Do former Mormons join another religion?

(RNS) — A couple of weeks ago, my column about the numbers of younger women who are leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States struck a nerve. Many readers weighed in on social media about why this is happening. (A few also tried to deny it is happening.) Some women shared their personal stories, which are powerful and deserve more attention than they have received in the church.

As well, though, several people wondered aloud about people’s religious lives after they leave the church. Do they officially resign their LDS membership? Do they join other religions instead?

These are excellent questions, so I’m going to share a bit from my forthcoming book with Benjamin Knoll, “ Leaving Mormonism: Who Is Exiting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—and Why .” The book won’t be out until early March 2027, but we can give a few insights.

Most don’t officially resign their membership A minority of people who leave take the formal step of removing their names from the church’s rolls. According to our Next Mormons Survey 2 — which was conducted in 2022 and 2023 and surveyed 1,420 current and 178 former members  —  only 18% of former…