I concur. This thread provides useful insights to mormonism and mormon thought.
Yes.
As does this one still active: Vanity: Beware of False Prophets, False Prophecy
On post #599, I point to the common Lds patterns to seek control of...
...identity designations
...content published [this is the spirit of the Nauvoo Expositor still alive today]
...perceptions
The Mormon marketing approach goes well beyond what is "acceptable" perceptions-wise -- which is to attempt to influence others' image of the Lds Church. It tries to control it.
Reaganaut's 6-point outline in post #145 is helpful:
1) Tell people all about how wonderful the Mormon church (notice CHURCH not Christ) is.
2) Spoon feed them spiritual milk and deny or change the subject or refuse to answer questions about LDS ‘meat’ doctrines. Dodging questions hoping they will go away is SOP.
3) If they start to get uncomfortable, they ‘bear their testimony’ using words that sound Christian but have different meanings (and yes they know LDS have their own meanings).
4) If challenged further, they start attacking those who speak out against them, leveling all kinds of charges (couldn’t live the gospel, didn’t want to tithe, in it for money, lying, bigotry, hatred, wanting to bring back the inquisition, wanting to kill them).
5) If that goes nowhere, they play the ‘victim card’ and go on about how they are hated and persecuted and there is a history of that in Mormonism, and it just proves Mormonism is ‘true’...
6) Finally, they get angry, pick up their toys, and go home (like GMR). They still haven’t answered the questions or dealt with the issues, they just claim to be offended and shut down rather than really try to work through the issues with Mormonism.
My "addendum" thus would be:
a) "Joe Mormon" seeks to control identity designations. "Joe" is the new Christian on the universal block. You? You Protestant...You Catholic...You Orthodox...Why you are an unfaithful apostate...corrupt at that...A member of the "church of the devil"...and embracer of 100% abominable creeds. If you challenge these designations as "lies," #6 from Reaganaut's list kicks in.
b) "Joe Mormon" seeks to control content. It's not enough that he or she has free expression; nope. Web site producers like Jim Robinson isn't allowed to have that freedom or freedom of expression.
c) "Joe Mormon" seeks to control others' perceptions. The way their P.R. specialists try to do this is by stereotyping non-Mormons as having stereotypes.
They seemingly fail to ask: What if these assessments of Mormons by non-Mormons...what if they are indeed true, after all?