Church Indoctrination Is The Goal

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Spencer W. Kimball, LDS Church President from 1973–1985. He gave an address soon after becoming the church president at a Regional Representatives Seminar where he asked for indoctrination. While the term “indoctrination” may seem neutral in some contexts, its use here is a red flag, suggesting a deliberate effort to mold individuals into unwavering adherents who unquestioningly accept and propagate church teachings. This approach prioritizes conformity over critical thinking and personal exploration, hallmarks of organizations seeking to control rather than empower.

"I am asking for missionaries who have been carefully indoctrinated" - LDS President, Spencer W. Kimball, 1974 | wasmormon.org
“I am asking for missionaries who have been carefully indoctrinated” – LDS President, Spencer W. Kimball, 1974

When I ask for more missionaries, I am not asking for more testimony-barren or unworthy missionaries. I am asking that we start earlier and train our missionaries better in every branch and every ward in the world. That is another challenge—that the young people will understand that it is a great privilege to go on a mission and that they must be physically well, mentally well, spiritually well, and that “the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.

I am asking for missionaries who have been carefully indoctrinated and trained through the family and the organizations of the Church, and who come to the mission with a great desire. I am asking for better interviews, more searching interviews, more sympathetic and understanding interviews, but especially that we train prospective missionaries much better, much earlier, much longer, so that each anticipates his mission with great joy. …

Just think what can be accomplished when we broadcast our message in many languages over numerous radio stations, large and small, around the world, and millions of good people listening on their transistors are being indoctrinated with the truth. …

As I see this almost impossible demand, I believe that you brethren, our representatives, can immediately accept the challenge and in your stakes and missions explain to the people how they must increase their missionaries, how they can finance their missionaries, how they can indoctrinate and train these additional missionaries, and how, through all the agencies of the Church, they can move ahead.

Spencer W. Kimball, When the World Will Be Converted, Ensign, October 1974
From an address delivered at a Regional Representatives Seminar, Thursday, April 4, 1974
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1974/10/when-the-world-will-be-converted
"When I ask for more missionaries, I am not asking for more testimony-barren or unworthy missionaries. I am asking that we start earlier and train our missionaries better in every branch and every ward in the world. That is another challenge—that the young people will understand that it is a great privilege to go on a mission and that they must be physically well, mentally well, spiritually well, and that “the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. I am asking for missionaries who have been carefully indoctrinated and trained through the family and the organizations of the Church, and who come to the mission with a great desire. I am asking for better interviews, more searching interviews, more sympathetic and understanding interviews, but especially that we train prospective missionaries much better, much earlier, much longer, so that each anticipates his mission with great joy." - Spencer W. Kimball, 1974 | wasmormon.org
“When I ask for more missionaries, I am not asking for more testimony-barren or unworthy missionaries. I am asking that we start earlier and train our missionaries better in every branch and every ward in the world. That is another challenge—that the young people will understand that it is a great privilege to go on a mission and that they must be physically well, mentally well, spiritually well, and that “the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. I am asking for missionaries who have been carefully indoctrinated and trained through the family and the organizations of the Church, and who come to the mission with a great desire. I am asking for better interviews, more searching interviews, more sympathetic and understanding interviews, but especially that we train prospective missionaries much better, much earlier, much longer, so that each anticipates his mission with great joy.” – Spencer W. Kimball, 1974

Indoctrination Over Education

The term “indoctrination” implies a rigid teaching process designed to enforce belief without allowing for doubt or questioning. For an organization claiming to seek truth, this approach contradicts ideals of personal revelation, open inquiry, and genuine understanding. Such heavy-handed preparation aligns more closely with high-demand groups that prioritize loyalty over personal authenticity.

Early Conditioning

Kimball emphasizes starting missionary preparation “much earlier, much longer,” suggesting a systematic effort to instill loyalty from a young age. This focus on long-term conditioning is a hallmark of organizations that seek to exert influence over individual thought and behavior.

Elevated Pressure and Expectations

The demand for “testimony-barren” or “unworthy” individuals to be excluded creates a culture of perfectionism and performance. Prospective missionaries may feel immense pressure to meet spiritual and behavioral standards, risking shame, burnout, or mental health struggles if they fall short. High-pressure environments are often used to suppress dissent and maintain control.

A Cult-Like Warning Sign

The BITE™ Model of Authoritarian control is a framework to identify and analyze the ways cults and other high-control groups manipulate their members with mind control or undue influence. BITE stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control. Behavior control explores how manipulative groups dominate actions and behaviors through strict rules, rewards, and punishments, limiting individual autonomy. Information control examines the tactics manipulative organizations use such as censorship and propaganda, restricting members’ access to outside perspectives. Thought Control focuses on psychological techniques used by such groups to shape beliefs and attitudes, suppressing critical thinking and promoting conformity. Emotional Control explores how these groups manipulate emotions, fostering dependency and loyalty through guilt, and fear-based indoctrination.
The BITE™ Model of Authoritarian control is a framework to identify and analyze the ways cults and other high-control groups manipulate their members with mind control or undue influence. BITE stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control. Behavior control explores how manipulative groups dominate actions and behaviors through strict rules, rewards, and punishments, limiting individual autonomy. Information control examines the tactics manipulative organizations use such as censorship and propaganda, restricting members’ access to outside perspectives. Thought Control focuses on psychological techniques used by such groups to shape beliefs and attitudes, suppressing critical thinking and promoting conformity. Emotional Control explores how these groups manipulate emotions, fostering dependency and loyalty through guilt, and fear-based indoctrination.

Cult experts often identify excessive control over members’ training and thought processes as a key warning sign of high-demand groups. Thought control and information control are both key element of the BITE model from Dr Steven Hassan. Encouraging members to see missions as a “privilege” while ensuring they are “carefully indoctrinated” reflects a dynamic where individual agency is supplanted by organizational control.

Suppression of Critical Thought

While missions are framed as opportunities to share the gospel, the precondition of indoctrination undermines any notion of critical engagement with other beliefs or even with one’s own faith. This creates a rigid “us verses them” mentality, isolating missionaries from diverse perspectives.

Careful Indoctrination

By insisting on “carefully indoctrinated” missionaries, Kimball’s vision places loyalty to the institution above all else, discouraging personal growth and genuine understanding. This approach leaves little room for questioning or exploring the complexities of faith, which is often the most authentic path to spiritual growth. Furthermore, such preparation risks creating individuals who are not equipped to handle faith crises, as they have been trained to suppress doubt rather than confront it honestly.

The explicit call for indoctrination and the emphasis on conformity within Kimball’s message serve as a cautionary reminder to critically examine the structures and teachings of any organization. For those raised within the Mormon faith, such language can feel unsettling, particularly when contrasted with values like agency, personal revelation, and authenticity. Encouraging free thought and genuine exploration is vital for fostering a faith built on personal conviction rather than institutional demands.

Spencer W. Kimball’s emphasis on indoctrination and unwavering loyalty underscores the high-demand nature of missionary preparation within the Mormon Church. For many, this rigid system of training becomes the foundation of a faith built on institutional control rather than personal conviction. Deconstructing such deeply ingrained indoctrination can be a long and difficult journey, but it is also an empowering step toward reclaiming authenticity and agency.

If you have experienced this process of questioning, breaking free from indoctrination, or navigating the complexities of leaving the Mormon Church, your story matters. Sharing your experiences can inspire others who are struggling with similar challenges and contribute to a growing community of voices seeking truth and authenticity. We invite you to add your story at wasmormon.org and help others see that they are not alone in their journey.

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