# data[].attributes.headline
My Community Profile: Ex-Mormon Community

# data[].attributes.subject
My Community Profile: Ex-Mormon Community

# data[].attributes.body
How have changes in culture shaped the experiences of ex-Mormons?

# data[].attributes.body
How have historical events shaped the experiences of ex-Mormons?

# data[].attributes.body
How have environmental changes shaped the experiences of ex-Mormons?

# data[].attributes.body
Ex-Mormons are individuals who no longer believe in the Mormon faith. These individuals experience a deconstruction of faith and tremendous emotional upheaval. Some individuals are rejected by their family and their Mormon community. In the wake of these changes, individuals find new community and support from online and in-person communities that are built from the rubble of lost faith, family, and identity. This new community provides the comfort and validation of shared experiences and upbringing. These groups often explore together things that were previously considered taboo and sinful.

I was raised in the Mormon religion. As an adult, I left the church, becoming an ex-Mormon along with my spouse and children. I have participated in the ex community online as well as locally with a group of ex-members.

The ex-Mormon community also overlaps with the ex-communities of other high-demand religious groups.

The ex-Mormon community is still very connected to the Mormon church and events; changes that occur within the Mormon church are still relevant to our experiences. We still care about the Mormon community; many of our family and friends are part of this community, and we want to see the Mormon church make positive changes for its members.

# data[].attributes.body
A combination of climate change and human pressure on environmental resources has taken its toll on the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Ex-Mormons often experience a shift or dissonance about their beliefs in climate change and the need to conserve environmental resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In summer 2022, water levels in the Great Salt Lake dropped to new record lows.

# data[].attributes.body
Mormons have their own history of the church that is taught in correlated lessons to church members of all ages in their weekly meetings, as well as seminary and institute classes intended for youth and young adults.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a list of historical events that were taught inaccurately by the Mormon church. Ex-Mormons can feel that they have been deceived and lied to when they discover that the "church history" they have been taught has been altered or whitewashed. Reasons given to excuse the behaviors of past leaders are lacking in light of new knowledge. The church's own admonitions to read only church-approved material can feel like further deception when ex-Mormons learn a more expansive view of church history, one that includes voices other than church leaders.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Top 40 Most Dishonest Acts in Mormon Church History - Mormon Stories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Experience a community where your doubts and questions are valued and understood. We are dedicated to providing a place to explore your faith, share your experiences, and find the support you need during your faith journey. Top 40 Most Dishonest Acts in Mormon Church History

# data[].attributes.body
Learning that the pop culture show South Park more accurately explained Mormon church history than their own religion had done. Many people raised in the Mormon church remember asking parents and leaders about this episode of South Park and being told that it was all a lie (spoiler alert: despite being portrayed in typical off-color South Park fashion, it was actually true, and the Mormon church now admits that it was true). This contributed to many within the community feeling especially disillusioned with the Mormon church.

# data[].attributes.body
Social media is affecting the number of people leaving the church, and the way they are leaving, more boldly, with more information, and more confidence. Cultural shifts toward increasing digital communication and entertainment mean that the shrouded secrets of the Mormon church are more readily available. Discovering the lies of Mormon leaders and the inaccuracies in Mormon church history no longer requires extensive research at church libraries and special access to church documents. Podcasts and social media platforms make this information easily available to anyone. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of people leaving the Mormon church.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‘Exmo’ Influencers Mount a TikTok War Against the Mormon Church

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The church is facing a 21st-century reckoning, driven by social media—and it is racing to counter the narrative.

# data[].attributes.body
How has globalization affected the ex-Mormon community?

# data[].attributes.body
How have economic systems affected you and your community in the context of social change?

# data[].attributes.body
Leaving the Mormon church can have a significant economic impact on individuals. Probably the most important financial impact for Ex-Mormons is the loss of networks/connections. Some Ex-Mormons may face job loss if their previous employment was through the church institutions. This is because if a person is employed by the Mormon church, they are required to maintain a current temple recommend. A temple recommend is only available to church members who are in good standing with the Mormon church.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Church Educational System Refines Employment Standards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Church Educational System announces that all new employees who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be required to hold and be worthy to hold a current temple recommend.

# data[].attributes.body
On the plus side - Ex-Mormons get an automatic 10% raise. The church requires it's members to pay a tithing of 10% of their income to the church. Cessations of this payment after leaving the church can give an automatic economic boost to ex-members of the Mormon church.

