Mormons: What were the major reasons for you to leave the church?

Question

With Latter Day Saints being the church with the most people leaving I would like to know some of the reasons why you are leaving. It is also one of the churches with the most converts so is it that they get you in with all the good sounding stuff and then when you see all of the horrible things they believe about people you realize that you can't be apart of that (ie. the racism, adultery, polygamy)?

Please spammers don't keep writing that Mormons don't practice polygamy anymore because Joseph Smith and Brigham Young did. They did this in modern times when they knew better. It's not like they were some primitive cave men. You can't hide that now can you:)

Answer 1

Because I couldnt find any truth in it.

Answer 2

There are many different reasons why people join the Church, and just as many reasons why they leave.

I don't know of any "horrible things" that are practiced in the Church, and I've been a member for 30 years. There is no racism, no polygamy, nothing like that within the Church. We have our hypocrites, the same as the Catholic church, the baptist church, the Lutheran church.

Polygamy has not been practiced by the LDS Church since 1890. The President of the Church, Gordon B. Hinckley had this to say on this subject in November 1998:

Question 4: What is the Church’s position on polygamy?

We are faced these days with many newspaper articles on this subject. This has arisen out of a case of alleged child abuse on the part of some of those practicing plural marriage.

I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. Most of them have never been members. They are in violation of the civil law. They know they are in violation of the law. They are subject to its penalties. The Church, of course, has no jurisdiction whatever in this matter.

If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church. An article of our faith is binding upon us. It states, “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law” (A of F 1:12). One cannot obey the law and disobey the law at the same time.

There is no such thing as a “Mormon Fundamentalist.” It is a contradiction to use the two words together.

More than a century ago God clearly revealed unto His prophet Wilford Woodruff that the practice of plural marriage should be discontinued, which means that it is now against the law of God. Even in countries where civil or religious law allows polygamy, the Church teaches that marriage must be monogamous and does not accept into its membership those practicing plural marriage.

Many people find that they simply do not believe what the Church teaches about God and Jesus Christ. Some feel that the members are not friendly enough. Some take offense over something someone said. Some people don't like the idea of not having a paid clergy. There are those people who simply do not want to have a job to do. And some people simply do not like going to church every week, having someone visit them once a month to visit for a few minutes, and all the other things that go with being a member of the LDS Church. Some people find that some of the members are not as perfect as they thought they were.

A friend of mine left the Church because the members were rude to her and her children on many occasions, and made them feel like they were not welcome.

So, you see, there are many different reasons, as there are people leaving the Church.

Answer 3

I still don't see why polygamy is so reviled, when no one seems to think it's so terrible horrible for men to cheat on their wives with a mistress or two. I think the main reason the government outlawed plual marriage is because the men in congress knew that the Mormons were making them look bad, taking responsibility for their women, when many men in power would just use them.

And unless you are equating polygamy with adultery, we don't condone adultery at all. Adulterers are excommunicated.

And racism is not church policy and never has been. There were, are, or seemed to be, members who are/were racist. But, there have been members of all races almost from the beginning. Never were the different races segregated. Many blacks went to Deseret territory to find freedom. Blacks and women were given the vote in Deseret Territory, and only lost it when Utah became a state.

Answer 4

well the short version was I wasnt entirely convinced, and on top of that I felt like as a "converted" instead of born into lds I felt often ignored or excluded. It is not easy to blend into LDS culture. You need help to find your way into the system and into the culture of the LDS faith. And well the problem is there really isnt much of a system set up to help newcomers with that. Also I was a little older when I joined in. ( mid 20's) and was still unmarried. In the LDS faith this is almost seen as a freakish thing. I felt like an outcast being in my mid 20's and without children. And there is absolutely no structure for helping members older than there late teens. very early 20's in finding a mate inside the faith. And since this is a major tenet of the faith id imagine something should exist on that front. But anyhow, those were my major reasons

