Mormonism and The BITE Model

Determining whether The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon Church) qualifies as a cult hinges on various criteria. According to the BITE model, we find evidence that it meets several characteristics associated with cults. Note that the term “cult” carries negative connotations and lacks a universally agreed-upon definition, and most Mormons will deny the classification, but it is apparent that the Mormon Church exhibits traits commonly associated with cult-like behavior.

Despite officially being recognized as a mainstream Christian denomination, the church and its members demonstrate practices and beliefs that diverge significantly from traditional Christian doctrines. Critics argue that the hierarchical structure, strict control over members’ lives, and insistence on obedience to church leadership reflect cult-like tendencies. Moreover, the church’s history of secrecy, manipulation, and pressure tactics further supports claims of cult status. While individuals may hold varying opinions on the matter, the evidence suggests that the Mormon Church warrants consideration within the framework of cult analysis.

The BITE Model

Dr. Steven Hassan is a mental health professional and leading expert on cults and undue influence. Drawing from his personal experience and academic background in psychology and counseling, he developed the BITE Model to analyze the methods cults use to control their members. The BITE Model, which stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control, identifies how these groups manipulate individuals by regulating their actions, limiting their access to information, shaping their beliefs, and exploiting their emotions.

The BITE model is a framework developed by Steven Hassan, a mental health counselor and former cult member, to analyze and assess the control and influence tactics used by cults or high-control groups. "BITE" stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control, and it serves as a tool to identify the key ways in which cults manipulate and manipulate their members. — The BITE model is a framework developed by Steven Hassan, a mental health counselor and former cult member, to analyze and assess the control and influence tactics used by cults or high-control groups. “BITE” stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control, and it serves as a tool to identify the key ways in which cults manipulate and manipulate their members.

How does the Mormon church measure on the BITE Model?

Consider the different eras of the church and ask if the church of that day exhibits characteristics of a cult. We can consider the early church as it was led by Joseph Smith, the church of Brigham Young as they colonized the Utah territory and even the church of today.

Dr. Steven Hassan hosted an AMA (Aske me anything) session on the exmormon reddit forum. He was specifically asked not only if the Mormon church was a cult, but if it was what he defines as a destructive cult, and his answer? YES! He invites readers to learn more through his analysis The BITE Model & Mormonism: An Exploration with Ex-Mormon John Dehlin.

Examining the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) of today through the BITE model lens can provide insight into its practices and whether it exhibits characteristics of a cult or high-control organization:

Behavior Control:
- The Mormon Church exerts significant control over members’ behavior through strict adherence to commandments, guidelines, and standards set by church leaders.
- Members are expected to follow a set of rules regarding dress, grooming, diet, and lifestyle choices.
- The church emphasizes the importance of obedience to leaders and may implement disciplinary measures for those who deviate from prescribed behavior. Members are told not to question or criticize leaders.

Information control examines the tactics manipulative organizations use such as censorship and propaganda, restricting members’ access to outside perspectives. 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. | wasmormon.org — Information control examines the tactics manipulative organizations use such as censorship and propaganda, restricting members’ access to outside perspectives.

Information Control:
- The Mormon Church tightly controls the flow of information to its members, promoting only approved teachings and materials.
- Access to certain historical documents, critical perspectives, and dissenting opinions may be limited or discouraged.
- The church’s history and doctrine are presented in a way that portrays Joseph Smith and other leaders in a favorable light, while downplaying or ignoring controversial aspects of their teachings or actions.
- Members are encouraged to rely on official church sources for information and to avoid exposure to external sources that may contradict church teachings.

Thought Control focuses on psychological techniques used by such groups to shape beliefs and attitudes, suppressing critical thinking and promoting conformity. 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. | wasmormon.org — Thought Control focuses on psychological techniques used by such groups to shape beliefs and attitudes, suppressing critical thinking and promoting conformity.

Thought Control:
- The Mormon Church employs various techniques to regulate members’ thoughts and beliefs, including indoctrination, thought-stopping techniques, and discouragement of critical thinking.
- Questioning or doubting church teachings is often discouraged and may be viewed as a lack of faith or loyalty.
- Members are taught to conform to the church’s worldview and to suppress dissenting opinions or doubts.

Emotional Control:
- The Mormon Church utilizes emotional manipulation to foster loyalty and obedience among its members.
- Members may experience intense feelings of belonging, acceptance, and love within the church community, but may also fear rejection or punishment for disobedience.
- Guilt, shame, and fear of consequences in the afterlife are often used to influence behavior and discourage dissent.

The Mormon Church exhibits characteristics of a high-control organization, but we should recognize that not all members experience these dynamics the same. It is important to approach any assessment with nuance and to consider individual experiences within the broader context of the organization’s structure and teachings. Members of the church tend to be quite offended when called a cult, and name-calling is not the objective of this analysis.

BITE Analyzing Early Mormonism

We can also examine the early Mormon Church through the BITE model to see if the church as established by Joseph Smith could also be classified as a cult.

Behavior Control

The early Mormon Church exerted significant control over the behavior of its members through various practices and expectations. Missionary work was strongly emphasized, with men expected to serve missions as called upon. These men would leave their families to serve where Joseph Smith told them to go. Some instances even show that Joseph would propose a plural marriage arrangement to the man’s wife while he was away on a mission (See William Law and Orson Pratt). Obedience to church leaders, particularly Joseph Smith, was paramount, and dissent or questioning of authority was often discouraged or punished.

Information Control

Sources critical of the church or its leaders, and dissenting voices within the church were often silenced or marginalized. Take the Nauvoo Expositor, for example, a newspaper that printed Joseph Smith’s secrets, he ordered destroyed. This violated the freedom of the press and let to his final incarceration where he was assassinated by detractors.

Thought Control

Joseph is known for denying things like polygamy, while also practicing polygamy or plural marriages. He married many women in his lifetime and many were even kept secret from his public-wife, Emma. He controlled the thoughts about the church by manipulating the public image of the church. He denied the actual practices of the church because he knew the public would not accept them.

Emotional Control

Continuing on the subject of Joseph’s plural marriages, we can see the emotional control he held over the saints of the time. He coerced many of his wives into covert relationships with him with spiritual pressure. He would promise them (and their families) treasures in heaven if they would become his bride. It is documented that he coerced Helen Mar Kimball to be his bride in this way and no doubt she wasn’t the only one.

Joseph also held considerable emotional control over the men of the church. He rewarded his loyal followers with positions of authority (though never to rival his own authority), and many even with secret marriages of their own. The patterns of spiritual abuse continued from Joseph’s day to Brigham Young and today.

Even though this simple abridged analysis only touches the surface, it’s evident that the early Mormon Church exhibited many characteristics consistent with a cult as defined by the BITE model. No surprise then that the church today still exhibits similar characteristics.

What’s Your Experience?

It is interesting to take a single event in the church, like when they completely revised a talk from a General Conference session in 1984 by Elder Poelman and re-recorded him giving it to send the original down the memory hole. The only reason they were caught is that members had just started recording conferences on their own with their new VCRs. Consider how this manipulative event, or other individual events fit in the BITE model if considering the whole church is overwhelming. Is this changing messaging of a talk, re-recording it, and trying to pass it off as if nothing had happened an example of manipulative cult-like behavior or undue influence? Tell us how you experienced the Mormon church. Share your story and list how the church measures up on the BITE model in your experience. Everyone experiences this differently, but we can see that it can fit all the criteria. Stay safe!

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