# data[].attributes.body
The "prosperity gospel" is not something explicitly taught in the Mormon church. It is often not until a person leaves the Mormon church that they recognize they have been taught an economic system based on their own righteousness. The prosperity gospel is the idea that a person's wealth is directly related to their faithfulness and obedience to the church.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mormonism and the Prosperity Gospel - By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I don’t believe that God sends money or anything else to me because I follow church teachings. I also don’t believe that blessings are taken away from those who have never heard the gospel or who have rejected it for various reasons. If we are to find happiness, it is in building the kingdom of God, not waiting for God to send it to us as a blessing.

# data[].attributes.body
How have institutions related to health and safety, and the state, affected the ex-Mormon community?

# data[].attributes.body
How has the institution of education systems affected the ex-Mormon community?

# data[].attributes.body
How has the institution of religion affected the ex-Mormon community?

# data[].attributes.body
How have social movements affected ex-Mormons?

# data[].attributes.body
The ex-Mormon community developed because of globalization. As the popularity of the internet has grown, so has the ex-Mormon community. Previously, being an ex-Mormon was an isolated experience; now there is a vibrant, thriving, global community connected through shared beliefs and online support groups. Ex-Mormons from around the world have connected through global online communities like Facebook and Reddit.

In addition to finding support online, the efficiency and easy to access that can be found online about Mormon history and doctrine has also worked to grow the ex community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ex Mormons Online How Internet Communities Fuel The Exodus And Aid Faith Transition And Recovery - Sunstone

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With growing access to the Internet, tens of thousands of Mormons are uncovering uncomfortable facts leading to a painful crisis of faith that can trigger phobias and internalized shame; cause them to be shunned by family and community; and destablize their identity, sense of reality, and moral framework. With so few professionals to guide them, …

# data[].attributes.body
Education for women in the Mormon church has been viewed as largely unnecessary. Because of the patriarchal standards of family in the Mormon church, educating women is considered optional since women working outside the home does not follow the blueprint for families within the church; the man provides for his family, and the woman cares for the home and children. Educating women is considered good, but not as good as getting married and having children, and only as something to "fall back on" in case marriage doesn't work out, or something happens that forces the woman to become the breadwinner.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
11K views · 196 reactions | Does the Mormon church want educated women?

#lds #mormon #byu #byui #byuh #thechurchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #bookofmormon #josephsmith #brighamyoung #saltlakecity #utah #idaho #ldstemple #ldsmission #ldsmissionary #temple #missionary #bible #exmormon #exlds #exmo | Mormon Stories Podcast

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Does the Mormon church want educated women?

#lds #mormon #byu #byui #byuh #thechurchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #bookofmormon #josephsmith #brighamyoung #saltlakecity #utah #idaho #ldstemple...

# data[].attributes.body
Women in the ex-Mormon community remember being taught that becoming a mother was the most important work that they could ever do.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Don't Gaslight Me - I Know What I Was Taught in Young Women's in the 90s - Exponent II Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Blogger Abby Maxwell Hansen writes, "I'm the product of the LDS Young Women's program of the 1990s. If there's one thing I can personally claim expertise on, it's what women and girls in my generation were told we should do with their lives. It was extraordinarily clear.

# data[].attributes.body
Mental health services are important for ex-Mormons. Leaving a high-demand religion like the Mormon church often comes with emotional scars, both from the harm done by the religion as well as trauma from the leaving process. Feeling betrayal, shame, and guilt can all be common for ex-Mormons. Additionally, some ex-Mormons might now be navigating a mixed-faith marriage, divorce, or family estrangement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Recently a Mormon insisted to me online that I was one of “those ex-Mormons with mental health problems,” so obviously no one should listen…

# data[].attributes.body
Two main issues can be barriers to ex-Mormons receiving competent mental health services.

1. Residual stigma from the Mormon church.

2. Lack of culturally competent providers.

# data[].attributes.body
The Mormon culture has historically stigmatized mental health concerns and seeking therapy/counseling. The linking of mental health issues with sinful behaviors or thoughts can make members of the Mormon church unwilling to seek help.

Even after leaving the church, ex-Mormons can still feel reluctant to reach out for help, despite increased needs for mental health counseling.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Breaking Stigma: Mental Health & Therapy in Mormon Culture – The Shift Beyond LDS Support — Meridian Counseling

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore the evolving view of mental health and therapy in Mormon culture, from church-based counseling to seeking professional help outside the LDS framework.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a long but interesting article that discusses the happiness of those who leave the Mormon church. This article shows that it is important for people providing mental health services to ex-Mormons to be culturally aware of the Mormon religion and the struggles that are faced by those who leave the religion. Things like family estrangement, loss of identity, etc., are all important parts of the deconstruction process. If counselors are not aware of the deep impact of leaving and the nuances of the Mormon church, then they can do more harm than good, even retraumatizing these individuals.