Answer 5

You are asking the wrong question. You don't ask a member of the church why they left when obviously they haven't left. You ask people that are no longer members why they left. Generally speaking, members are excommunicated because they fail to live according to the covenants of the church. If you are found to be in violation of the covenants and do not care to repent and change your ways, then you are removed from membership. We require a full time commitment to live according to the teachings of the Gospel. We expect the members to be as Christlike as they are able to be. All of us are still trying to improve. We make mistakes. Nevertheless, we have certain minimal standards of conduct that must be lived. We don't engage in extramarital sex. We don't openly contradict the prophet and apostles and then insist that we are right and they are wrong. If we are living according to the spirit, then we will know the truth and follow its dictates. Those that fall away because of listening to what the world teaches about us, most all of it false, are not listening to the spirit that teaches truth. In other words, subject all issues to the Lord in prayer and feel the promptings of the Holy Ghost telling you what is true. If you can't do that, then you will fall away. Returning to Heavenly Father requires a lifetime commitment and continuing vigilance against the ways of the world.
It isn't easy, but the eternal rewards and the mortal peace are worth it.

Answer 6

I left the church because of things that people did. When I was sixteen years old . In seminary Joseph Smith funeral was recreated. Words in the bible copy word for word in the Book of Mormon 2 Nephi copy from Isiah.
Plus I dated returned missionary just wanted sex. Gave someone I know herpes.

Answer 7

Dear Little Miss Princess,

If you feel that we should be always be practicing what should have been anciently taught, then we should all be Israelites, practicing dove, sheep, and bull sacrifice, while denouncing God's sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ as a heretic.

Instead, we Latter Day Saints worship God, with refinements as directed by revelation. This is what the ancient prophets were trying to lead the children of Israel to and what the ancient apostles were doing with their flocks as they transitioned from Judaism to John the Baptist to Jesus Christ. If we used your "logic" of trying to stick with what was originally commmanded no matter what the current revelation from God would be, then that would lead to the Bible itself being just a mere collection of stories, while the rulebook of God would be a single sheet. But the children of God, as properly led by His prophets and apostles, would have to take on commandments as the Lord seeth fit to give them, with some commandments being superceded with others.

As for people who leave the church, well, that's them placing their pride above God's will, which is the same sin that led to Lucifer falling from grace to become the devil. We have means and counseling where we desire people to conquer whatever flaws they have. But we know also that if a person really wants to change, each person must have their own will to do so, much like addicts to alcohol and drugs must will on their own to get the help they need to truly recover.

I am saddened by your apparent hostility towards the LDS church. Hopefully the Lord Jesus Christ will send to you the means to truly understand that we members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints do only want the best for not only you but for the rest of the world. We want to share with the world how to become happy like us, rather than relying on the fake stuff like drug and alcohol addiction. But I know that it's your choice whether to support His church or not. He gave you and the rest of us people, His highest creations, the ability to choose, so we each may prove to Him and ourselves we can choose good instead of evil.

Sincerely,
Alvin R.

Answer 8

Umm When did Jospeh Smith and Brigham Young do this kind of stuff exactly because i am confused. Give me a place or a book or something that says they did this at a certain time or place.

Answer 9

This is extremely condensed and rather simplified: Mormonism is based on a lie: the gold plates; and a hoax: the book of mormon.

The plates never existed; the book of mormon story is just that: a story.

Everything else that followed is a travesty of simple-minded people following a narcissic megalomaniacal pedophile.

The above is easily shown, but takes space. I hate cut and paste tactics that nobody reads anyway.

Answer 10

ex-mormon, as a person who believed that a burning feeling and a tesimony should at least bring me alittle joy instaed of constannt thoughts of suicide, I tried atheism and wicca, with so relief. I was a mormon for 36 years. I never felt connected to God, I was hypnotised by the Goddess thing, but being OCD, mormanism and their need to be perfect made it worse. There network to keep people from going astray never touched me, I was never a part of them. I realized they were sexist and prejudist and vgery judgemental, not that mainstream chhristians do not judge, but at least, I could feel god, had a purpose and had friends for once.

Answer 11

whats your grudge with the mormons? they are generally speaking very earnest nice ppl who have some non mainstrean beliefs, so what are you afraid they will kidnap you and indoctrinate you? you are just being silly...think how much bad stuff had happened in the name of modern christianity...the mormons are relatively new, they have tons of catching up to do till they can compete for bad crap the christians have done. also do you hate the amish too? they live clean earnest lives too but no one grumbles about them, cept maybe the yuppise who have to go arround their buggies in rush hour.