Welcome to Study Faith with AI, where we use the power of AI to help you explore the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I'm Meg Jensen.

And I'm Paul Carter,

and we're Google AIs. Whether you're a lifelong member or just starting to learn about the Church, we're here to dive deep into its history, beliefs, and culture.

So, if you're ready to learn, you're in the right place.

That's right.

Let's get started. 

Welcome to the deep dive. Today we're, uh, really digging into something pretty heavy and deeply personal for a lot of people, the LDS faith crisis experience.

That's right.

We've gathered insights from various sources you sent us like discussions on the Mormon Stories podcast, Mormon Discussions, Inc., um, research like the LDS Personal Faith Crisis Report, and articles from places like LDS Living.

Yeah, a good mix of personal accounts and more structured research.

Our goal here is really to understand why so many active committed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are, well, struggling, questioning, and sometimes leaving. We want to pull out the key insights to give you a clearer picture.

Okay. Looking at these sources, especially something like the Faith Crisis Report, what, what exactly is an LDS personal faith crisis?

Yeah,

It definitely sounds like more than just, you know, having a few doubts.

Oh, it is much more. The report defines it quite specifically, actually. It's a state of intense emotional and spiritual distress.

Intense distress. Yeah. Resulting from the discovery of Church history, facts that do not align with the traditional LDS narrative. So it's that, that collision, you know.

Yeah.

Between new information and the story they've always known. That's what sparks the crisis.

So this isn't just a slight change in perspective. And it's fundamental.

Not at all. The sources really emphasize this distress often leads members to lose faith in, well, some or even all of the foundational truth claims and ultimately maybe even in the Church itself. Wow.

But it's not just intellectual. That's important. Personal stories like Anthony Miller's that we looked at, they highlight how deeply tied it is to personal identity. It doesn't feel like just, you know, changing your mind about something. It feels like your whole sense of who you are is fracturing. Miller actually says it feels just as much like an identity crisis as a belief crisis. Definitely not like just changing gyms or something trivial.

That point about identity. Yeah, that really lands. If your core beliefs, your community, your family, maybe everything is built around this - then challenging it. Well, it challenges you at a really deep level.

But exactly.

So, who is this happening to? Is it kind of a fringe thing or is it more widespread than maybe people think?

Well, the survey data is, uh, quite revealing on that. It shows this is actually a pretty significant phenomenon. It affects a really broad spectrum of members. If you look at the demographics from the reports like the Faith Crisis Report and the Mormon Stories survey,

younger members are really heavily represented. Gen X and Millennials, they make up something like 84% of the respondents in some of these surveys.

Wow. 84%. That's the current and, you know, future core of the Church really.

Precisely. It does lean slightly more male maybe around 58% in the surveys. And interestingly respondents tend to be, uh, more educated than the average member.

And while it definitely cuts across all income levels, a pretty significant chunk earn higher incomes. Like 43% were over $80,000 a year and nearly 30% over $100,000.

So definitely not confined to one group and it includes people who are by all standard measures pretty successful within the Church system itself.

That's a really key point. The sources stress that many experiencing this aren't, you know, on the fringes. They're often lifelong members or very longtime members who were super active before.

A majority of the formerly active respondents were deeply deeply involved.

And you see that in the leadership roles they held too, right?

Absolutely. The percentage who held leadership callings or whose spouse did. It's remarkably high. Like 21% of respondents held callings at the bishopric level or even higher.

Wow.

The survey profiles are just full of examples. EQ Presidents, Relief Society Presidents, bishopric counselors, temple workers, returned missionaries. I mean, really involved people.

Yeah.

There's that quote in the report from Terryl Givens. It's quite stark. He says, "Not since Kirtland have we seen such an exodus of the Church's best and brightest leaders."

Best and brightest leaving.

Yeah.

That phrase alone. 

Yeah,

It hits hard. And the sources also point out that the usual ways of measuring this, like just counting resignation letters, they really don't show the full picture.

No, that's critical if you want to understand the real scale. Fewer than half of the survey respondents who said they'd lost all their faith actually still attend meetings sometimes.

Really? Still attending?

Yeah. And many just drift away. They disengage without ever sending a formal letter. Maybe to avoid family drama. Or maybe they just don't see the point. Or maybe there's still some hesitation. The issue is just far bigger than the official numbers would suggest.