# data[].attributes.body
Religion deeply impacts the ex-Mormon community. It is because of the Mormon church that there is an ex-Mormon community at all.

Some people say that the Mormon church ruins religion. When considering this statement, it is important to remember that the Mormon church claims to be "the one true church." A belief as bold as being the only true church undoubtedly does not shift easily to another religion.

This article explores the claim that Mormonism "ruins" religion. The picture that is painted is one of religious control over people. Controlling what people eat, drink, and how they spend their time, requiring 10% of income, and many other rules and requirements.

When people finally break free from the Mormon church, many are not interested in committing to another church. Plus, if the "one true church" wasn't actually true, then what's the point anyway?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Do So Many Post-Mormons Become Atheists?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some people might think that it would be difficult to leave the Mormon church if you live in Utah. After all, according to Wikipedia, 60%…

# data[].attributes.body
Sam Young (who was a Mormon at the time) protested the way that the Mormon church handles worthiness and disciplinary interviews with minors. He asserted that having adult male bishops conduct sexually explicit "worthiness" interviews one-on-one behind closed doors with youth needed to be stopped. His movement sparked many people to share stories online about their own uncomfortable and predatory experiences in these interviews. The ex-Mormon community joined Sam in hopefulness for changes to the way that the church conducts these interviews. Many ex-Mormons had their own stories to share.

Sam Young was excommunicated in 2018.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mormon church excommunicates Sam Young, a former bishop who has been protesting sometimes sexually explicit one-on-one interviews between clergy and youths

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sam Young — a Texas businessman who has been campaigning to get The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to end all one-on-one interviews between Mormon clergy and youths and the sometimes sexually explicit questions that are asked — has been excommunicated.

# data[].attributes.body
The same year that Sam Young was excommunicated from the Mormon church, the church changed its policies. It is now required for parents to be in attendance if a child under the age of 11 is going to be interviewed. Furthermore, parents will be notified of the questions that will be asked in the interview.

Though this change is not the comprehensive change that Sam Young fought for, this shift represents the way the church responds to pressure from social movements that highlight harmful practices within the church.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
First Presidency Releases New Guidelines for Interviewing Youth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These guidelines should be shared with youth and their parents before their first interviews.

# data[].attributes.body
The history of the Mormon church is, in my opinion, the most impactful influence on the ex-Mormon community. The ex-Mormon community is affected by the history of the Mormon church because it shows where the Mormon church lied to its members. Research can show that the Mormon church inaccurately portrayed historical events and details about these events. Within the ex community, there are those who extensively research these inaccuracies and lies. These research findings are then shared through podcasts and written articles.

# data[].attributes.body
The second most impactful influence on the ex-Mormon community is culture. The cultural shift of the internet is likely responsible for the wave of new ex-Mormons. Members of the Mormon church can now access information about their church easily online. Historical lies, financial holding, sexual assault charges against clergy and affiliated organizations, etc., can all be accessed from a cell phone. Without the internet culture of social media, TikTok, Facebook, Reddit, etc., the ex-Mormon community would not be as vibrant and successful.

# data[].attributes.body
The ex-Mormon community impacts many current social movements. Ex-Mormons connect to social movements because they are learning for the first time about social ills that they either previously didn't know about or that they were taught to ignore(or oppose) by the Mormon church. Movements related to LGBTQ rights and respect, environmental movements, and sex positivity are some movements that ex-Mormons often find that they align with.

# data[].attributes.body
Ex-Mormons often say that LGBTQ issues are the reason they left the faith.

# data[].attributes.body
For ex-Mormons who have lived with shame and stigma around sex, exploring their sexuality after Mormonism can lead them to find sex positivity movements.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Guest post: Let’s talk about sex, baby ex-Mo - Exponent II Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Where’s the sex talk when in you’re in your 40s, fresh out of the LDS Church and figuring out how to have sex for the first time? Guest blogger Elizabeth, who recently went on a podcast to get this sex talk, shares more about how her experiences in the LDS Church affect how she’s starting a sex life.

# data[].attributes.body
Cultural shifts toward more acceptance of psychedelics open up opportunities for ex-Mormons to experiment with psychedelic drugs as a way to heal from the trauma of years in the Mormon church.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Are A Growing Number Of Ex-Mormons Using Psychedelics?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Late last summer, Steve Urquhart, a lawyer and former Utah state legislator, announced that he was forming his own church. Urquhart was once a highly…