Is Mormanism a religion or a cult?

It's a cult. It pretends to be christian but if you examine the core teachings, they believe in a number of satanic ritualistic things. Of course if you go to their sites, they'll tell you not to worry about their doctrines or the fact that their leaders were polygymists or that they didn't allow blacks to be in their cult until 1978.

Actually...it's neither.

Why don't you drop by one Sunday and see if there is any "cult-like" behavior? I am totally 100% serious. Take a look at the reverence. The paintings of Christ in the hallways. The sign out from that says "Visitors Welcome". The nice, clean, moral people. The love, and the warmth. I've been there for over 18 years and I've never seen any behavior that was "cult-like".

'Mormonism' isn't necessarily a religion. It's a faith. It's a sect, a denomination...of Christianity.

Just because some random website says it's a cult doesn't make it one. Heck, I could start up a website saying "Catholics are a cult", "JW are a cult", but does it make it true? Of course not.

According to the dictionary, you could classify all religions as a "cult" if you wanted to. Most of the people who use the word "cult" to describe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have never even researched anything on their own. They just read it from someone on here so they think it is true.

Yahoo Answers isn't the best place to find the truth when you ask this question.

Sociologically, today Mormonism is a religion. It began as a cult. Generally, the "cult" is viewed as having a seperatist, even paranoid, view of the wider society, a "millenial vison" of creating a spiritual utopia (or being taken by spiritual power to one) and a "charasmatic" leader (i.e. one divinely appointed)

Cults usually dissolve after a while--but, as with the Mormons, sometimes evolve into more integrated parts of the society.

The reverse can also happen. For instance, there are some splinter groups of the Mormons tha thave regressed to the cult-mentality of their early history. And among some (NOT ALL) of the "fundamentalist" Christian churches, a cult-like behavior pattern has surfaced in recent years.

PS: Sometimes you'l hear Buddists or Hindus in the US referred to as a cult. This is incorrect. These are old and well established religions. And being a cult is not a matter of size-or relative numbers in a population; it is about that worldview Idescribed.

Cults turn into religions after 100 years.

Depends... Mormonism has many believes that are a bit far out, and resembles a cult. But im not a member of it and do not know its beliefs so i cant say. But i guess Joseph smith fits the description of a cult leader, many of his prophesies have not come true, and the religion originally promoted polygamy, which doesnt help. Again im not sure about many of their beliefs, and I dont mean to anger mormons.

Is an apple a fruit or a food?

All religions are cults by definition. Look up "cult" in an online dictionary and tell me if your run-of-the-mill organized religion doesn't fit the definition:

"noun: a system of religious beliefs and rituals"

A cult started by pedophiles. A bunch of old guys wanting to bang young women.

Technically speaking, any religion with more than one follower is a cult.

You mean Mormonism. It's definately a cult, and a totally different belief from Christianity....which is also a false religion (as all religions are false too).

All religions with an external Godhead are cults.