Okay, so we're talking about something widespread. It's hitting dedicated, often educated, successful members, leaders included, and it's driven by something deeper than just, like, casual questions. What are the core factors? The report uses that Clayton Christensen model, right?

Yes. The disruptive innovation idea. Basically, the Church is like a large established organization, maybe a bit slow to change sometimes, and it's being disrupted by the internet. Specifically, the internet's uncorrelated presentation of history.

Uncorrelated meaning outside the official approved narrative.

Exactly. Information presented without the Church's framing or control.

And the report points to four key factors all kind of amplified by the digital age that are driving this. First is just unprecedented access to uncorrelated information. Right?

The internet basically democratizes information. It makes historical data, details and points that might conflict with the traditional story just readily available from all sorts of perspectives to apologetic, neutral, critical.

You can literally Google something you hear in Sunday school on your phone right there and pull up stuff you've never ever heard before.

Exactly. Which leads straight to the second factor, continual access. With smartphones, it's not like you have to go to a library anymore. It's constant. It's throughout the day. That study mentioned in the report about 35% of US smartphone users interacting with apps before they even get out of bed. Yeah,

You could encounter something triggering literally any time.

It's always just a few taps away, always there,

Right? Then third, there's unprecedented content creation and consumption. Social media, you know, it shifts communication. It's not just top down anymore, like from a pulpit. It's interactive dialogue,

People talking to people.

By people to people. Yeah. And these LDS social networks, they digitally connect members. They create these channels where challenging information can spread seamlessly and super fast. The report actually says this influence threatens the long-term success of the Church.

So your own friends, your family, they can become maybe inadvertently distributors of information that challenges faith.

Absolutely. And fourth, they call it the Mormon moment. All the recent media attention, you know, CNN, PBS, Newsweek, even things like South Park -

it's brought attention to the Church, both positive and well, controversial aspects. And often this public spotlight shines on information that conflicts with the traditional narrative. Sometimes surprisingly accurately, too. The report mentions how that South Park episode about the Book of Mormon translation, it actually surprised some members because the historical details it included were different from what they had been taught, but were, you know, actually based on historical accounts.

So, it's this kind of perfect storm, constant easy access to all kinds of information, easy sharing within your own networks, and this increased public scrutiny, all hitting a narrative that maybe wasn't built for that kind of outside examination.

Exactly. And crucially, the sources show it's almost never just one thing that triggers the crisis. It's usually an accumulation. The survey respondents listed on average something like fifteen major factors that contributed to their loss of belief.

Fifteen. Wow.

Yeah. There's this really powerful quote from one respondent #2249. They said, "My testimony suffered a death by a thousand cuts."

A death by a thousand cuts. Yeah. That really resonates. It's not just one single issue, but this steady drip drip drip of difficult points. What are the specific things the sources say are the most common cuts?

Well, the surveys rank them on the historical side. The big three that came up most often were the Book of Abraham, polygamy, and polyandry. Those were tied at 26% each and then blacks and the priesthood at 17%.

Okay. The top three historical issues.

Yeah. But there's a longer list, too. Things like DNA evidence versus the Book of Mormon narrative, the Masonic connections in the temple ceremony, those multiple differing accounts of the First Vision,

Right? The different versions,

Book of Mormon anachronisms, things that seem out of place historically, changes to the temple ceremony over time, the actual details of the Book of Mormon translation, like using peep stones in a hat.

Uh-huh.

The Kinderhook plates, Joseph Smith's history with treasure digging before the Church started. It's a whole range of historical points.

These are the very specific details that when someone finds out about them can cause that really foundational distress we talked about.

Exactly. And then there's a whole other category, social issues, other concerns, things like policies and attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals, women's issues within the Church structure, Church positions on science, like evolution or the age of the earth, past doctrines that are now uncomfortable like dark skin being taught as a curse, scriptural issues like apparent instances of God sanctioning violence or sexism or racism in the Old Testament, for example. Yeah.

The claim of being the one true Church exclusively taking all scripture absolutely literally and then broader cultural things too like the culture of perfectionism or historical issues with race or the Church's political conservatism sometimes clashing with members' views.

