multiple fund-raising campaigns for temples, missions, education
General Conference talks about consecration and sacrifice

Score: 2 points - Strong pressure to donate assets but members retain basic control.

Question 12: Employment Practices (Score: 1/5 points)

Evidence:

Church employs thousands at below-market wages justified as "service"
BYU faculty and staff paid less than comparable institutions
Mission service requires personal funding while church accumulates assets
Strong cultural preference for church employment in Utah

Documentation:
BYU salary comparisons with peer institutions
Mission cost requirements vs. church financial capacity
Church employee compensation studies

Score: 1 point - Strong pressure to work for organization at below-market wages, especially in Utah communities.

Question 13: Business Relationships (Score: 1/5 points)

Evidence:

Strong cultural pressure to patronize Mormon-owned businesses
Business networking advantages for church members
Informal boycotts of businesses owned by critics or former members
Deseret Book and other church businesses given preferential treatment

Documentation:

Utah business networking patterns
Documented cases of business retaliation against critics
Church-owned business preferential treatment in member communities

Score: 1 point - Strong cultural and economic pressure to use organization-approved businesses.

Section C Total: 4/20 points

Section D: Social Control and Isolation (20 points possible)

Question 14: Family Relationships (Score: 1/5 points)

Evidence:

Family relationships strained when members leave church
Official guidance prioritizing church loyalty over family harmony
Cultural pressure to limit influence of non-member family
Documented family estrangement following church departure

Documentation:

Multiple published accounts of family relationships damaged by church departure
Official statements about influence of non-member family
Cultural practices around mixed-faith marriages

Score: 1 point - Family relationships significantly strained by organizational demands and cultural pressure.

Question 15: Geographic Mobility (Score: 2/5 points)

Evidence:

Strong cultural preference for living in Mormon-majority areas
Economic and social advantages to living in Utah/Idaho Mormon corridor
Missionary assignments control young adult location for 18-24 months
Cultural pressure to remain in church-friendly communities

Documentation:

Demographics showing Mormon population concentration
Economic advantages for church members in Mormon-majority areas
Mission assignment system controlling young adult mobility

Score: 2 points - Strong preference and significant advantages for living in organization-dominated geographic areas.

Question 16: Time Commitments (Score: 1/5 points)

Evidence:

Extensive time requirements: weekly services, monthly activities, leadership callings
Temple attendance expectations requiring significant travel/time
Home/visiting teaching programs
Seminary daily for high school students

Documentation:

Official church handbook time commitment requirements
Leadership calling expectations (often 10-20+ hours weekly)
Seminary/institute daily attendance expectations

Score: 1 point - Extensive time commitments limiting outside activities and relationships.

Question 17: Marriage and Relationships (Score: 0/5 points)

Evidence:

Strong pressure to marry within church (temple marriage requirement for highest salvation)
Dating non-members strongly discouraged
Mixed-faith marriages presented as problematic
Cultural and doctrinal pressure for church-member partnerships

Documentation:

Temple marriage doctrinal requirements for celestial kingdom
General Conference talks discouraging interfaith relationships
Cultural practices around marriage selection

Score: 0 points - Systematic pressure to marry within organization with doctrinal consequences for external relationships.

Section D Total: 4/20 points

Section E: Child Welfare and Development (15 points possible)

Question 18: Educational Choices (Score: 2/5 points)

Evidence:

Parents generally free to choose educational options
Strong preference for church educational system
Seminary/institute programs required for social acceptance
Homeschooling encouraged with church curriculum

Documentation:

Church Educational System enrollment statistics
Cultural expectations for seminary attendance
Availability of church educational materials for homeschooling

Score: 2 points - Educational choice allowed but strong organizational preferences and cultural pressure.

