Exmormonism

Exmormonism is a term used to describe the community of former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or other sects of Mormonism. Ex-Mormon communities (either locally or on the Internet) function as a support group for those coping with the strains of leaving a belief system that had been such a dominant force in their lives.

Characteristics of ex-Mormons

The ex-Mormon community is heterogenous in many ways. In terms of their post-Mormon religious beliefs, many leave Mormonism for more mainstream Christianity, while others become atheist or otherwise non-religious. A smaller number convert to Judaism or other non-Christian religions.

Ex-Mormon attitudes toward Mormons and Mormonism also vary, with some ex-Mormons actively proselytizing against the religion, others preferring to support those who seek ex-Mormons out for support but not actively railing against Mormonism, and others peferring to leave Mormonism completely behind and have as little to do with it as possible.

Recovery

Mormonism affects the identity of each individual who is a part of it. Latter Day Saints tend to identify themselves and form their world view based on the theology and cultural influences of Mormonism. This identification permiates the spriritual, mental, social, intellectual and physical. Many ex-Mormons report that leaving Mormonism caused physical and mental illness, due to the psychological trauma caused by losing one's identity. A break from the religion or deciding that something is not as it had been believed for years can cause many issues, and some have compared this to overcoming conditioning by a cult. In addition, Mormons tend to assume that those who leave the religion have done so because of transgression or embitterment, thus believing they have become anti-Mormon, when this is not always the case. This belief isolates the former adherent even further and results in shunning, making it even harder for the ex-Mormon to recover. This is true for all sects of the Latter Day Saint movement.

External links

• Recovery from Mormonism, the most prominent ex-Mormon community on the web