Dozens of Mormons to resign en masse
‘Declaration of independence’ from church
SALT LAKE CITY• Troubled by issues ranging from polygamy to gay marriage, several dozen Mormons plan to resign Saturday from the church en masse in an unusual public show of defiance in Salt Lake City.
Organizers say participants will gather in a park to sign a “Declaration of Independence from Mormonism,” followed by a hike up Ensign Peak, scaled in 1847 by then-church President Brigham Young to survey the spot where his Latter-day Saints would build a city.
The event marks an unusual display of defiance from members of the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known for its culture of obedience. But the restive Mormons say they mean no disrespect.
“We’re not doing it out of anger, and we’re not doing it to poke a finger at the church,” said organizer Zilpha Larsen, 36, a lifetime Mormon who has not attended church since 2005.
“We’re doing it to support each other in this decision that’s going to cause pain for our families, which will cause pain for ourselves.”
Mormonism bills itself as the one “true” Christian faith, and its theology promises families eternal relationships among the faithful, sealing those gifts through religious rites. Those bonds are deemed nullified when membership is revoked or resigned, said Ms. Larsen, who lives in Lehi, Utah, and has not baptized her two children.
In addition, Mormon culture often stigmatizes those who fall away, leaving some without social or business connections. Such consequences are widely documented on the Internet through blogs and websites such as exmormon.org, postmormon.org and podcasts like those posted at mormonexpression.org, which is run by Ms. Larsen’s husband, John.
Among the reasons cited by those resigning are the Church’s political activism against gay marriage; doctrinal teachings that conflict with scientific findings or are perceived as racist or sexist; and inconsistencies in the Church’s explanation of its history, including the practice of polygamy.
The Church, which renounced plural marriage over a century ago as Utah was seeking statehood, often downplays the prevalence of the practice by early leaders, including Smith, who some scholars say was married to more than 30 women.
But Mr. Larsen said it was polygamy that began his journey out of the church. When researching the Larsen family tree, he was disturbed to find an ancestor had married Smith, likely while she was still married to another man.
Ms. Larsen said her questions began when she discovered the veracity of an allegedly accurate translation of ancient Egyptian writings included in sacred Mormon texts were in doubt. “Once you start doubting one thing, then everything becomes suspect,” she said.
More than 100 people have contacted the Larsens about joining the resignation event.
Many Mormons who find themselves questioning their faith try a cafeteria-style approach to remaining in the church, embracing those aspects of Mormon life that work for them and ignoring the rest. Even when such an approach fails, Ms. Larsen said, lapsed Mormons commonly stop attending church but leave their names on the rolls to avoid the social consequences.
“It’s not like any other religion in America, like being a Protestant ... it’s more tribal,” Ms. Larsen said. “We know so many who feel so afraid to resign.... They feel trapped.”
Saturday’s event was organized in part as a means of sparking a dialogue about the emotional and social costs suffered by those who resign.
“The point is to encourage a healthy transition and reduce the costs of leaving,” Mr. Larsen said.