It's a really wide mix: history, doctrine, policy, culture. And it sounds like tying a lot of these together, especially for the people who feel that deep distress is this profound sense of

betrayal. Yes.

Yes.

That comes through so strongly in the feedback. So many respondents felt like the Church had knowingly kept information from them or you know actively misrepresented its history.

That's a heavy charge.

It is. You see quotes like I felt the Church had knowingly deceived me or if a prophet or apostle can lie over the pulpit they cannot be ordained of God. And just the raw simple statement it hurts to be lied to.

That feeling of deception - it must just amplify the pain way beyond discovering say inconvenient historical facts makes it intensely personal like a violation of trust.

Absolutely.

So given all these triggers this sense of betrayal

Yeah. What does going through an LDS faith crisis actually feel like according to these accounts?

Well, it's described as intensely difficult, just incredibly hard. The sources highlight significant emotional and spiritual distress, high levels of anxiety, cognitive dissonance, that mental discomfort when your beliefs clash with new information. That's really common, especially in the early stages. Yeah.

And that feeling of betrayal, discovering what feels like hidden or twisted history, that's really central to the fallout for many.

And this distress, it doesn't just happen in your head, right? It bleeds out into your entire life

profoundly. The impact on relationships, on emotional health, it's immense. The Faith Crisis Report talks about feelings of social excommunication, even from your own LDS family and friends. For active members who are in crisis, the cost to their relationships and their own emotional well-being is reported as moderate to severe.

Moderate to severe.

Yeah. Family and friends might distance themselves. Sometimes they view the person as, you know, an apostate. Some sources noted that about half of marriages where one spouse goes through this deconstruction process really struggle deeply.

Half! That's huge.

And relationships with kids can get strained too. It's just devastating.

That level of isolation especially within your own family, your closest circle must be crushing.

It is. People report feeling incredibly alone, isolated, like they can't speak their truth, can't voice their doubts openly, especially when believing family members feel totally free to share their strong beliefs.

Right. The asymmetry there.

Exactly. And there's the deep pain of feeling like you've become the disappointment of the family. The personal accounts and that perpetual cycle graphic we'll talk about, they show the kind of really harsh feedback people get. Things like, "You must just want to sin." Or, "Who offended you? Are you clinically depressed?"

Oh, man.

Even chilling things like, "I would rather see you dead than see you lose your testimony." Or just dismissive comments like, "Your IQ just dropped 30 points.

Those are incredibly hurtful things to hear, especially from people you love and who supposedly love you.

Absolutely. And the anger you sometimes see in people who leave, it's often magnified by losing these relationships, by feeling blamed and judged. Some of the Mormon Discussions sources even suggest that leaving a high demand religion like Mormonism can actually be harder than losing a parent.

Harder than losing a parent. Wow. That really puts the depth of the loss into perspective.

It really does because think about it. You're often losing not just faith, but your identity, your entire community structure. You're facing the fear of losing key relationships. And then there's the huge strain of just reorganizing your entire life, finding new meaning outside the only framework you've possibly ever known.

Yeah. The whole foundation shifts.

And sometimes there are these surprisingly practical struggles, too. Navigating simple everyday things after leaving a pretty sheltered environment, like how to order coffee or how to navigate social situations involving alcohol. all if you've never done it. People talk about feeling embarrassed or naive, needing help with things most people just take for granted.

Because the system, the culture kind of provided a script for almost everything.

Exactly. And then there's the internal conflict, especially if you're still trying to maintain relationships or maybe keep up appearances. You're pretending to fit into a mold that just doesn't align with what you believe anymore. That leads to so much anxiety, stress, depression, frustration. The sources also link this to what they call toxic perfectionism - which seems pretty prevalent in some LDS heavy cultures. You know, that pressure to always appear perfect, which makes it even harder to admit you're struggling,

Right? Hiding the struggle becomes part of the struggle. And even really fundamental experiences like spiritual feelings, those have to be completely re-evaluated.

Yeah, that's a big one. Experiences that you previously interpreted solely through a very specific religious lens, like feeling the Holy Ghost confirming something might need to be reinterpreted.

How so?

Well, maybe recognizing phenomena like elevation emotion, you know, that feeling of warmth or expansion in your chest when you're moved by something good or inspiring.

