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43-520: The Tanners, who are ex-Mormon , printed original versions of early Mormon writings and scripture in which they annotated and highlighted doctrinal changes, such as the rejection of Brigham Young 's " Adam–God doctrine ". They jointly published more than 40 books about many aspects of the LDS Church, primarily its history. Jerald Tanner was born in Provo, Utah , and was a fifth-generation Mormon. He studied at

86-543: A Protestant minister in Mission Hills, California , on June 14, 1959. The following year, both resigned from the LDS Church. In 1964, they began an outreach to Mormons at their house in Salt Lake City , which grew into UTLM. They had two daughters and a son together. After 47 years of marriage, Jerald died in Salt Lake City on October 1, 2006, as a result of complications arising from Alzheimer's disease . He had retired

129-600: A social movement . Most ex-Mormons leave Mormonism and the LDS or RLDS Church because of intellectual reasons for finding the religion false or practices of Mormon organizations. The foremost reasons are disbelief both in Joseph Smith as a prophet and in the Book of Mormon as a religious and historical document. Reasons for this disbelief include issues with anthropological, linguistic , archaeological , and genetic evidence against

172-500: A Christian evangelist. They criticized his film The God Makers II , despite their involvement in his earlier film, The God Makers . Ex-Mormon Ex-Mormon or post-Mormon refers to a disaffiliate of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) or any of its schismatic breakoffs , collectively called " Mormonism ". Ex-Mormons—sometimes referred to as exmo or postmo —may neither believe in nor affiliate with

215-468: A construction of the King Follett Discourse , the Book of Abraham (which was later canonized in 1880 by the LDS Church as part of their Pearl of Great Price ), the personal history of Joseph Smith , and the announcement of the assassination of Joseph and Hyrum Smith . From 1974 to 1977, a periodical entitled The New Times and Seasons was published by the Church of Jesus Christ Restored,

258-441: A few months before his death. The Salt Lake City Messenger was a biannual newsletter they published from 1964 to 2022 containing copies of primary documents and discussion critical of LDS history. The Tanners have specialized in publishing original documents that would otherwise be inaccessible to the general public. For example, in 1966, they were the first to publish Joseph Smith's Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar (since called

301-595: A group that broke from the RLDS Church in 1979. The church's president, Stanley M. King, opened the first issue with a prospectus claiming the paper was a continuation of the original Times and Seasons . The paper republished many articles, letters, and other materials published in the original Nauvoo newspaper. It was published in Owen Sound, Ontario . Another breakaway sect, the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of

344-543: A historian and former member of the LDS Church, took issue with the Tanners' work. He noted that "although the most conscientious and honest researcher can overlook pertinent sources of information, the repeated omissions of evidence by the Tanners suggest an intentional avoidance of sources that modify or refute their caustic interpretation of Mormon history." On occasion, the Tanners have publicly challenged critics of Mormonism and earned praise from some LDS scholars. For instance,

387-582: A large factor in their decision to leave. Also, just 4 percent claimed that a significant reason for apostasy was dissatisfaction with the rules of conduct professed by the LDS Church. This corroborates the assertion that many Mormons are satisfied with the communal aspect and attributes of LDS Church life. A 2023 survey of over 1,000 former church members in the Mormon corridor found the following top three reported reasons for disafilliation: 1. History related to Joseph Smith; 2. The Book of Mormon; and 3. Race issues in

430-445: A majority of ex-Mormons do not self-identify as a member of another faith tradition, choosing to describe themselves as agnostic , atheist or simply ex-Mormon. Some can also become apatheist . A Pew Research report corroborated this, finding in 2015 that 36% of those born Mormon left the religion, with 21% of born Mormons (58% of ex-Mormons) now unaffiliated, 6% evangelical Protestant, and 9% converting to other Protestant, Catholic, or

473-427: A new belief structure, they leave at a cost; many leave feeling ostracized and pressured and miss out on major family events such as temple weddings . Family members of some may express only disappointment and sorrow and try to reach out in understanding to their new belief system or lack thereof. Some stay under threat of divorce from spouses who still believe. Still, many ex-Mormons have given up spouses, children, and

