Destructive Mind Control
In Evolutionary Mormonism
By Lyndon Lamborn
Destructive Mind Control
A Social Process (meme) that:
Encourages obedience
Champions conformity
Suppresses autonomy and independence
Disrupts and displaces authentic identity
individual feels completely
End state: the
dependent on the group for survival
Mind Control Often Found In:
Religious cults
Military organizations
Pyramid sales schemes
Drug cartels
Feuding tribes
Key Characteristics
Authentic Identitysuppression
Threatening prophecies
Secrecy, Shrines for the elite
Deception
Isolation, Time monopolization
Confession, privacy infringement
Key Characteristics (cont.)
Preoccupation with $$, $$ extraction
Demand for purity, hyper-vigilance
Top-down obedience
Information censorship
Fear, shunning of defectors
Circular reasoning, sacred science
Heavenly soldiers for God theme
Key Characteristics (cont.)
Exploitation of cognitive human biases:
Groupthink bias
Authority bias
„Saying is believing‟ bias
Escalation of commitment bias
Confirmation bias
Reciprocity bias
Survival bias
Hindsight Bias
Identity Suppression
Become as a little child Take upon
doctrine self the Patriarchal
name of blessings denote
Christ, lineage and often
natural man „adoption‟ into
is an enemy
family blood lines
to God
doctrine
1800 1900 2000
Peculiar
Temple rites include people
assignment of a „new doctrine
name‟, and ordinance work emphasized
by proxy for the dead, which – New Pride
is found in
is identity substitution
rehearsal. group
identity/traits.
Aim: Groupthink replaces individual thinking….
Threatening prophecies
1835: Smith predicts 1937: Church
New England the 2nd coming NLT introduces 1-yr food
Puritans are 1891. supply. 1980‟s: 72-
certain the hr emergency kits.
end is near. Disaster is always
imminent.
1600 1700 1800 1900 2000
Puritan
1662: Mather
M.Wigglesworth predicts
pens poem “The second
Day of Doom” coming in
1697, then
1716, then
1736
Survival Bias
Threatening prophesies 1833: Word of
abound in early Wisdom given by
sermons given by Smith 1834, 1842,
Smith and Young and 1851, 1870 Word of
others Wisdom increases
in importance &
enforcement
1800 1900 2000
1830: Lehi‟s
dream in the 1880: Book of Abraham
Book of canonized, which includes
Mormon – Hold 1/3 of the host of heaven are
to the Rod! demons surrounding us.
Secrecy, Shrines for the Elite
1959: Church
1833: releases financial
Temple holding 1990s: Hinckley
building information for announces focus
begins in the last time. on temple building
Kirtland, Perfection of the and temple
Ohio „art of silence‟ worthiness.
begins.
1800 1900 2000
1820-1844: Smith‟s life 1980s: Church officials
is shrouded with purchase documents from
secrets. The golden Mark Hofmann, most are
plates, angels, how he hidden. Hoffman is
did translations, the exposed as a forger and
doctrine of polygamy convicted of murder.
and secret spiritual
wifery… “no man knows
my history”
Deception 1990‟s: Dallin Oaks
Trial of 1826.
1850: John Taylor continues acknowledges deception
Joseph Smith
tradition of lying about by church leaders. “The
admits deception for
polygamy in an interview in whole experience with
gain, and that he
Boulogne, France, even when polygamy was a fertile
could discern field for deception… “If
nothing with peep he himself was a practicing
polygamist. some of these Mormon
stones.
leaders or members lied,
therefore, what?”
1800 1900 Hinckley & $$ 2000
1843: Smith
conjures an Smith falls
Egyptian for the
„alphabet‟. „Kinderhook
1844: Smith plate‟ trap,
lies about providing a
polygamy. quick
„translation‟
of gibberish.
„Translation‟ Technique
Translation method as
portrayed by LDS Church.
Isolation, Time Monopolization
[Groupthink Bias Reinforcement]
1961: McKay “Every member a 1970s, 1980s: Daily
missionary”. personal and family
1964: Monthly home teaching and prayer and scripture
visiting teaching study emphasized, 3-
hr block, temple
1968: „Family home evening‟ program attendance reports
– every Monday night
1800 1900 2000
„Gathering‟ of the 1953: McKay
1938: First forms the
Saints is SOP Ohio,
temple Church
Illinois, Missouri,
records Educational
then Great Basin
microfilmed. System
Genealogical
research
emphasized,
consuming
hobby for
many.
