Many people who leave Mormonism do so because they found they can not trust the Mormon church. Therefore, they will have a hard time trusting another church. While mentoring former Mormons, it’s important to understand this loss of trust.
The LDS Church Has Broken Many People’s Trust.
The LDS church has covered up undesirable doctrines and unsavory practices from its history. This causes former Mormons to feel lied to and betrayed. It can make them feel angry, bitter or manipulated by the church that they had given their whole lives to.
Former Mormons May Hesitate to Trust a Church.
Since former Mormons feel betrayed by one church, it’s not easy for them to run into the arms of a new one. Even when former Mormons are ready to approach a new church, they often do so cautiously. There are three reasons for this:
- The Mormon church presents itself as the one true church and if the one true church deceived them, how can they trust other churches?
- Many people feel that a new church may use a lot of the same tactics to indoctrinate or control its members.
- People don’t trust how a church might respond to them as a former Mormon.
Former Mormons Will Not Necessarily Trust a Pastor.
Former Mormons are indoctrinated to distrust pastors. They are told that pastors are in it for the money. They may have been told that pastors are hirelings of the devil employed by Satan to bring down the one true church. Also, having been part of an authoritarian institution that deceived them, former Mormons are very sensitive about leaders who assert authority. They are hesitant to trust anyone who says, “Hey, just believe me.” They often wonder if a pastor is really teaching the truth. So don’t expect former Mormons to automatically trust a pastor.
Former Mormons May Have Trouble Trusting the Bible.
Mormons are also trained to believe that the Bible is corrupt. They are taught that many important truths have been removed by unscrupulous people over the centuries and that the Bible has not been translated correctly. Mormons believe that the King James Version is the best available Bible and that modern language translations are suspect. Therefore, coming into a Bible centered church, a Mormon is going to have a lot of questions about the Bible, such as:
- Is the Bible really corrupt?
- Is it really just another book of rules that religion has made to try to control people?
- Which translation or version is the most correct?
Don’t assume that a former Mormon will trust the Bible right away.
Former Mormons May Not Even Trust Themselves.
It’s not uncommon for transitioning Mormons to doubt themselves. They wonder how they could have been deceived so badly in the past and whether they’ll be fooled again in the future. They wonder if and how they can really learn what is true. A number of former Mormons will bounce around from one group or movement to another, looking for emotional security.
The Mormon church casts doubts on the claims of other groups in order to bolster their own claims. So when those claims prove to be false, that leaves former Mormons with no where to turn and no one to trust with matters of faith. Therefore, the challenge of trusting God, the Bible, a church, and church leaders can linger with a person for years to come.
[Related: Helping Former Mormons Learn to Trust]