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516-460: A non-Christian faith. Others either retained belief in God but not in organized religion or became adherents of other faiths. Among ex-Mormons with no current religious preference, 36 percent continued the practice of prayer often or daily. Ex-Mormon attitudes toward Mormons and Mormonism vary widely. Some ex-Mormons actively proselytize against Mormonism, while some provide only support to others leaving

559-598: A period of intense self-doubt and depression as disaffiliates confront feelings of betrayal and loneliness, followed by self-discovery, belief exploration, spiritual guidance and connection as they leave Mormonism. He argues that leaving may provide a renewed sense of self, confidence and peace. One ex-Mormon compared his disaffiliation experience to leaving a cult , while others called it close to overcoming mind control or adjusting to life outside of religious fundamentalism . Still others compare their symptoms to divorce from marriage. Ex-Mormons may also have to cope with

602-473: A potentially landmark case concerning internet linking. Lawrence Foster, a non-Mormon historian of Mormon history, has offered a mixed assessment of the Tanners and their work. On the negative side, Foster has written that, until the Tanners "are prepared to abide by accepted standards of scholarly behavior and common courtesy, they can expect little sympathy from serious historians." He criticized them for "a holier-than-thou stance, refusing to be fair in applying

645-487: A second problem arises when one compares the text of the book of Abraham with a translation of the Book of Breathings; they clearly are not the same…" The Tanners contend that the Book of Abraham is a 19th-century work written only by Joseph Smith. The Tanners have also published photo-mechanical reproductions of texts such as complete sets of early-LDS periodicals, including Messenger and Advocate , Times and Seasons , and

688-615: The Millennial Star . Also notable is a reproduction of the 1825 edition of Ethan Smith 's View of the Hebrews . Their version contains the margin notes made by Elder B. H. Roberts , who compared this text with the Book of Mormon at the request of an LDS leader. His report was initially kept secret, but it gradually was distributed within Mormon circles and was published posthumously as part of A Book of Mormon Study (also known as Studies of

731-734: The Great Chicago Fire . However, in 1966 scholars found ten fragments of the papyri in the archives of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Subsequently, an additional fragment was located in the LDS Church Historian's Office . The papyri have been determined to be portions of Egyptian funerary texts, dating to about the first century BC. The LDS Church disputes the Tanners' position stating in an Ensign article, "…some people have concluded that this Book of Breathings must be

774-475: The University of Utah and received a degree from Salt Lake Trade Technical Institute . His great-great-grandfather, John Tanner , gave large donations to church founder Joseph Smith when the fledgling church was deeply in debt. Like her husband, Sandra was a fifth-generation Mormon. She is a great-great-granddaughter of Brigham Young , the LDS Church's second president . Both families had longstanding ties to

817-655: The spiritual status of black people , polygamy , and the role of women in society ) as racist or sexist . A minority of ex-Mormons cite their personal incompatibility with Mormon beliefs or culture. A 2003 Princeton Review publication quoted a student at church-owned Brigham Young University as stating, "the nonconformist will find a dull social life with difficulty finding someone that will be their friend, regardless of who they are or what they believe." Liberal views and political attitudes that challenge this conformity , and occasionally sexual orientation , are cited as reasons for leaving Mormonism. In recent years,

860-415: The "Joseph Smith Egyptian Papers"). Prior to their publication, few LDS Church members knew about these documents. The next year, the publication prompted discussions and debates about the content of the documents, which have continued for decades. Joseph Smith said that, in addition to translating the golden plates, he translated the Book of Abraham papyri. These materials were thought to have been lost in

903-448: The Book of Mormon ) and A Parallel . The Tanners have published compiled lists of changes to the text of the Book of Mormon and other texts used by the LDS church. They argue that the alterations are substantial and that the inconsistencies in the texts are evidence against LDS claims of their being divinely inspired. This is because of the Tanner's interpretation of Joseph Smith's claim

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946-520: The Book of Mormon in the New World. In addition to rejecting the Book of Mormon for such reasons, the Book of Abraham and other Mormon religious texts are rejected on similar grounds. A study of 3000 people who were formerly affiliated with the LDS Church recorded that 74 percent of respondents cited a disbelief in church doctrine or theology as major reason for leaving the church, but only 4 percent of respondents cited conflict with other church members as