Recognizing that as a normal human emotional response, one that was maybe previously kind of hijacked or labeled exclusively by the religious framework.

Ah, okay. Seeing it as human, not solely divine.

Right? And that can be really disorienting at first, but can also open up ways to find new meaning, new kinds of spirituality, maybe outside of that old paradigm.

It's a complete internal upheaval. The Faith Crisis Report actually lays out some typical stages people seem to go through in this process.

Yeah, it offers a kind of useful road map though everyone's path is different of course. It starts with the true believer stage. That's you know traditional mostly unquestioning faith.

Okay. Then something happens: the trigger.

That's the catalyst. It's the event or the piece of information that kicks off the crisis. Maybe you're researching a talk or a lesson or you stumble across something online, maybe through social media or just, you know, regular media. The report gives examples like seeing an anti-Mormon YouTube video that was maybe disguised as something else or finding critical websites or even just getting unexpected Google results when looking up Joseph Smith or polyandry.

Okay. So, that exposure leads to the first real stage of distress,

Right? The traumatized believer.

Yeah.

This stage is marked by really high anxiety, that cognitive dissonance we talked about as they try to reconcile the new information and there's intense seeking for answers -

Trying to make it make sense.

Exactly. But crucially what often happens according to the sources is they find the traditional Church sources LDS.org apologetic sites like FAIR or the Maxwell Institute, they find them insufficient, unsatisfactory.

The answers don't resolve the core issues for them

Right. So they start looking elsewhere. They turn to those uncorrelated sources, some sympathetic, some critical just trying to understand.

So the initial attempt to fix the dissonance within the system often doesn't work for these individuals.

That's a very common experience described. From that point, some might move into what the report calls the less literal believer stage.

Less literal.

Yeah. They kind of hold on to the idea that the gospel is mostly true, but they accept that the Church as an institution or past leaders definitely made mistakes, big ones, maybe. They might put the really difficult issues on a mental shelf, so to speak,

Compartmentalizing kind of, but often they still feel inauthentic or there's still this underlying emotional distress. And that feeling can eventually lead them to leave anyway or they might become what some people call buffet Mormons, kind of picking and choosing what parts they engage with,

Right? Taking what works, leaving the rest. What about the path towards actual disbelief?

Well, others might transition more directly from that traumatized believer stage into the traumatized disbeliever stage. This is often described as temporary.

Okay?

It's where the loss of trust is so profound, so complete that it rapidly translates into a loss of faith. And they often move pretty quickly from there to the next phase,

Which is -

Either becoming a secular participant, that's someone who doesn't really believe the core truth claims anymore, but stays active or semi-active, often for family reasons or community connections,

Okay?

Or they become ex/post Mormon. That's someone who has left the Church entirely. And as we talked about, this stage is often still marked by a lot of turmoil, feeling alone, dealing with being misunderstood or shamed by those still in.

The report also had that diagram showing how the reactions of other people can kind of trap someone in a negative loop. Right.

Yes. The perpetual cycle of disaffection. It really illustrates a vicious cycle. It goes: discover, finding the troubling info leads to disclosure and distress, sharing it, feeling upset, which can lead to disaffection and disaffiliation - pulling away leaving.

Okay.

But the crucial part the diagram highlights is how their reactions from others fuel this. If someone shares their distress, their questions, and they're met with denial, oh, that's not true. Or that's anti-Mormon lies or blame, you must not be praying enough or just harsh judgment

Instead of understanding.

Exactly. Instead of understanding and support, that negative reaction, that painful experience, it can magnify their anger, their hurt, and push them further down the path to disaffection. It becomes this loop where the pain of how they were treated compounds the pain of the initial discovery.

That's a really powerful and frankly sad illustration of how the community response can actually make the crisis much much worse.

It really can.

So given how painful and isolating this whole process sounds, how did the sources suggest people can actually move forward? How do they heal personally?

Well, Anthony Miller and others really frame it as grief work. You have to grieve what you've lost, the faith, the identity, the community, maybe the future you envisioned.

That's a loss. A real loss,

a huge loss. And it takes time. There's that quote from John Larson estimating it takes about one year for every year someone was fully active to really feel like themselves again.

