I left the Mormon church almost two decades ago. My reasons were primarily theological, though the church’s misogynistic, racist, and homophobic policies were part of it too.
Since leaving, I’ve continued to keep my eye on the Mormon church–which has been in the national news more and more, usually because of its misogynistic, racist, and homophobic policies.
In fact, quite a lot of Mormon B.S. has piled up in the years since my left. So much so, I wish I could leave the Mormon church all over again. This time, these would be my top 12 reasons.
1. The Mormon Church has covered up sex abuse by its leaders …
Mormon leaders knew of two alleged victims of former Missionary Training Center president in 2010
… and then tried to silence one of the women who came forward.
Woman who accused former MTC president of rape confronts his LDS Church ward in Arizona
2. Mormon church leaders routinely ask sexually explicit questions of minors …
… and then punished one bishop who went on a hunger strike to change the practice.
Hunger striking former bishop faces excommunication for Protect LDS Children movement
3. The Mormon church excommunicated the leader of the Ordain Women movement calling for gender equality.
The Evolution of Mormon Feminism
Where Mormon Feminists Stand A Year After Kate Kelly’s Excommunication
4. The Mormon Church fosters rape culture.
BYU students say victims of sexual assault are targeted by Honor Code
A Friend Gave Me Date Rape Drugs, And I Got Pregnant. My Church Told Me To Repent.
5. The Mormon Church encourages women to internalize sexism.
If We Don’t Feel Oppressed, Are We?
The Mormon Church Made Me Hate Myself
Ask Mormon Girl: Why do we not talk about Heavenly Mother?
Women can see, but not attend, Mormon priesthood session
6. Mormon church leaders routinely cover up domestic violence.
The Mormon Church Has A Domestic Violence Problem
Rob Porter, and Mormonism’s #MeToo Moment
7. The Mormon Church punishes children of LGBT parents …
Mormon Church Punishes Children of LGBT Parents for Parents’ ‘Transgressions’
Why the Mormon Church Leaders Still Don’t Get It
About 1,500 Mormons resign from church in protest of same-sex policy
New Mormon LGBT Policy: Putting Already Vulnerable Youth at Even Greater Suicide Risk?
… and tried to silence a 12 year-old girl who came out to her congregation as lesbian.
A 12-Year-Old Came Out to Her Mormon Church. Then Her Mike Was Cut Off.
Courageous 12-Year-Old Mormon Girl Comes Out As Gay In Front Of Her Entire Church
8. The Mormon Church continues to maintain its homophobic policies.
Supreme Court Decision Will Not Alter Doctrine on Marriage
Mormons Tipped Scale in Ban on Gay Marriage
Mormon Church to be fined by state political commission over Proposition 8
Mormon Leader: ‘There Are No Homosexual Members Of The Church’
9. The Mormon Church continues to fail to own up to its racist past (and present).
The Mormon Church Disavows Its Racist Past But Still Offers No Apology
10. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed at Trump’s inauguration over protest.
Mormons Petition To Stop Tabernacle Choir From Singing At Trump’s Inauguration
11. The Mormon Church leaders have shown themselves to be incapable of introspection as to why their own policies contribute to disaffection from the Mormon church.
How the LDS Quorum of Twelve Apostles Think – Enemies List and “Area Business Weekends”
12. The Mormon church spent more on a megamall ($1.5 billion) than it did in 26 years of humanitarian aid …
… The Mormon church pays only 0.7% of its annual income to charity. (For comparison, the United Methodist Church gives about 29% of its income.) …
Thus Saith the Lord: Let’s Go Shopping!
… Meanwhile, the Mormon church requires all members (including those in developing countries) to pay 10% of their income to the church and promises them God will take care of their rent and utilities. …
Top Mormon leader tells a crowd in Africa that tithing will break the cycle of poverty
… The Mormon Church receives $5-$8 billion in annual tithing receipts, but keeps its books closed, even to the members of the church. It also pays no taxes on billions of dollars in investment income.
(Note: These links represent a fraction of the information available. If you want more, use Google. It’s all right there. They who have eyes to see, let them see.)
The Allergic Pagan 
They’re a rotten outfit, all right. I lived with Mormon foster parents for a couple of years, and the combination of bigotry and saccharine “niceness” was almost unbearable.
You say that you don’t care for the Mormons, but do you still believe in “God”? I left the LDS Church years ago, but now I realize that the entire Christ resurrection story is a scam. How do you feel about that? GROG
I actually left the Mormon church, largely, because I had come to believe that the Mormon doctrine of the Atonement was incomplete. I had been reading some Christian theology and had realized that I had never really experienced what Mormons call the Atonement, the saving power of Christ, and I concluded that Mormons don’t really understand grace. After I left the LDS Church I still considered myself Christian and I went in search of the experience of salvation.
After not too long, I had the experience I was looking for. The curious thing was, as soon as I felt released from the guilt I had been carrying around for years, I no longer felt the need to maintain a relationship with Christ or Christianity. After a while, I decided that, while Jesus was a historical figure, he was just one example of a Christ figure, someone who manifested the grace of God for the rest of us, and there were probably others. Then I decided Christ was an archetype which we carry around inside of us. Eventually, I stopped believing in a transcendent God altogether.
The “God” I believe in now is an archetype that we carry inside of us and which connects us with that which transcends us–nature, the human (and more-than-human) community, and our deepest self.
I was, sort of in the Church. The one and only, as they like to say. Well, I finally asked the LDS Church to take my name off of the members list. My greatest relief was when I finally realized that it is a total scam, not just Joe Smith, but the whole bit of sin, salvation, resurrection, eternal life, etc.,etc! It sounds crazy, but this has been going on since the early 100’s. It appears to be the perfect scam. There is only one life, live it as well as possible. GROG
Reblogged this on Thesseli and commented:
Mormonism is even a bigger scam than most organized religions.
Powerful article.
Sent from my iPhone
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It’s just a collection of links. I just needed to get it off my chest.