So where are the parallels? I see very few, to be honest. As for the Godmakers book and video, it’s like watching F-Troop and thinking it’s an accurate historical depiction of the Old West and our relations with the American Indians.
Well, let's see...
- Both the witnesses and the LDS church refer to their former members as apostates and are to be shunned.
- Both the witnesses and the LDS church believe in a great apostacy that occurred during the early church.
- Both the witnesses and the LDS church view all other churches as being part of the great whore of Babylon.
- Both the witnesses and the LDS church do not allow their members to read information critical of their respective organizations.
- Both the witnesses and the LDS church white wash their history.
- Both the witnesses and the LDS church reverses their doctrines even when the previous doctrine was considered correct.
- Both the witnesses and the LDS church actively dismantle the beliefs of other religions so that when a member finds flaws in their own church, they have 'no where to go.'
That's a few I got from watching the movie (both of them) and their blood atonement doctrine was downright shocking. Now, I will admit, I have not really taken the time to thoroughly research the Mormons so I cannot be 100% certain to the accuracy of the movie. However, Qcmbr has posted a list of what he refers to as "Touchstones of failed reason" and every one of them was touched upon in the movie. I think these are the issues that are causing Mormons today to reconsider their faith.
Otherwise, on the surface, they appear to be a wholesome family oriented religion and I can understand why Mormons today would not be so willing to leave their religion. Just as Jehovah's Witnesses like my wife aren't willing to totally abandon the religion because of all the good it gives to the adherents (morality, family oriented, etc). However, for outsiders of both religions (like myself) who had already found a faith in another church or who managed to find the good wholesome traits elsewhere, convincing them to become either a Mormon or a Witness is tough sledding especially if that individual takes any time what so ever to investigate the religion beyond what the missionary calling at their door is willing disclose. Oh and another thing they seem to have in common, it would seem like, just as the witnesses of today know little of the history of their religion, mormons of today also seem equally as ignorant in regards to the history of the Mormon church. However it does seem like the Mormon church is more open to discussing their shady past (unlike the Watchtower's governing body) so there may be some hope for them.
I think just as most witnesses are good God fearing people who just want to live good lives and use their faith to seek God, I believe the same can be said of most mormons. But I agree with Qcmbr when he said that given its current path, eventually "...it will be a broken force with increasingly fundamentalist strongholds unless it does a CoC, renounces crazy and descends into mainstream Christian mediocrity." I believe the same thing holds true for the witnesses.