Journey With Alcohol Abuse after a Mormon Faith Crisis - Brittany Holley Pt. 3 | Ep. 1188

When Faith Crisis Becomes Substance Crisis: Understanding Alcohol Abuse After Leaving the LDS Church

For thousands of people who leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the transition involves far more than a shift in weekend schedules. It means reconstructing identity, morality, community, and belonging, often simultaneously. Yet little public conversation addresses what happens when newly post-Mormon individuals encounter alcohol for the first time as adults, or what vulnerabilities might make that encounter risky. According to recent discussions on the Mormon Stories Podcast, featuring guest Brittany Holley's account of alcohol abuse following her faith crisis, this gap in dialogue may itself be dangerous. Her story illuminates a documented pattern: the intersection of religious deconstruction, psychological trauma, and substance experimentation creates measurable risk, yet remains largely unspoken within both LDS and post-Mormon communities.

The question is not whether alcohol itself is inherently destructive. Rather, it is whether the LDS Church's total prohibition on alcohol, combined with the emotional upheaval of faith loss, creates particular vulnerability in a specific population.

The Historical Context: Prohibition, Faith, and Identity

The LDS Church's doctrine against alcohol, formalized in the Doctrine and Covenants as the "Word of Wisdom", has shaped member culture for nearly two centuries. This is not a theological gray area: abstinence is a temple recommend requirement, a marker of faithfulness, and a core identity component for believing members.

What makes this historically significant is the binary nature of the teaching. Members are not taught moderation or responsible use; they are taught avoidance. For decades, sometimes for entire lifetimes, LDS individuals internalize alcohol as categorically forbidden, morally dangerous, and spiritually corrosive.