Wow, that's a long time for many people.

It is. Miller himself said it took him maybe four or five years to feel truly grounded again. And about 18 months before he wasn't like routinely revisiting the stages of grief, but the consistent message from those who've navigated it is clear. There is light at the end of the tunnel. It does get better.

So patience with yourself seems absolutely crucial.

Absolutely. Patience and self-compassion and seeking community, finding connection, that's vital, too. Miller talks about finding people who can just sit with you in your journey. It reminds me of that Brené Brown idea, the ministry of presence,

Just being there.

Yeah. Just being there, listening, validating their experience without trying to immediately fix it or argue them back into belief.

Because often believing family and friends, even if they mean well, they just aren't equipped to be that safe space,

Right? They might feel threatened or like it's their job to reconvert you. LDS Living mentions that things like online forums and support groups can be incredibly helpful, especially for processing the intellectual side of things and just finding other people who get it.

Finding your tribe, even if it's online.

Exactly. And establishing healthy boundaries with believing family and friends. That comes up a lot in sources like Mormon Discussions. It's essential for self-preservation really, but it's acknowledged that it's really hard and it can come with the risk of rejection or more conflict.

Yeah. Navigating those relationships has got to be one of the trickiest parts.

It really does. A huge part of moving forward seems to be reorienting your whole identity, your world view after leaving what one source called a very narrow limited margin perspective on life,

Expanding your view,

Right? And that includes those practical things we mentioned, finding help, navigating everyday life skills without feeling ashamed. And it includes reinterpreting those spiritual experiences, maybe seeing things like elevation emotion as just part of being human while still leaving room for spiritual experiences to happen outside the old framework.

It really sounds like a process of rediscovering the world and maybe rediscovering yourself in it.

Yeah. Many people who've been through it actually say they felt like they found yourself rather than lost yourself in the end. It becomes about pursuing new sources of meaning, new values, maybe new forms of spirituality. That might be secular principles, focusing on charity and service, exploring other traditions. It looks different for everyone.

Finding a new foundation.

Exactly. And while relationships definitely get strained, Anthony Miller's experience suggests they can often be mended over time. They might be different, but they can still be valuable.

That's hopeful. The sources also list some specific resources that people turn to.

They do. The Gift of the Mormon Faith Crisis podcast and website. Apparently, they offer free coaching and recordings from retreats. There's bridges.com, which has online tools for ministering. And then books that get recommended a lot include Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis, The Crucible of Doubt by Terryl Givens, Planted, and Letters to a Young Mormon.

Okay. So, while the individual journey is clearly really tough and takes time and support, there are paths forward and resources out there. What about the Church as an institution? What do the sources suggest the Church itself or its members could do to help?

Well, the report is pretty blunt. It calls addressing this an urgent but admittedly daunting challenge. And crucially, it says doing nothing is the wrong approach.

Can't just ignore it,

Right? And while acknowledging the difficult issues, openly carries some risk. The report argues that a mature faith can and should allow for error and that doing so actually reduces feelings of dishonesty and hypocrisy in the long run.

So that honesty about the history seems foundational again.

It's presented as absolutely key especially for inoculating future generations. A core strategy suggested is closing that gap between the traditional simplified narrative and the more complex factual history. Teaching Church history openly and honestly. But doing it within a faith-promoting context if possible,

Providing better information right where the crisis often starts.

Exactly. And providing better, more substantive resources and answers on the difficult topics. The sources are clear that the current Church websites and the traditional apologetics groups like FAIR or the Maxwell Institute are often seen as insufficient or just unsatisfactory by people deep in crisis.

They're not cutting it for those really struggling.

Apparently, not for many. The report even floats the idea that the Church could maybe list some helpful third party materials, ones that people in crisis have found genuinely useful.

Wow, that would be a big step. Beyond just information, how should individuals going through this actually be treated by other members, by leaders?

The message across the sources here is really strong and consistent. Do not assume the person is unworthy. Do not blame them for their doubts. LDS Living says it plainly, don't assume the questioner is unworthy.

Yeah.

Making broad, dismissive statements that deny the validity of the issues people are wrestling with, that's seen as deeply unhelpful, even damaging.

So, treat the questions and the questioner with respect.