Confession, privacy infringement
1860-1934: 1976: Public awareness of
Church slowly transgressions limited to
moves away from announcements to adults
detailed public
confessions – 1956: Private confession
bishops more deemed adequate except in
involved case of public scandal
1800 1900 2000
1830-1900: Confession of sins 1856-57, “The Mormon 1972: Spencer W
was routinely done in public in Reformation”, (Revival) Kimball publishes
the early church and often Teachers hear “The Miracle of
reqd after church court confession, ask 27 Forgiveness”, a
conviction… Sabbath day questions: everything repentance &
obligation: “offer thy from murder to bathing. confession cookbook
sacraments confessing thy
sins unto thy brethren and 1913: Instructions for private confession
before the Lord.” D&C 59:12
1970s: Youth interviews are made an
annual event – and get personal
Preoccupation with Money
1825: Smith is an accomplished
2000-2008: In order
money digger, learning how to
to avoid disclosing
prey on human superstitions for $
financials, church
1830: Smith attempts to sell copy settles misconduct
write for the Book of Mormon in lawsuits
Canada
1800 1900 2000
1838: Smith‟s 1899: Lorenzo 2004: Church buys 88,000 acres in
speculative bank in Snow institutes Nebraska, making it the 2nd largest
Kirtland, Ohio fails. tithing landowner in that state with 228,000
Smith and Rigdon acres. Church assets are ~40 billion,
flee from angry Temple ceremony with 925,000 acres in N. America, and
investors, finding the largest foreign landowner in Great
includes
refuge with members Britain. The church is rumored to be
consecration of all
in Missouri. the largest beef producer in the USA,
worldly goods to
and easily the richest per capita
the church.
Appeal to wealth…. religion in the world.
Demand for purity, hyper-vigilance
Purity of thought: “As a Moral purity: Memorization of hymns,
man thinketh in his Sexual relations scriptures, and slogans to
heart, so is he.” “No outside marriage be used as „thought-
unclean thing can enter are sins “like stoppers‟ to displace evil
the Kingdom of God.” unto murder”. thoughts. Always work in
pairs.
1800 1900 2000
“he that 1921: Purity 1989: Masturbation
looketh upon of body: No is a deplorable sin.
a woman with alcohol, Young men with a
lust hath tobacco, masturbation habit
already coffee, tea are not allowed to
committed [Word of serve missions.
adultery in his Wisdom]
heart” enforced
2000+ Utah #1 for
porn….
Top-down obedience
(Reinforcing Authority Bias)
1830: Smith reveals ~1845: Brigham Young
that the Lord considers institutes blood oaths of 1980: Ezra Benson
words spoken by Smith obedience to church law delivers landmark
to be “as if from my in the temple “Fourteen Fundamentals
own mouth”. D&C endowment ceremony, in Following a Prophet”
21:4,5 “in preference to the speech.
laws of the USA”.
1800 1900 2000
1890: Wilford Woodruff 1919: Policy change:
6/19/1838: „Salt‟ sermon is announces “The Lord pass sacrament to
delivered, calling for will never permit me or highest authority first.
unquestioning obedience to any other man who
the prophet, for right or stands at the head of 1945: „Once the prophet
wrong, on penalty of death. this Church to lead you speaks, the thinking has
astray…. If I were to been done‟ article is
attempt that, the Lord published in Church
would remove me out of media.
my place…
Information censorship
1844: Joseph Smith 1998, 1999: FAIR and FARMS
leads a raid on and websites step up to „combat‟ true
illegally destroys the history and other doctrinal
“Nauvoo Expositor”, critiques.
setting off a series of 1980: Church archives are
events that would closed.
culminate in his death
1800 1900 2000
1981: Signature Books Censorship through
is founded, in direct dilution is perfected.
response to the Teachings of past
cancellation of Leonard prophets are
Arrington's 16 volume whitewashed in new
"History of the Church" lesson manuals.
project Member inundated with
new materials annually.
1981: Boyd K Packer gives famous “we are one-sided” speech
Fear, shunning of defectors
1830s & 40s: Any daring to Sept 1993: six
challenge the authority of prominent scholars
Smith are expelled: who were deemed
Examples: Oliver Cowdery, too liberal are
Martin Harris, William Law expelled.
1800 1900 2000
1844: Death penalties 2004: Grant Palmer,
become the consequence 34-yr CES instructor, is
for divulging temple secrets. expelled for publishing
„Insiders View of
1873, 1904: Bill Mormon Origins‟, a
Hickman publishes purely factual book.
“Brigham‟s Destroying
2007: Lamborn
Angel”, his
expelled for
involvement in crimes
and murders ordered distributing true
by bloody Brigham. history information.
