What’s an Ex-Mormon to Do?

This is the weekly Q & A blog post by our Research Professor in Philosophy, Dr. William Lane Craig.

Question

Dr. Craig,

I was born and raised in the Mormon faith and am currently still a practicing Latter-day Saint. About a year ago, I became familiar with the Kalam cosmological argument which, for reasons you are well aware of, directly refutes Mormon cosmology. This opened up the floodgates, motivating me to study Christian theology more earnestly (your work has been instrumental in this regard). I have learned of other inconsistencies in LDS theology and am no longer convinced it is the "true church of Christ." So, here's my question: How do I know which church to join now that I have decided to leave the Mormon faith? How do I make a determination between converting to Catholicism, Protestantism, or Orthodoxy? I don't want to leave the Mormon church until I have a place to go to. I have seen too many Mormon friends leave the church without having a better option to fill that void. They just become nonpracticing "Christians" at best, or bitter atheists at worst. So before I turn away from Mormonism, I want to make sure I am turning towards the true Church of Christ. Do you have any advice on selecting the right denomination?

Thank you.

Michael

United States

Dr. William Lane Craig's Response

I selected your question this week, Michael, so that others could share in your thrilling story! It’s testimony to the genuineness of your newfound faith that you have the resolve to extricate yourself from the Mormon subculture, which must be very difficult to do.

Be assured that “the true Church of Christ” is not confined to one denomination or confession but crosses sectarian boundaries. Therefore, so long as you are not required to sign a doctrinal statement, it’s not so important which denominational church you begin to attend. What matters is that the Gospel is faithfully preached and you find yourself able to draw near to God in worship there.

You may want to begin with a non-denominational independent or community church of some sort. In that way you can benefit from biblical preaching and Christian fellowship without identifying yourself with a set of specific doctrinal commitments. Later, as you grow in your understanding of Christian doctrine, you may feel led to affiliate with a church that has specific doctrinal beliefs that you have come to share. But for now I suggest that it’s more important to get out from under LDS teaching and begin to attend a church where you won’t be asked to make doctrinal commitments which you’re not yet prepared to make.

This Q&A and other resources are available on Dr. William Lane Craig's website.