Recovering Agency

Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control

By: Luna Lindsey

Narrated by: B.J. Harrison

In 2012, Mormon General Authority Marlin K. Jensen acknowledged that members are leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "in droves". Access to the internet is often credited and blamed for this mass exodus, where members learn about problematic doctrines and cover-ups of LDS history.

Many are happy as Mormons. And many are not. Those who leave, and those doubters who stay face struggles that few others can understand. Much of this suffering is caused by manipulative and controlling techniques pervasive throughout LDS doctrines and culture. Understanding these techniques will help recovering Mormons overcome the effects of belonging to a high-demand group.

As a former Mormon, Luna Lindsey experienced this coercive persuasion firsthand. Recovering Agency presents years of research into social psychology and the science of cult dynamics, to describe 31 mind-control techniques alongside examples of their use in Mormon scripture, lessons, and from the pulpit.

Even if you have never been Mormon, chances are that coercive influence techniques have been used to manipulate you at some point. Listen on and learn the answers to longstanding questions about this unique American religion and about the human mind.

©2013-2014 Luna Flesher Lindsey (P)2016 Luna Flesher Lindsey

I highly recommended this book

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand how Mormonism and Mormon authority figures exert mind control. This book draws upon the work of cult experts and is a worthwhile read for anyone who feels like they have been in any kind of cult or mind control group or relationship.

Set free!

The reader was great! Information was liberating. I will be recommending this book to all my post Mormon friends. I stopped attending 5 years ago, but so much mindset was still left in there guiding my choices. I know I will listen to it 2 or 3 more times to fully digest this complex information on mind control. Startling and disturbing! I’m so glad I broke free, thanks Luna for removing more blocks!

Awesome

I am not a Mormon but have read many books on the history of the Mormon church and I was in a fundamentalist Christian church for a couple years. Since leaving the church and gradually becoming deprogrammed I’ve become interested in why people gravitate toward religion. That being said this book is wonderful and very informative as to the mindsets of the believers. A lot of it rang true for me and again that’s with me being in a church for such a short period of time. I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in the mindsets of believers and how the organization can genuinely change and morph you. Having previously read Under the Banner of Heaven and No Man Knows my History I understood quite a bit of the contextual references despite not ever having belonged to the LDS church. This book doesn’t go into detailed history of events mentioned but it is not intended to. If looking for some more on the history I highly recommend the books mentioned above.

The narrator was great! I really loved his tone of voice and how he brought the reader into the book and kept engaged throughout.

I'm sure many can relate.

I'm an ex-Mormon. I this book is true! I remember saying those words about the the church more than 40 years ago. I believed that it was b.s. when I was a kid and forced to attend. Now, especially with DNA evidence, I know the church is a fraud that has way too much money and power. It's control goes far beyond its membership. The LDS church influences the economy and U.S.politics. It's reach is frightening.

Life Changing book!

I have been out of Mormonism for over 20 years but still struggle to be me. I have read many of the books cited in this one but something about the way the author thinks and synthesizes the copious manipulation tactics used to take self away and replace it with a false duplicate that lacks the freedom and power of a real person with agency -is nothing short of genius. There is so much material worth reviewing I bought a hard copy of the book as well.

Very thorough

Author made a very thorough review of Mormon manipulation techniques. This book along with therapy has helped me to see my upbringing and culture in a new way.

We are not your research!

Having been raised in the Mormon culture and seeing as far down the rabbit hole is anybody can see this book was spot on and gave me some insights and tools to deal with my past. However it was very annoying for the narration to stop for all the footnotes intended for those who are curious about the LDS religion. As a former LDS member I find it very insulting when someone who is merely” curious “ about the LDS church wanting me to rehash and explain an experience that simply cannot be explained without one experiencing it. Leave those of us who are trying to put this behind us alone and do the research like everybody else: sit down with the missionaries, go to church, interview with the bishop, attend church functions, read the Mormon approved literature, make Mormon friends, pay your 10% then and only then will you know what it’s like to be LDS.

Phenomenally researched and presented

Truly a great listen with a soothing narrator. This has been a very helpful resource in my recovering from Mormon indoctrination. Thank you, Luna!

Helpful for any post religious exodus

I appreciate the details breakdown of all of the different mind, control techniques, and how they were specifically implemented in the Mormon church. Very insightful. And very thorough.

Extremely helpful book to further heal after a faith deconstruction.

I’m almost 31 months into my faith transition out of black-and-white thinking Mormonism.

While this book would have been premature for me during the first 12-18 months, while I was fully deconstructing Mormon Church History and conservative Christianity, this book is exactly what I needed at this stage in my journey.

The two most important and helpful books for me before this one were Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, and God: A Human History.

At this point, I’d now add this book to have been equally as helpful to me as Sapiens and God.

Thank you Luna for your work on this :-)