Question 19: Healthcare Decisions (Score: 3/5 points)

Evidence:

Standard medical care generally encouraged
Some historical restrictions (blood transfusions briefly discouraged)
Mental health treatment sometimes discouraged in favor of spiritual solutions
Generally accepts modern healthcare while promoting faith-based healing

Documentation:

Official church statements on medical care
Historical positions on specific medical treatments
Current handbook guidance on healthcare decisions

Score: 3 points - Standard medical care generally supported with some spiritual alternative preferences.

Question 20: Child Protection (Score: 1/5 points)

Evidence:

One-on-one interviews with children about sexual topics (worthiness interviews)
Historical problems with reporting abuse to authorities
Recent policy changes requiring reporting but implementation varies
Institutional protection of reputation over child welfare documented in lawsuits

Documentation:

Multiple lawsuits regarding child abuse reporting failures
Recorded interviews with children about sexual behavior
Recent policy changes following public pressure and legal challenges

Score: 1 point - Minimal child protection measures with documented failures to protect children from institutional harm.

Section E Total: 6/15 points

Additional Risk Factors (Subtract 5 points each)

History of Physical or Sexual Abuse Cover-ups (-5 points)

Evidence:

Multiple documented cases of abuse cover-ups to protect institutional reputation
Legal settlements with abuse victims including NDAs
Failure to report abuse to authorities in multiple documented cases

Documentation:

Associated Press investigation (2022) documenting abuse hotline directed to lawyers
Multiple court cases and settlements
Documented cases in Arizona, Utah, and other states

Legal Violations by Leadership (-5 points)

Evidence:

SEC violations for hiding financial assets
Historical violations of federal laws regarding church business practices
Multiple ongoing legal challenges regarding transparency and abuse reporting

Documentation:

SEC settlement agreement and fine (2023)
Multiple court cases regarding disclosure and reporting requirements

Financial Fraud or Misrepresentation (-5 points)

Evidence:

Systematic hiding of financial assets from members and regulators
Misrepresentation of church financial needs while accumulating massive wealth
Shell company structures designed to hide asset accumulation

Documentation:

SEC investigation findings
Comparison between church fund-raising appeals and actual financial capacity

Documented Retaliation Against Former Members (-5 points)

Evidence:

Legal threats against critics and former members
Economic pressure on businesses owned by critics
Systematic character assassination of high-profile former members

Documentation:

Legal actions against CES Letter author Jeremy Runnells
Documented harassment of Sam Young and other advocates
Business and social retaliation patterns in Mormon-majority communities

Systematic Discrimination Against Non-members (-5 points)

Evidence:

Business networking that excludes non-members
Political and economic advantages for church members in Mormon-majority areas
Hiring and promotion patterns favoring church members

Documentation:

Utah business and political demographic patterns
Documented cases of employment discrimination
Political representation statistics in Mormon-majority areas

Total Risk Factor Deductions: -25 points

Final Assessment Results

Base Score: 20/100 points Risk Factor Deductions: -25 points Final Score: -5/100 points

Analysis and Interpretation

Score Category: Dangerous Cult (0-29 points range)

According to the assessment framework, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints exhibits systematic cult characteristics that pose extreme danger to individual and community welfare. The negative final score indicates risk factors beyond the standard cult characteristics.

Key Areas of Concern:

Leadership and Authority (2/25 points)

Absolute leadership authority with no accountability
Complete financial opacity despite massive wealth accumulation
Systematic punishment of criticism or questioning

Information Control (4/20 points)

Strong discouragement of external information sources
Punishment of internal dissent through formal disciplinary system
Cultural isolation from former members and critics

Financial Exploitation (4/20 points)

Mandatory financial contributions tied to religious privileges
Below-market employment practices
Systematic pressure for asset donation while leadership accumulates wealth

Social Isolation (4/20 points)

Systematic family relationship strain for those questioning or leaving
Geographic concentration providing advantages for members, disadvantages for others
Marriage and relationship control through doctrinal requirements

Child Welfare Concerns (6/15 points)

Inadequate child protection mechanisms
Educational pressure toward organizational control
Documented failures in protecting children from institutional harm

Statistical Correlation with Community Harm:

The assessment results correlate with documented social problems in LDS-dominated areas:

Higher youth suicide rates in Mormon-majority counties
Documented family relationship problems following church departure
Economic discrimination against non-members in Mormon-majority communities
Mental health problems related to perfectionism and shame

Historical Pattern Analysis:

The organization demonstrates classic cult evolution:

Charismatic foundation (Joseph Smith's claimed revelations)
Institutional development (Complex business and political structures)
Control intensification (Increased isolation and financial control)
Crisis management (Public relations campaigns, legal strategies, persecution narratives)

Recommendations Based on Assessment:

For Individuals:

Recognize systematic manipulation and control patterns
Seek independent mental health support outside organizational influence
Understand that leaving may require significant support systems
Document any harassment or retaliation for legal protection

For Families:

Professional counseling for family relationship strain
Support groups for mixed-faith families
Educational resources about healthy vs. unhealthy religious practices
Legal consultation if experiencing discrimination or harassment

For Communities:

Monitor demographic representation in government and business
Ensure equal opportunity enforcement regardless of religious affiliation
Support mental health resources addressing religious trauma
Legal oversight of tax-exempt status given massive business operations

For Researchers and Policymakers:

Continue monitoring social outcomes in Mormon-majority areas
Investigate correlation between religious institutional control and community problems
Review tax exemption criteria for organizations operating massive business enterprises
Study effectiveness of cult intervention and recovery programs

Limitations of Assessment

This assessment focuses on observable behaviors and documented practices rather than individual spiritual experiences or theological validity. Many individual Latter-day Saints are sincere, well-intentioned people who benefit from their religious community. However, the institutional structure and practices demonstrate systematic cult characteristics that create documented harm, particularly in areas with high LDS concentration.

The assessment cannot capture the full complexity of individual experiences within the organization, nor does it diminish the positive aspects that many members experience. However, it does indicate that the institutional structure creates systematic problems that meet academic definitions of cult behavior.

Conclusion

Based on objective application of established cult identification criteria, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints demonstrates systematic cult characteristics across all measured categories. The negative final score indicates risk factors that extend beyond typical cult behavior into areas of documented institutional harm to individuals, families, and communities.

This assessment aligns with documented social problems in LDS-dominated areas, particularly the youth suicide crisis that initially prompted investigation. The institutional structure appears to create conditions that systematically harm the most vulnerable populations it claims to serve, while accumulating massive wealth and power through member sacrifice and dedication.

The evidence suggests that significant institutional reform would be necessary to address these systematic problems, though the organization's resistance to external accountability makes such reform unlikely without substantial external pressure.

The full exposé consists of five additional investigations that will forever change how you view institutional religious control in America:

"Exposing The Utah Deep State: A Call to Save God's Children" - The complete statistical breakdown and systematic documentation of how a $100+ billion religious empire operates while children die at America's highest suicide rates.

"Understanding Religious Cults: Identification, Methods, and Social Impact" - The objective academic framework that reveals how to identify harmful religious organizations using measurable criteria rather than theological opinion.

"LDS Church Assessment Using Cult Identification Framework" - The shocking results when objective cult criteria are applied to Utah's dominant institution, revealing a score that predicts exactly the community devastation we observe.

"The Cries of the Children: A Call to Stand for the Voiceless" - The rallying cry for every person of conscience to join the fight for justice and vindication of those whose voices have been silenced forever.

"Where Are Our Champions?" - The urgent appeal to America's most powerful change agents to deploy their resources and influence to save Utah's children before more lives are lost.

Each article builds upon the last, creating an irrefutable case for immediate action. The children cannot wait. Justice cannot be delayed. Read them all—their lives depend on it.

May God grant us the courage to act on this evidence, the wisdom to implement comprehensive reform, and the mercy to heal the wounds created by institutional religious abuse. The children are counting on us. Their blood cries out from the ground for justice. How long, O Lord, will we wait to answer their cries?

"He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?" - Micah 6:8