989-539: The Book of Mormon was "the most correct book on the face of the Earth… and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." The best-known publication produced by the Tanners is Mormonism: Shadow or Reality?, originally published in 1963 as Mormonism: A Study of Mormon History and Doctrine , and reprinted five times since. Dean M. Helland of Oral Roberts University describes it as "the heavyweight of all books on Mormonism". The Tanners question

1032-468: The Church. Of those who leave the Church, about 58% switch to no religion or unaffiliated; 18% switch to evangelical Protestant groups; 8% went to Mainline Protestant denominations; 10% went to generic Christianity; and 6% went to "other". Times and Seasons Times and Seasons was a 19th-century Latter Day Saint newspaper published at Nauvoo , Illinois . It was printed monthly or twice-monthly from November 1839 to February 1846. The motto of

1075-577: The LDS Church has become more politically active, particularly with regard to legislation barring civil marriage for same-sex couples. Official church involvement in the California Proposition 8 campaign was highly controversial, causing some Mormons to stop attending church. After their decision to leave Mormonism and the LDS Church, ex-Mormons typically go through an adjustment period as they re-orient their lives religiously, socially, and psychologically. An online poll of ex-Mormons found that

1118-430: The LDS Church. In contrast, Jack Mormons may believe but do not affiliate; and cultural Mormons may or may not affiliate but do not believe in certain doctrines or practices of the LDS Church. The distinction is important to a large segment of ex-Mormons, many of whom consider their decision to leave as morally compelling and socially risky. According to 2014 Pew data, around 1/3 of adults raised LDS no longer adhere to

1161-430: The Mormon community. They met in the spring of 1959, in Salt Lake City , at a religious meeting of Pauline Hancock 's Church of Christ (Lukeite) , Soon after they were introduced, Jerald and Sandra began jointly researching the subject of Mormonism. Each had been raised as Latter-day Saints , but discovered that they had each begun questioning the church in their teenage years. Jerald and Sandra Tanner were married by

1204-487: The SLC Postmos meetup and Facebook group (with over 2,000 members) and Utah Valley Postmos meetup and Facebook group (over 900 members). The ex-Mormon subreddit gained publicity with its involvement leaking LDS documents. Latter-day Saints generally hope ex-Mormons will return to activity in the church. According to a BYU Studies article, as of 2014, about one-third of those with a Latter-day Saint background have left

1247-483: The Salamander Letter, shocking many scholars, historians, and students who believed the document was genuine. By late 1984, he questioned the authenticity of most, if not all, of Hofmann's discoveries, largely for their undocumented provenance . He was ultimately vindicated when Hofmann's forgeries were exposed. The Tanners have debunked what they characterize as misrepresentations of the LDS Church by Ed Decker ,

1290-472: The Tanners in that way. The Tanners were among the first public critics of the forger and later murderer Mark Hofmann . Hofmann's "discoveries" of important Mormon documents he had secretly forged appeared to bolster the Tanners' arguments, but by early 1984, Jerald Tanner had concluded there was significant doubt as to the Salamander Letter 's authenticity. He even went as far as to publish an attack on

1333-440: The ability to enter Mormon temples to witness important life events of family members. Ex-Mormons in geographic locations away from major enclaves of Mormon culture such as Utah may experience less stigmatization, however. Many ex-Mormons go through a psychological process as they leave Mormonism. Former Mormon Bob McCue described his disaffiliation as recovery from cognitive dissonance . Reynolds reports that leaving involves

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1376-506: The character and integrity of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon ; they discuss the different accounts that Joseph Smith gave of the First Vision . Their book includes copies of original LDS documents. In 1999, the LDS Church sued the Tanners for internet linking from their website to the copyrighted Church Handbook of Instructions . The lawsuit was settled out of court before an appeals court could rule on what observers described as

