Joseph Smith's Story: History vs. Church Narrative
As Joseph Smith's great-great-grandniece, I grew up venerating my famous great-great Uncle. My family was special and honored because of our sainted legacy. I was a devoted, true believer until I went away to a non-Mormon university and discovered unsettling truths about my ancestor and the Mormon Church (officially The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
The historical discrepancies between church teachings and documented evidence have become increasingly problematic. Recent scholarship has uncovered multiple, contradictory versions of Smith's "First Vision," with early accounts differing significantly from the official version now taught. The church has quietly acknowledged these variations in obscure essays on its website, but continues to present only the final, polished narrative in its mainstream teachings.
While the Book of Mormon's origins remain contentious, Smith's translation methods raise serious questions. Church narratives describe Smith translating ancient gold plates through divine power, but historical accounts reveal he actually used a "seer stone" placed in a hat, with the plates often not present during translation. This method resembles folk magic practices common in his time but contradicts the church's more miraculous portrayal.
The Book of Abraham, another Mormon scripture, presents even more damaging evidence. Smith claimed to translate ancient Egyptian papyri, but when Egyptologists later examined these documents, they discovered they were common funeral texts unrelated to Abraham. The church has struggled to explain this discrepancy, shifting from claims of literal translation to more abstract "inspiration."
Smith's practice of polygamy also differs dramatically from official church narratives. During my upbringing, the Church denied Smith practiced polygamy. Though the church now acknowledges Smith had multiple wives (between 38 and 81 women), they downplay that many were already married to living husbands and that some were as young as 14. These relationships were often hidden from Smith's first wife Emma, contradicting the church's emphasis on honesty and family values.
Modern Society vs. Mormon Restrictions
As societal attitudes evolve, the Mormon Church faces growing criticism for policies that restrict women's roles and exclude LGBTQ+ individuals. Women remain barred from priesthood authority, meaning they cannot lead congregations, perform ordinances, or hold the highest leadership positions. This gender inequality has become increasingly difficult to justify in a world where women lead corporations, universities, and nations. Women are still urged to focus primarily on being helpmates to their husbands and mothers to many children.
The church has struggled to update its position on women while maintaining its patriarchal structure. In 2018, the church made symbolic changes, such as allowing women to witness baptisms and temple weddings, but these minor adjustments have only highlighted the fundamental inequality in church governance. Female members often report feeling like second-class citizens, with their concerns dismissed by male leadership.
The church's stance on LGBTQ+ issues has been particularly damaging and intolerable to younger members. Despite softening some rhetoric, the church maintains that same-sex relationships are sinful and that gender is an eternal, binary characteristic. This position has contributed to high rates of depression, homelessness, and suicide among LGBTQ+ Mormon youth.
In 2015, the church implemented a policy labeling members in same-sex marriages as "apostates" and barring their children from baptism until age 18. After intense backlash, this policy was reversed in 2019, but the damage to LGBTQ+ members and their families was profound. Many faithful members who had defended the church for years found this policy impossible to reconcile with teachings of Christ's love.
Enormous Wealth: Tithes for Business, Not Charity
Perhaps the most shocking revelation in recent years concerns the Mormon Church's vast wealth. A 2019 whistleblower revealed the church controls over $100 billion in investments through its investment arm, Ensign Peak Advisors. This enormous sum, built largely from member tithes (10% of income required for full church participation), raises serious ethical questions. The church reportedly spends less than 1% of its annual income on humanitarian aid, while investing heavily in commercial enterprises, luxury real estate, and even hunting preserves.
In February 2024, the church settled SEC charges by paying $5 million in penalties for using shell companies to obscure the extent of its investments. This lack of financial transparency has shocked many members who believed their tithes were primarily funding temples, humanitarian work, and missionary efforts.
For a church that preaches charity and helping the poor, the gap between its wealth accumulation and its charitable giving is striking. Many members who sacrificed financially for years feel betrayed upon learning their tithes funded investment portfolios rather than humanitarian work.
I remember going without basic necessities to pay tithing, believing it would bring spiritual and temporal blessings. Some describe taking out loans or delaying medical care to remain "full tithe payers." The revelation of the church's enormous wealth while members struggled has catalyzed many faith crises.
The Youth Exodus: Why Young Mormons, Especially Women, Are Leaving
The Mormon Church is experiencing an unprecedented exodus of young members, particularly in the US. Studies show membership growth has stagnated globally, while active participation has declined sharply among young adults in the United States. Young women are leaving at especially high rates, citing the church's gender inequality, limited leadership roles, and emphasis on motherhood over professional pursuits as key reasons.
