Author studies feelings people experience after leaving Mormon Church By John Przybys Leslie Reynolds experienced confusion and self-doubt – even a bit of anger and bitterness – when she decided to leave the Mormon Church. Reynolds has worked through these negative feelings. But, as she began to talk with other Mormons who decided to leave the church, Reynolds found that her experience was not unusual. She decided to study why Mormons leave the church and to see what happens – spiritually, emotionally, intellectually – when Mormons split with what is, in many cases, the only religion they’ve ever known. What Reynolds learned can be found in her new book, Mormons in Transition (Gratitude Press, Salt Lake City). Reynolds, 56, said she began having “intellectual problems” with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was about 13. After several years of questioning her faith, she said, “I left the church for the first time at 17 and came back at 27 because my husband converted to the church.” “I was trying to resolve those issues (about her beliefs),” she said. But, then, “the need would come to go to church, and the only church I knew as the true church was the LDS church. “The church teaches that they’re the only true church, and the problem for us is we believe it to be the only true church, “ Reynolds said. Given the strength of that belief, questioning Mormons who do leave the church can find it difficult to find another denomination that might better serve their spiritual needs, Reynolds said. Many, she added, “don’t even consider to check out other churches. Some do, because they have conversion experiences, but most of us don’t.” The result can be former Mormons who are estranged not only from the Mormon Church, but from religion, in general, Reynolds said. And because many Mormons base their whole identity on being a Mormon, some ex-Mormons seek to fill the emotional and spiritual void that’s created by their leaving with such unhealthy behaviors Some former Mormons do find another belief system that works for them, said Reynolds, who became an evangelical Christian and currently attends a Lutheran church. “Eventually my view of God got much bigger." Reynolds, a former psychotherapist who last year received a master’s degree in Christian Studies, said Mormons who leave the church typically begin questioning its teachings because it is failing to meet their needs, whether, spiritual, emotional or intellectual. But in talking with former Mormons she found no common model that describes the departure process. “I thought I was going to label the steps,” she said. “ I thought it would be Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4, Step 5, and it isn’t (that way) at all. God uses whatever he uses to bring (people) to him.” Reynolds said she doesn’t intend for her book to debate either the validity of non-validity of Mormon teachings or beliefs. Rather, its intended as merely a look at “the real difficulties” Mormons feel when they leave the church, she explained. Don LeFevre, spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, said the church considers confidential any figures of how many Mormons ask to have their names removed from the church’s membership rolls. “A member of the church who has questions (about the faith) can go to his or her bishop – who is the head of the local congregation – and they can receive counseling there,” he said. “You have to understand, too, that (for) people who leave the church, whether voluntarily or otherwise, our policy is to rally around them, and not turn our backs on them but to encourage them to came back and do the things necessary for them to come back into the fold.” LeFevre said. Reynolds said that some church members have attacked her book as anti-Mormon. “I’m not attacking the church at all,” she said. “It took me a number of years to get this comfortable (writing about leaving the church) because you do go through anger, bitterness, feeling betrayed.” Reynolds said she hopes her book “heals (former Mormons’) wounds. I hope it gets them moving, again.” Many ex-Mormons get stuck in anger and bitterness,” she said, “and I want
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