Uh oh! Mormonism!

[Bad Writer]

@BWS
I've always wondered what motivated Smith (same with the JWs). I can see that the system works in that people are "persuaded" to stay/participate.

What's your take?

Smith's motivation came from many different places, but I think my wife and I were able to boil down a lot of his work to simply trying to find a Church that his entire family could be a part of. This is how his mother, the true leader of his family, viewed the creation of the Mormon Church, and his father, Joseph Smith Sr., was just happy to have a religion that his entire family could agree on.

The fact remains that Joseph Jr. was not always honest in how he brought about the Church, such as fabricating tales of ministry of angels and ancient texts, but the evidence points to the fact that he probably believed he was a prophet. The greatest con from this conman was actually conning himself.

This, of course, was all nearly 200 years ago, so even though these are all interesting stories, they're not nearly as relevant today as what actually happens to keep people happy and interested in Mormon services. I'd say that most converts usually drop out of activity in their respective ward after only a few months of going. The ones that stay usually do so because they are given obligations and duties to attend to within the lay clergy of the Church. Whether they becomes teachers, bookkeepers, or hymn accompanists, they feel a sense of belonging because of these "callings", and they form lasting fellowships within their new community.

This is only the surface. After a year of being in the Church, the real test begins when they are permitted to attend the Temple Endowment ceremony. Their Ward Bishops hope that they have weaned these people off the "milk" in order to be ready for the "meat" of the Church. There's also an interview process, so members who fail are encouraged to try again and again, which can make them either feel frustrated, or more determined to learn the secrets of the Mormon Temple.

Once what has been revealed in the Temple is accepted, Mormonism is all downhill from there for that member.