Exmormonism is a term used to describe the community of former or inactive members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who no longer believe in the church or its teachings or left the LDS (Latter-day Saint) church after having been born into it or converting to it. Exmormon communities (either locally or on the Internet) function as support groups for those coping with the strains of leaving a belief system that had been such a dominant force in their lives.

Exmormons are sometimes colloquially known as exmos. These are not to be confused for Jack-Mormons who typically live a lifestyle against Mormon teaching, but do not disagree with its doctrine. This distinction is important to Exmormons, many of whom see their decision to leave as morally compelling. Most Mormons tend to blame Exmormons after their exit, since leaving Mormonism ranks among the highest mistakes one can make in the Mormon religion and is often seen as a sign of lack of endurance, determination, or moral fortitude.

Some Mormons who no longer believe in the teachings or history of the church, but who remain members on the church records in order to preserve

Characteristics of Exmormons

Reasons for Leaving

Many Exmormons have left Mormonism because they take issue with the method of religious inquiry suggested by most LDS people (especially as taught by missionaries). For Mormons, the most reliable confirmation of religious truth is by personal revelation, which they believe to be accessible to all people. Church members and potential converts are encouraged to "gain a testimony" of the Book of Mormon, meaning to seek spiritual confirmation that the Book of Mormon is true. Resting their faith on a spiritual witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, believers infer that, if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith must have been a prophet — along the lines of Moses, Elijah or Peter. And, if Joseph were a prophet, then surely his church is the restored church of Jesus Christ and all should join.

Commonly, Exmormons reject other LDS teachings because they are skeptical of the method described above. They might

Post-exit Social and Psychological Status

Mormonism demands loyalty and discourages methodical scrutiny of Mormon claims. Mormons tend to develop a communal worldview, which also serves as a defensive mindset. Some Exmormons see their exit as recovery from this group identity, as well as recovery from perceived fraud or abuse. They commonly refer to this as an escape from a cult experience, although this is very controversial, or from a brand of false religious fundamentalism. They often blame themselves since they believe that they have been misled, and must cope with the fact that those who leave are often marginalized, even by spouse and family. Others explain the emotional experience of leaving Mormonism in terms of psychological trauma induced by loss of identity. The break from the predominantly ethnocentric Mormon subculture challenges the family and community status for many, affecting their confidence and well-being.

To complicate matters, Mormons may assume that those who leave have done so because of moral transgression or from having taken offense at someone, thus believing they had no valid reason to leave. It is also believed by many Mormons that Exmormons are anti-Mormon, but this is problematic. Exmormons are typically branded as embittered apostates by leaving, and in their own defense they may resort to what is labelled by Mormons as anti-Mormonism. Shunning is often the de facto result, which makes the experience even more difficult for the Exmormon. It is often the case that social relations suffer not from conscious shunning but from the awkwardness that results from a friend or relative making an exit decision that others cannot understand. This holds true for all sects of the Latter Day Saint movement.