Watch the video above and talk about it with a friend or mentor.

Even though you may experience rejection and alienation when you leave Mormonism, God promises new and better relationships for those who follow him.

It’s hard to leave the LDS Church. Many people have experienced isolation, rejection, and alienation – a sense of shunning – as they have decided to follow their conscience and leave Mormonism behind.

[Related: How to Deal with Rejection]

Video Highlights:

  • People who leave Mormonism are considered “apostates”. You may expect LDS friends to distance themselves, but even family members can do this. Former Mormons become apostates in their thinking. The rules of Mormonism make it a bad thing to have an apostate in the family. We see this in question 7 in the interview required to gain access to the LDS temple.
    • “Do you support, affiliate with, or agree with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?”
    • This sends a strong message to Latter-day Saints that they should not affiliate with family members who have left Mormonism.
  • An example of Mormon shunning. Deb enjoyed a close relationship with her sister for many years. But at one point, her sister found out that Deb and her husband had resigned from the LDS Church. Things changed drastically after that. The relationship became strained. Deb lost relationship with her nieces and nephews.
  • Not all former Mormons experience the same rejection. Different people have different journeys. Many people leave Mormonism without serious alienated from their families or major rejection from friends. But many do face these things. Children are cut off by their parents. Marriages are broken apart.
  • There is hope for those feeling shunned.
    • God promises to be close to you and invites you into intimacy with him. When feeling alienated, God truly answers prayer. We are never alone as children of God. He will never leave us or forsake us.
    • Knowing the truth is a wonderful consolation. To know the truth – especially as truth is embodied in Jesus – makes up for so much pain.
    • Jesus promised that any losses we face for his sake will be more than compensated for. In Christ, we become part of a new family. We can have loving relationships far better than the relationships we lost in the LDS Church.
    • Matthew 19:29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.

As you go through this difficult experience of alienation and rejection, don’t isolate yourself. Draw near to God. Get connected with God’s people..

[Related: Standing Up for God]

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Key Points:

  • People Who Leave Mormonism Are Considered Apostates
  • An Example of Mormon Shunning
  • Not All Former Mormons Experience the Same Rejection
  • There Is Hope for Those Feeling Shunned

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Talk About It
  1. Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
  2. What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
  3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much rejection or alienation did you experience from friends and colleagues when you left Mormonism?
  4. How much did you experience from your family? Explain.
  5. Of the three elements of hope offered in this video, which one do you find most hopeful, and why?
  6. Read Matthew 19:29. How does this promise speak to your experience?
  7. Write a personal action step based on this conversation.