Circular reasoning, sacred science
Oops… change of
1830: Book of plan… “When confronted
Mormon „promise‟ with evidence from the
– a study in rocks below, rely on the
circular reasoning witness of the heavens
above.” – Packer, 2005
1800 1900 2000
1842: Smith expounds on 1970s: Scientific
physics, time, space progress is advancing
ether, etc in the Book of because Gods work
Abraham, all popular must go forward… but
theories in his day. wait….
Absolute power is granted to feelings, which then become capable of displacing
reality.
Heavenly soldiers for God theme
1838: Danite "You and each of you do covenant and promise that you
band formed, will pray and never cease to pray to Almighty God to
also referred to avenge the blood of the prophets upon this nation, and that
as “Armies of you will teach the same to your children and to your
Israel” by Smith children's children unto the third and fourth generation."
The oath remained a part of the temple rituals until
February 15, 1927.
1800 1900 2000
1857: Mountain Meadows Massacre
1834: Zions ~120 innocents murdered.
camp militia is "Vengeance is mine saith the Lord,
formed to and I have taken a little of it."
liberate the - Brigham Young
Saints in
Missouri. 1846: The Mormon Battalion is only
religious military unit in US history
„Saying is believing‟ bias
1974:
Kimball –
1806-1825: Smith 3/27/1836: Kirtland “Every able,
grows up in an temple dedicated, worthy
environment of early testimony young man
testimony bearing bearing free-for-all. should
(Pentecostals) serve a
mission.”
1800 1900 2000
1830: Smith recruits 1896: Church institutes “Fast
witnesses for the Book and Testimony” meeting once
of Mormon & initiates a month on Sunday
missionary work,
calling his brother, 1900-present: Lesson manuals
Samuel Smith to serve. routinely request that the
Not only does this add instructor “bear testimony of the
converts, it made principles as the spirit dictates”
loyalists. at the end of each lesson.
Escalation of commitment bias
1826: Smith perfects 1846: Brigham
EOC in money Young feigns
digging business. persecution to
muster men for the
Smith sees the EOC effects Mormon Battalion
of „gathering the saints‟ and - then Saints cross
consecration doctrines plains
1800 1900 2000
1834: Zion's ~1990:
1828: Smith camp Handcart treks
woos Martin participants instituted, a
Harris into become short pioneer
heavy stalwarts, experience for
investment in reinforcing ages 14-18.
the Book of the power of
Mormon the EOC
„translation‟. bias.
Money and time investment in the church makes every member a beast of burden.
Confirmation bias
Church encourages
Holy Ghost gift 1962: Gospel to
large families. It is the
doctrine ties life be taught 3X in
duty of Mormons to give
experiences to lifetime; child,
millions of spirits a body
the myth youth, adult
through birth. Heber C.
Kimball ~1865
1800 1900 2000
1830: Many Book
August 1878, the first
of Mormon stories
Primary meeting held in
parallel Bible
Farmington, Utah.
stories – which
Children who were not
then ring true to
part of the pioneering
Christians
experience of the Church
were thought to need
additional indoctrination.
Reciprocity bias
1990s: Apostolic 2001: Hinckley
blessings establishes the
become popular. “Perpetual
1849: Smith establishes the Education Fund”
“Perpetual Emigration Fund”
1800 1900 2000
Tangible gifts:
Illusory gifts:
Wedding & funeral
Salvation
Nice buildings
Ordinances
Social network
Revelation
Youth programs
Holy Ghost 1936: Church formally Employment services
Patriarchal blessings organizes a welfare program
for struggling Saints.
Hindsight bias (Appeal to Success)
1880 New York:
1842: Polygamy 1995-2005:
Fertile environment
brings key Hinckley
& Joseph Smith
ingredients: attempts to
collide. Smith
answers ALL front Persecution mainstream
page issues and
Monopolization
becomes a hero.
“We need to discuss my emotional needs”
1800 1900 2000
~1990: US
1844: Smith is 1978: Kimball
Govt enforces
killed in a announces
anti-polygamy
gunfight, touted Blacks can
laws, Church
as a martyrdom hold
is forced to
Priesthood
evolve
Isolation & monopoly = appeal to the masses
Summary
Mormonism, an complex adaptive organism, has
evolved into an effective mind control entity
Momentum and emphasis moving away from
„truth‟ toward „survival through feelings‟ through
mind control techniques
Mind control victims are generally impervious to
facts and evidence, due to cognitive biases.
The tie between survival and belief must be
broken first, but how? (thought question)
Conclusion
Enlightenment is man's release from his self-incurred tutelage. Immanuel Kant