Inside The Mormon Mind: The Social Psychology of Mormonism

Elizabeth T. Tice, PH.D.

A short but very interesting read.

The author is a former Mormon who left the church in her late thirties. Her family and a majority of her friends are faithful Mormons. Unlike most anti-literature this book is the closest I have seen to an unbiased and truly scientific approach at looking at the Social Psychology of Mormonism.Of course some of her points are biased and not entirely accurate.But when you get through this and into the actual Psychology of it, it does prove interesting. The major point in the book concentrates on the Cognitive Dissonance theory, or in other words the idea that a person can't remain complacent with two ideas that are at extremes of eachother.

While as a psychology addict I find her arguments interesting I really think she missed the mark. The thing about scientific psychology is that most religion defies it. The very essence of faith defies logic. Yet for those who feel it, the logic doesn't matter, no matter what fancy name you classify it under. There are books that edify and uplift mentally as well as spiritually. While interesting, this is not one of them.

Many of our non-Mormon friends tend to think we are being "dupped". To them I reply as I once heard a friend relpy. "If I am being dupped, then bring it on." I look at what we have and at our friends and I am so thankful for our knowledge of the Gospel and for our obediance. We have truly seen change in our lives. Anyone who knew Matt ten years ago and knows him now can testify to the fact of his change. The strife, unhappiness, tension..... that I see in some of our friends daily lives does not exist in ours. Our family is extremely close, more so than most non-member families I have been aquainted with. We have been unbelievably blessed in every area of our lives, and we believe this is as a result of the obediance to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. There is nothing I would change...... So again, if this is what being "dubbed" entails.......BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!