I was raised Mormon and my family is still Mormon to this day. Some are a little strange but nothing out of the ordinary, especially for anyone religious.
@IcedAmericano has the basic idea down of the differences. Mormonism has never been a cult, but the one branch, FLDS, is certainly one. If anyone remembers the Warren Jeffs issue, he was the head of the FLDS.
Mormons don't participate or partake in alcohol, drugs, coffee, or too much red meat. It's actually rather healthy, and they also fast once a month for an entire day. It took me years and years to realize that it's actually a truly fascinating religion.
The culture in Utah is a little wack. Everyone lives in a bubble and are all extremely happy and also good looking, but some people can't take that.