Many former Mormons are seeking a new spiritual home in traditional, biblical Christianity. They often need help to make the transition, as they navigate difficult emotional and relational issues, and sort out new ways of thinking about truth. Often the greatest help in this journey is someone who comes alongside to mentor the transitioning Mormon. This video is a concise version of a larger training series called Mentoring Former Mormons. It describes in a nutshell how to mentor people coming out of Mormonism into a new faith in Christ.
Mentoring Is a Clearly-Defined Process
You don’t have to be an expert on the Bible or on Mormonism to be a successful mentor. This is because the tools and resources in the pursueGOD.org library make mentoring simple. Almost anything there can be helpful, but we continue to compile the best topics at the Mormonism Resources page. These videos and articles provide the necessary content, so mentors can focus on the relationship. Mentoring involves using a tool called the FLEX method. In a mentoring relationship, the mentor or mentee finds a topic at pursueGOD.org. They share the link with each other and then learn about the topic on their own. Finally, they meet to explore the topic together. The mentor makes sure a time and place is set. He or she then uses the pursueGOD.org conversation to launch and guide the session, but there is also room to talk about whatever the person needs to process that day.
Your role as a mentor is threefold. First, model your own pursuit of God. Second, pray for the person you’re mentoring. Third, take the initiative to keep moving forward. That means making sure the next meeting is scheduled – whether in person or over the phone. You can mentor just one person or a few, although most people do best mentoring three people or less. You don’t have to mentor someone forever. Eventually, you will spend less time, meeting or calling on occasion to check up. Former Mormons will always benefit by having someone who cares that they can talk to. But intentional mentoring involves more – it means using a clear method and common resources, like those found at pursueGOD.org.
Former Mormons Need Help with Emotional Issues
As you mentor former Mormons, you should be aware of the emotional challenges involved in the transition. Former Mormons may feel anger at being lied to. They may feel vulnerable and disoriented. They have lost a great deal in leaving Mormonism – their identity, their heritage, their certainty about life, their special status as God’s chosen people, their sense of purpose, and more. They may have trouble with trust, fearing that they might be betrayed or fooled again. They may not know how to navigate their newfound freedom, no longer bound by the rules and standards of Mormonism. Each person’s journey issues will be unique, but there are general challenges that will affect most former Mormons. As a mentor, you can be a listening ear to help them process these emotions and to help them move forward.
Former Mormons Need Help with Conceptual Issues
As people transition out of Mormonism, they are faced with reshaping their entire worldview. They will need help thinking things through in a new way. Terminology differences can be very confusing. Many former Mormons need help to understand the credibility and authority of the Bible. Many struggle to figure out grace, after living in a works-oriented, perfectionistic religious culture. Most former Mormons are confused by the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. They might be confused about the nature of the church – what is the church supposed to be like biblically? Former Mormons need to think through a new understanding of heaven and hell. These topics, and more, are covered in the growing Mormonism Resources library at pursueGOD.org.
Former Mormons Face Certain Obstacles
There are challenges for anyone coming to faith, whether they come from a religious culture or not. But former Mormons face certain unique hurdles that a mentor can help them overcome. They face tension and backlash from Mormon family and friends. They will have trouble trusting another church after feeling lied to by Mormonism. They will likely be confused by the customs and practices of traditional Christian churches. This may include how churches do finances, the meaning of leadership and authority, how to serve or do ministry, what worship is like, the visual symbols of the faith, and more. They may struggle with how to build relationships when the structure of a church may be very different from the Mormon ward. As a mentor, you don’t have to have the answers to all of these issues. Many of the answers will be found in conversations at pursueGOD.org. Beyond that, your role is to be a patient listener, gently nudging the former Mormon forward in their new relationship with Jesus Christ and his people.
We Mentor Former Mormons with a Clear Goal in Mind
Mentoring is a process with a trajectory. The first goal is to help former Mormons form a new identity. We want to encourage them to get to a place where they think of themselves not as ex-Mormons, but as followers or disciples of Jesus. Mentoring is about making disciples. That’s the new identity we have in mind when we mentor former Mormons.
The second goal of mentoring is to help former Mormons adopt a new purpose. To live as a disciple means to obey what Jesus says (Matthew 28:18-20). That journey has three phases. First, we start by trusting Jesus. There will be unique issues former Mormons face in trusting Jesus for salvation and for daily life. Second, we learn to live to honor God. Again, this will take shape in unique ways for people with a Mormon background. Third, we grow mature by helping others pursue God. Eventually, we want to see every former Mormon mentoring others themselves – at home, in small groups, or individually.
Mentoring can help former Mormons move forward on their difficult transitional journey to new faith. If you use the methods, tools, and topics at pursueGOD.org, you can succeed as a trusted guide in this journey.