Research indicates that Millennials and Gen Z Mormons are leaving at rates far exceeding previous generations. A recent survey found that only 46% of those raised Mormon still identify with the faith as adults, down from 72% for Baby Boomers.
The internet has enabled access to information about church history and policies that previous generations couldn't easily obtain, accelerating the departure of young members. Social media communities of "Ex-Mormons" provide support for those questioning their faith, making the transition out of the church less isolating than in previous generations.
When I left the Church before the era of online information and social media, trading Utah for NYC, I felt incredibly alone. The church's response has largely been to discourage internet research and to frame doubts as spiritual weakness rather than legitimate concerns. The expression of one Mormon Apostle was "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith."
Religious Trauma Among Former Members
Many ex-Mormons report experiencing what therapists now recognize as religious trauma syndrome after leaving the faith. This includes symptoms similar to PTSD, with triggers related to church teachings, buildings, or even certain phrases.
I experienced intense feelings of guilt, shame, and fear instilled by teachings about worthiness and eternal consequences. Many struggle with sexual shame, having been taught that sexual thoughts or masturbation make them unworthy. Women who left the church report particular difficulty in overcoming messages about their value being tied to motherhood and submission.
The intense social consequences of leaving the faith compound this trauma. Many ex-Mormons lose friends, family relationships, and entire social networks. Some report being disinvited from family weddings, shunned in their communities, or labeled as "deceived by Satan" by those still in the faith. Being excluded from attending my Mormon brothers’ and sisters’ weddings was especially painful for me.
Recovery often takes years of therapy and rebuilding one's identity outside the all-encompassing Mormon worldview. It’s taken years to process the negative impact the Mormon Church had on me. I’m still occasionally triggered, even though it’s been years since I left. However, most former members report feeling freedom, authenticity, and relief after working through this trauma, describing their exit from the church as painful but ultimately liberating.
A Leadership Crisis: When Prophets Fail to See the Future
The Mormon Church faces a fundamental leadership problem. Its very elderly, exclusively male leadership appears increasingly out of touch with contemporary issues and the concerns of younger members. Church leaders claim prophetic authority and divine guidance, yet have consistently only changed after intense, external pressure.
The average age of the church's top leadership council, the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, is over 75. This gerontocracy results in policies reflecting mid-20th century values rather than addressing contemporary challenges. Young members report feeling that their concerns about climate change, social justice, and gender equality are dismissed by leaders unable to grasp these modern issues.
Changes to church policies—such as ending polygamy (1890), allowing Black men to hold priesthood authority (1978), ending temple ceremonies that included misogynistic elements (1990s), and softening rhetoric about LGBTQ+ individuals—came only after intense external pressure, not prophetic foresight.
Perhaps most damaging to claims of prophetic guidance, the church leadership's responses to major historical events have often been reactive rather than visionary. During the civil rights movement, church leaders opposed integration and equality. The church supported conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ individuals long after psychological experts denounced it as harmful. These missteps make claims of divine guidance increasingly difficult for educated members to accept.
For a church that claims its leaders speak for God, this reactive rather than visionary approach undermines its central authority claims. Until the Mormon Church confronts its historical inaccuracies, addresses its gender and LGBTQ+ exclusion, becomes transparent about its wealth, and listens to its disaffected youth, it will likely continue to experience declining relevance and membership in the 21st century.
Conclusion: A Faith at the Crossroads
The Mormon Church stands at a critical juncture in its history. Its leadership faces an impossible choice between maintaining traditional doctrines that alienate younger generations or embracing reforms that might undermine foundational claims.
What began as isolated concerns about historical discrepancies has grown into a systemic crisis of credibility. When members discover one area of dishonesty, they often begin questioning everything they were taught. The church's defensive responses and reluctance to fully acknowledge mistakes have only accelerated this erosion of trust.
The church I once viewed as perfect and divinely guided, I now see as misogynist, racist, and controlling, its doctrine damaging to self-esteem and an individual’s potential. I see an institution focused on power, manipulation, and wealth, a business enterprise masquerading as a religion.
For a faith that once thrived on distinctive doctrines and strong community bonds, the path forward is uncertain. Without meaningful reform, transparency about its past, and more inclusive policies, the Mormon Church will find itself increasingly irrelevant to rising generations seeking authentic spirituality and ethical institutions. The prophets who claim to see the future appear unable to envision or enact the changes needed to save their church's place in it.
Until next month, remember that your journey is valid, your feelings are real, and there's a community here that understands.
With warmth and solidarity,
Lyn
