Is the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints (Mormonism) a cult?
             The nature of Latter Day as a religion has been doubted; furthermore many are those that have claimed that this doctrine could be a cult. In this essay we would analyze the main controversies against this religion and see whether or not LDS (Latter Days Saint) are a cult. However before we enter into the topic we should first examine the meaning of the word cult.
             There is no generally accepted, single, current definition for the term cult. The complexity of defining this word has engendered a controversy among theologians, psychologists, philosophers and sociologists. Cult, such as Christian, hell, heaven, occult, are terms that often causes a social misunderstanding over their meanings. We will examine some of the definitions that have arisen from this term.
             Walter Martin, a Christian theologian defines cult as:
             " ...a group, religious in nature, which surrounds a leader or a group of teachings which either denies or misinterprets essential biblical doctrines..."
             This is an unsatisfying definition, as it is too general and subjective to agree with. It embraces most religions such as Mormon Church, Wicca, Islam, Hinduism, and all of the other religions of the world. Over 70% of humanity would belong to cults, by this definition.
             According to the Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the Occult, a cult is:
             "...a relatively small, often transitory religious group that commonly follows radical leader. A cult, unlike a sect, espouses radically new religious beliefs and practices that are frequently seen as threatening the basic values and cultural norms of society at large. Therefore, people who are involved in cults frequently exhibit antisocial and neurotic behavior. In recent times, orthodox Christians have used the term to describe those religious groups that deny the TRINITY and specifically the deity of Jesus Christ. Their t...