Yes. Provide pastoral counsel. Don't automatically exclude people from callings just because they're having doubts. Leaders need resources, maybe even training on how to interact supportively and where they can send struggling members for actual help. And critically, the report suggests leaders should encourage researching the difficult issues, not tell people to stop looking or put it on a shelf indefinitely.

Treat the doubts with validation - not suspicion or fear. That seems key.

Precisely. Guidance for navigating the impact on marriage and families is also recommended. Things like counseling couples that a faith crisis isn't automatically grounds for divorce, encouraging believing spouses to let the doubting partner participate fully in family life, maybe even suggesting a faith crisis hotline for families dealing with this.

Practical support for the family unit. And what about those who ultimately lose their belief entirely?

Well, the report suggests helping them retain moral standards, perhaps by connecting them to broader ethical traditions or sound principles outside the specific LDS context, providing guidance for constructive interaction with believing family members, and ensuring access to trained mental health professionals to deal with the significant anxiety, depression, and trauma that often accompany this.

Addressing the mental health fallout.

Yes. And service is highlighted, too. Leveraging Church resources to engage people in faith crisis and outward-facing service projects. Many still want to contribute. Stay connected somehow and serving the wider community could be a powerful way to retain and maybe even reactivate some members.

That's interesting. What seems to be the single most critical message for believing family and friends interacting with someone in crisis?

Well, LDS living really emphasizes listening, truly listening, and validating their feelings and questions before rushing in with platitudes or easy answers. Don't offer reassurances before you actually understand the depth of their struggle.

Hear them out first.

Yes. And sources like Mormon Discussions are crystal clear. What members in crisis are absolutely begging for more than anything else is just unconditional love and acceptance from their believing family and friends.

Unconditional love.

more than hearing God still loves you. They desperately need to hear I love you without any conditions, without any buts. One person shared how hurt they were when a parent said I still love you because that word still implied that the love could have been withdrawn if things got worse. It needs to be absolute. I love you. Full stop.

That simple yet maybe incredibly difficult message seems absolutely paramount.

It really does.

Okay. So, pulling all these insights together from the, uh, the sources we've dug into, the LDS personal faith crisis is clearly a profound, widespread, and often intensely painful experience.

Yeah, it impacts deeply dedicated members right across the board, all demographics, all levels of previous activity and leadership. And it seems largely driven by that collision between historical information now just so easily accessible online and the traditional Church narrative they grew up with.

There's a deeply personal journey.

Yeah.

Feels like an identity crisis, not just a belief crisis. It involves distinct stages and it can be made so much worse by misunderstanding, judgment, and unsupportive reactions from within their own community.

But, and this is important, the sources also show that individuals can find ways to heal. They can rebuild their lives. It takes self-compassion, finding genuine connection, navigating that really difficult process of reorienting their lives and finding new meaning.

And there are pretty clear steps suggested by these sources, things the Church and its members could potentially do. From being much more honest and transparent about history, providing better resources to maybe most importantly offering genuine validation that unconditional love we just talked about.

Okay, so wrapping up this deep dive, the LDS faith crisis is clearly a real, very complex, often deeply painful reality for many members.

Yeah. And it's hitting people across the board, including longtime, highly committed members and leaders, not just a fringe issue.

And it stems from this collision really between the traditional narratives and the flood of accessible information about history, doctrine, culture leading to that powerful sense of betrayal and a fundamental identity shakeup.

The emotional toll, the social cost, isolation, broken relationships, feeling lost, it's immense, and navigating that requires incredible courage. It's definitely not the easy path.

Absolutely. And there was that final, really provocative thought from one of the survey respondents you mentioned earlier, reframing it,

Right? The idea that maybe it's less about individuals having a faith crisis and more about the Church facing a kind of truth crisis,

Meaning the traditional story itself hasn't held up perfectly against the historical record and available information.

Exactly. That the narrative is what's in crisis because of the information gap and that forces individuals into their personal crisis as they encounter that gap and have to re-evaluate everything.

That definitely shifts the perspective, puts the focus on the information and the narrative, not just the individual's response.

It does. And it leaves us and you with a lot to think about what that perspective means for individuals, for families trying to navigate this, and for the Church community as a whole going forward.

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