Mormons Who Quit the LDS Church

A few years ago, I covered an Atheist de-baptism ceremony where de-converts would blow dry their hair, attempting to reverse whatever they thought baptism meant. It was unclear how many of the few hundred officially renounced a formal membership where they had to do something specific to formally part ways, since it looked more like an excuse for a party.

Depending on the religious tradition, leaving can range from pretty simple to formal letter writing, the latter describing the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A large group of Mormons formally leaving the church seems like a decent story to tell.

If you read the headline “Mormons quit church in mass resignation ceremony,” what number would you guess could justify using the word “mass”? I thought at least a thousand. But when the piece said 150 Mormons left the church, I wasn’t sure it justified “mass” departure. However, I’m told that Mormons leaving in some kind of group gathering like this is highly unusual, so I stuck with the rest of the story.