Why are mormon's crazy? Mormon's have a tendancy to sometimes act like a crazy bunch. Part of their craziness is to cope with the inconsistencies in their faith which they cannot consciously face. While speaking to a never-mo about a year ago, this theory came to me of why this is so and why anti-depressant use is so high among Mormons. It's relatively simple, but it totally explains the situation they're in that drives many of them into depression.
 

Brainwashing      Romantic Attachment      Guilt and Fear  +  Internal Inconsistencies  -------------------------------      Mormon Neurosis

First of all, Mormons are brainwashed by being told the same thing over and over again:

    Joseph Smith is a prophet.
    Joseph Smith is a prophet.
    Joseph Smith is a prophet.

    The Mormon Church is true.
    The Mormon Church is true.
    The Mormon Church is true.

    We have modern prophets today.
    We have modern prophets today.
    We have modern prophets today.

They hear such mantras it in all their meetings, from friends and family, everyone "testifying" about them, repeating them. And when one hears them again and again, somehow we tend to start thinking that they might be true or that they are true. These phrases become deeply ingrained in their thinking and values. As well, this blatant repetition is a willing and a participative one in that once they are indonctrinated by the phrases, the church is structured such that the phrases are encouraged to be said on a many occasions. In part, these brainwashing phrases can have a romantic value too.

Romanicised ideals are pervasive. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had modern prophets today?" or "Wouldn't it be wonderful to be with your family for eternity?" Part of this is playing off of larger "tranditional" cultural values, but nevertheless, they paint for their members and potential converts a vista of eternity that sounds very attractive --- except that all the husbands will have at least 7 wives of course and secret handshakes will be required to get into heaven -- and such blemishes in doctrine are conveniently passed over so as to appeal to the greatest number of people possible. Romantic buzzwords like, "Eternal progression," "worlds without end," "families can be together forever" captivate the believer even more. It is something they come to desperately desire, desperately hold to.

So with the brainwashing steeped deeply within and the romance coupled with it, captivating them, enchanting them, filling them with a surreal vision --- next comes the less digestible portions of the equation.

Guilt and fear are a daily part of the Mormon's life. In their faith, they are have to be striving to live up to a certain level or "perfection" or else when they die and go to be judged, they won't be in the highest level of heaven. So they are often burdened with guilt concerning their inadequacies and things left undone. They fear that if they don't keep steady on the path to heaven, if they slip up even a little, it can have dire eternal consequences.  This kind of doctrine is consistently preached, with words like "duty" and "obligation." Particularly in the Mormon Temple ceremonies this is poignantly apparent. God's wrath will severely reign down upon them if they do not live up to all of their promises of faithfulness and obedience to the commandments and their church leaders. This is a very heavy burden of guilt and fear of God's wrath. They try to emphasize the role of Jesus in it all, but his role is muted in the light that you are saved "after all you can do," after all you can do to strive to ascend the insurmountable, always pouring in constant pressure but never experiencing a life of ascension until death. So the Mormon always asks themselves, "Have I done enough? what more can I do? Deeds thus move from being acts of pure kindness to ones of selfishness, motivated by fear and guilt, in order that they may qualify for entrance into the highest levels of heaven. So, with this guilt of not living up and fear that if you don't, you won't end up in the best of places, such is a powerful moving variable in the Mormon Neurosis equation.

And finally, in the midst of brainwashing, romantic surrealness, and guilt and fear are the internal inconsistencies. To look more fully into those, check out the following link. That link's list is not exhaustive, but I think it is a good list. Many or most of these inconsistences are not consciously recognizable to the Mormon, because the other variables of the equation often play out be very powerful focusing and blinding factors, overriding the validity of logic and evidence in their minds. The internal inconsistencies in history and doctrine end up existing in the Mormon's mind unconsciously. Ever so softly they scratch unawares, and with romance and brainwashing blinding and the frustration of guilt and fear focusing, something deep within them tells them something is wrong, but they are not able to acknowledge it. This unconscious dissonance drives them mad. Searching they never find, running through a maze without exist.

When I think back to my days in Mormonism, I recall many instances when things were thrown at me saying that the Mormon church wasn't right, but I couldn't actually acknowledge them because of the overriding blinders.

Something also might be said of "the Spirit" in the LDS church, but I think that can easily be placed in the category of romance. You can watch a romantic movie and get the same feeling. The good feeling Spirit is simply because our romantic expectations are being met in their reiteration before us.

And thus, there you have it, the source of Mormon Neurosis.