Should I Remove My Name from the Mormon Church? I *NEED* your Help!
Should I finally remove my name from the records of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
By the end of this video, I’ll tell you the decision I’ve made—for now—and explain why it’s not nearly as straightforward as you might think.
Believe it or not, I’m still technically a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was blessed as an infant, baptized at eight years old, and confirmed a member of the church.
I remember my baptism remarkably well. I was baptized by my older brother, who was sixteen at the time. Ironically, he later came out as gay and had his own name removed from the church’s records.
I’m also at least a sixth-generation Latter-day Saint through my father’s side. My family has deep roots in Mormon history, including ancestors who devoted their lives to the church. I recently visited my great-grandparents’ graves in Salt Lake City, and that connection to my family history is one of the reasons this decision is more complicated than it might seem.
Today, I no longer believe the church’s truth claims. I rarely attend Sunday meetings, and I host a podcast and YouTube channel devoted to examining Mormon history, doctrine, and leadership. I openly criticize many of the church’s teachings and policies.
So why am I still on the membership rolls?
The LDS Church continues to count people like me as members unless we formally resign. That raises an obvious question: if I no longer believe, should I still allow myself to be counted?
There are good arguments for removing my name. There are also surprisingly personal reasons for keeping it there.
Resignation is also not something I take lightly. Once your records are removed, returning to the church generally requires rebaptism. And part of me wonders whether I would rather leave on my own terms—or simply wait and see whether the church eventually decides to remove me itself.
I even have a strange part of me that almost wants the church to hold a membership council. If that happened, I would welcome the opportunity to explain directly to church leaders why I no longer believe.
Of course, leadership changes. A bishop who doesn't care about my public criticism today might be replaced by someone who sees things very differently tomorrow.
So where do I stand?
For now, I have no plans to remove my records.
But I also recognize that the church could eventually make that decision for me.
Should I remove my name? Should I stay on the records? Or should I simply wait and see what happens?
Let me know what you think in the comments. This is one of the biggest personal decisions I’ve wrestled with, and I genuinely want to hear your perspective.
Thanks for watching.
#Mormon #ExMormon #LDS #Mormonism #LDSChurch #LeavingMormonism
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