1419-679: The church. Individuals leave Mormonism for a variety of reasons, although "single reason disaffiliates are rare among former Mormons." Research shows that 43 percent of ex-Mormon left due to unmet spiritual needs. Other reasons for leaving may include a belief that they are in a cult, logical or intellectual appraisal, belief changes or differences, spiritual conversion to another faith, life crises, and poor or hurtful responsiveness by Mormon leaders or congregations. Of former Mormons surveyed, 58 percent switched to other faiths or practices. Those who adopt humanist or feminist perspectives may view certain Mormon doctrines (including past teachings on

1462-400: The faith (up from around 10% in the 1970s and 1980s) and in 2008 only 25% of LDS young adults were actively involved. Two surveys taken across the state of Utah between 1980 and 1981, showed that for every five converts into Mormonism, there were two converts out. Many ex-Mormons experience troubles with family members who still follow Mormon teachings. Aggregations of ex-Mormons may comprise

1505-409: The historian Daniel C. Peterson , the former chairman of Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) at Brigham Young University, suggested the Tanners' willingness to debunk false documents, regardless of their content, was a sign of integrity : There are some anti-Mormons out there that I hold in contempt. They're demagogic. They spread hatred and strife and disharmony. I don't see

1548-458: The pain of ostracism by Mormon employers, friends, spouses, and family members. Many formerly LDS individuals seek community and discussion about their former beliefs in online and in-person groups. Some of these international groups include the ex-Mormon page on Reddit (with over 300,000 subscribers) as well as various group listings on the Mormon Spectrum website. Localized groups include

1591-502: The paper was "Truth will prevail," which was printed underneath the title heading. It was the successor to the Elders' Journal and was the last newspaper published by the Church in the United States before the schisms that occurred after the death of Joseph Smith . As members of the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fled Missouri as a result of the 1838 Mormon War ,

1634-580: The press and type for the Elders' Journal was buried in Far West . In April 1839, Elias Smith and Hiram Clark, among others, returned to the city and recovered the press and type. It was taken to Nauvoo and in June 1839 was given to Ebenezer Robinson and Don Carlos Smith (younger brother of Joseph Smith ), who served as the editors. In December 1840, Robinson moved exclusively to book printing while Don Carlos took over as

1677-519: The print shop and was listed as editor in the Times and Seasons , but operation was actually run by John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff . In November 1842, Taylor became the principal editor, but was still assisted by Woodruff. The printing office was eventually sold to Taylor directly in January 1844. The publication was the first to include such significant Latter Day Saint documents as The Wentworth Letter ,

1720-596: The religion. Other ex-Mormons prefer to avoid the subject entirely, while still others may try to encourage healthy dialogue between adherents of their new faiths and active Mormons. Attitudes of ex-Mormons also differ regarding their church membership. Some formally resign by mailing resignation letters to request the removal of their church membership records, which the LDS Church refers to as "name removal", while others simply stop attending church services. Ex-Mormons who publicly leave Mormonism often face social stigmatization. Although many leave to be true to themselves or to

1763-582: The same debate standard of absolute rectitude that they demand of Mormonism to their own actions, writings, and beliefs… The Tanners seem to be playing a skillful shell game in which the premises for judgment are conveniently shifted so that the conclusion is always the same—negative." On a more positive note, Foster says that some of the Tanners' "research and analysis... would do credit to any professional historian." He credits them with being "more than simply gadflies " and says that their work has helped stimulate serious Mormon scholarship. D. Michael Quinn ,

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1806-438: The sole editor of the Times and Seasons . In May 1841, Robert B. Thompson joined as an editor. After the death of Don Carlos in 1841, Robinson rejoined as an editor and worked with Thompson on a single issue before Thompson's death, just twenty days after the death of Don Carlos. Robinson was then joined by Gustavus Hills for a few issues before he deeded the print shop to Joseph Smith. in January 1842. Joseph acted as director of

1849-418: The text Joseph Smith used in his translation of the book of Abraham. However, there are some serious problems associated with this assumption. First of all, from paleographic and historical considerations, the Book of Breathings papyrus can reliably be dated to around A.D. 60–much too late for Abraham to have written it. Of course, it could be a copy–or a copy of a copy–of the original written by Abraham. However,

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