I wonder if this is a common phenomena in churches that preach legalism instead of the absolution of sins through the atoning death of God in the person of Jesus Christ on the cross.
I would guess there might be some kind of genetic factor, too. Everyone and their brother can trace themselves back to the same group of people.
Perfectionism could be an issue.
Pursuit of status, legalism, and doctrinal uncertainty could all be contributing factors.
It would be nice to know how strong any “depression correlation” is, though, before we go off the deep end of misguided analysis.
I wonder if the cause isn’t much more benign: A little alcohol relieves anxiety; anxiety leads to depression. The problem is that many people fail such moderation.
Is the amount of which the rate of depression is higher among Mormons greater than the amount of which the rate of alcoholism lower? And if they’re similar, is the depression less debilitating than alcoholism?
We know from Scripture and experience that
THE LAW BRINGS DEATH . . .
Many are walking around dead . . . dead in depression . . . dead in many ways . . .
An emphasis on the law seems to me to contribute to such.
I don’t know of studies on that score, though.
Thx.
Nine months later, I finally find your thread...