This is an odd thread. The initial post clearly referenced Mormonism's "cultic" attributes, yet the responses seemed (for the most part) not to recognized the reference.

It bears noting that from a sociological perspective (which is the perspective of the original citation) most religions (and most sectarian splits from established religions) initially fall into the category of a cult. The levers of social control and the need to encourage commitment lead inevitably to such attributes.

"Successful" cults are typically transformed by their success into less coercive social organizations, usually as threats to their existence decline. When that happens, sociologists usually classify them as "sects," "denominations," or "churches."

It is somewhat unreasonable to treat modern Mormonism as a "cult," though its history clearly suggests that such a classification was accurate as late as the early 20th century. In some ways, the very geographic isolation of Mormons in Utah tended to preserve some "cultish" attributes. On the other hand, a concerted effort on the part of the Mormons to integrate their religion into the political and social structures of the larger Americans society, beginning with the renunciation of polygamy, represent strains in the opposite direction.

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"To announce that..we are to stand by the president whether right or wrong..is morally treasonable to the American public." -- Theodore Roosevelt, 1918