"Are we using a hammer to kill a mosquito? That's a concern No. 1 when the state gets involved," Kropveld said.

Kropveld declines to apply the term "cult" to a lot of groups, saying it is too simple of a term to use and often depends on the individual experience. "Cult" also carries a negative connotation.

"You can have a good experience in a bad group or a bad experience in a good group," he said.

There are destructive groups where everyone is abused, Kropveld said, recalling California's Heaven's Gate cult that led to a mass suicide amongst its members in 1997.

Moore-Emmett was more direct.

"Absolutely it's a cult," she said. "It has all the hallmarks of a cult. Every one of these polygamous groups are cults. The dynamics are the same."

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com