Stacey Harkey on “leaving” the Mormon Church #lds #mormon #latterdaysaint

The "Soft Exit" From Mormonism: Understanding Modern Disaffiliation Without Drama

When someone leaves the LDS Church, we often imagine a dramatic moment: a letter of resignation, a tearful family conversation, a public statement on social media. But according to recent accounts shared on the Mormon Stories Podcast, the reality for many people, including Stacey Harkey, looks far more mundane. It's a gradual stepping back. A Sunday skipped here, a quiet reassessment of beliefs there. Understanding this "soft exit" phenomenon illuminates a significant shift in how modern members relate to institutional religion, particularly during high-stress periods like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The question is no longer simply "Why do people leave the Church?" but rather "What does leaving actually mean when it happens quietly, personally, and without formal severance?" This distinction matters because it challenges our assumptions about faith transitions and reveals how spiritual identity operates independently from institutional membership.

Background: The Changing Pattern of Mormon Disaffiliation

The LDS Church has long emphasized formal membership status. Historically, leaving meant either requesting name removal or simply becoming inactive, a liminal state where members remained on rolls but didn't participate. Both paths were often publicly visible within tight-knit ward communities.

Today's landscape is different. Surveys indicate younger members increasingly deprioritize institutional religion altogether. The pandemic accelerated this trend significantly. When churches closed and remote attendance became possible, many members discovered something surprising: they didn't miss it.