59 Positives to Leaving the LDS Church

I don’t want to downplay how difficult it is for many people to leave the LDS Church. But I think it’s important to always see the silver lining in life, and in the case of the church, I believe that the cloud is almost entirely platinum once you’re able to step back and evaluate it without bias. So here’s a list of every positive of leaving the church I can think of, however small. If they don’t all apply to you (you may still choose to live certain standards, and that’s awesome), that’s ok. This is a buffet, people!

You get to live life on your own terms, and not on a conveyer belt of culturally- and doctrinally-decided steps.
You get to help people and do good just because you can, not because you’re anticipating blessings. What better display of character is there than that?
You don’t have to make excuses for the parts of church history or policy or doctrine that make you uncomfortable. (The next time the church embarrasses itself with a new homophobic policy? You don’t have to stand by it! Hooray!)
You no longer indirectly support polygamy and teen brides and racism and sexism and goodness knows what else.
You can wear whatever underwear you freaking want!
You get a 10% pay raise, or an extra 10% you can use to help whoever you want.
Sundays can become brunch and hiking days. Or whatever else you might love. Golf, I hear, is popular. You can also go volunteer wherever you like. #SecondSaturday
You don’t have to believe that the world is “just getting worse” (when evidence shows otherwise) or that it’s going to end soon! YOU CAN HAVE FAITH IN HUMANITY’S ABILITY TO MAKE THINGS BETTER, AS THEY HAVE BEEN DOING! No more doomsday prepping? Awesome! (But a few months of food storage is probably still a smart idea!)
(For gays) YOU CAN FALL IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE YOU REALLY WANT TO BE WITH!
You can wear whatever you want in summer, meaning you’ll probably sweat a lot less.
You can wear whatever you want IN GENERAL, because shoulders aren’t pornographic!
You can wear bikinis and have a tanned stomach for the first time in your life.
(For single people) You can make dating and marriage decisions that aren’t affected by your sexual urges. You get to take your time and save up for a dream honeymoon.
You can drink alcohol. (Drink responsibly, people. Or irresponsibly. It’s your life.) I really recommend this cranberry orange mulled wine recipe for the holiday season. Red wine contains healthy antioxidants that may prevent cancer!
(A healthier alternative to most alcohol) You can vape/eat/smoke marijuana. If you live in Colorado… or have a medical condition that could be helped by it. Again, it’s your life.
(For women) You can have a career! If you want!
You can vote democrat.
You don’t have to spend hours engaging in cult-like temple ceremonies when you could be out helping real people in actually real ways.
You can drink coffee (or tea) when you need a pick-me-up. Coffee is also good for you and may prevent cancer! We recommend Celestial Blend, because it’s the most apostate-friendly.
You can drink green tea and never age. Kind of. It has anti-aging properties, let’s just leave it there.
You can go shopping on Sundays.
You can explore Mormon history (if you’re interested) to your heart’s content, without fearing that it’ll destroy your worldview and/or life.
You can watch Bridesmaids, 21 Jump Street, and any other R-rated movie you feel like watching.
You can stop supporting BYU. Honestly, it’s just embarrassing at this point anyway.
You can listen to any song you want without worrying that it’ll turn you into a sexual fiend.
You can swear when you drop heavy objects on your toes. That’s gotta be satisfying at least sometimes, right?
You can get that second piercing/tattoo/nipple ring you always secretly wanted.
Your mind is free to make decisions and form opinions without being confined to a false and limiting box.
You can have sex with your spouse without thinking that God/angels/Satan’s minions are watching. (Mormons often have issues with sex. Even if they have it, their sexuality is limited, which can cause problems.) You can even experiment with things you never dared try before!
Many people find that their pornography use actually goes down after leaving the church. The whole “don’t picture a pink elephant” concept is something the church apparently hasn’t figured out yet.
You can create a life you want to live, and find the happiness you hoped would come in the next life NOW. This has been one of the coolest things for me. Why live your life trying to one day obtain blessings (promised by a con-man) when you can create heaven NOW?!
You can watch this hilarious video of Bo Burnham without feeling guilty for laughing.
You can drink alcohol on all-inclusive vacations that charge you the same amount whether you do or don’t.
You don’t have to make Relief Society small talk anymore. (I’m guessing you know what I mean.)
There’s less pressure to get a boob job. Lolz.
You don’t have to wear another piece of DownEast clothing ever again!
You don’t have to tell an old man about your masturbation habits.
… or any of your sexual/life habits.
You can love and appreciate science more.
You can finally make all those temple jokes you’ve been holding in for years.
You don’t have to force yourself to be friends with people you don’t have a lot in common with just because they’re in your ward.
You can make new, close friends anywhere, regardless of their beliefs. Many Mormons can do this, but there’s definitely something tribal in Mormonism that makes it happen less often.
You’ll probably judge other people a lot less. (You don’t have to worry about where the “righteous judgement” vs “judgment” line is, yay!)
You can complain sometimes without feeling guilty.
You can replace daily scripture study with meditation and feel amazing.
You can read WAY more inspirational and uplifting books than the scriptures. Here are some of our recommendations!
You can watch and love Ellen AND approve of her lifestyle!
You might care about animals a lot more. (I did.)
You can go artwork shopping for cooler artwork to replace your temple/Joseph Smith/prophet pictures. THIS WILL REALLY IMPROVE YOUR HOME’S AESTHETIC, GUYS.
You can become rich by selling your signs and your tokens.
You can finally stop veiling your wife’s face during family prayer.
You can laugh at the two comments above.
You can wear tight shirts without worrying that the birds on your nipples will show through.
You can stop outsourcing your charity to God, and be more motivated to help people.
You might want to stop filling your body with crap like cookies and Kool-aid and focus on eating a healthy diet that’ll help you to live a longer, happier life. (Because you’re not itching to die and get to the celestial kingdom anymore, you feel me?)
You don’t have to have more kids because you feel obliged to!
You can start having kids whenever you damn well feel like it, and not a year after your wedding once the religious guilt that you interpret as revelation starts creeping in. (I’m really happy about this one.)
You can invite whoever you want to your wedding without them needing a special ticket to get in!
You can decide for yourself what your priorities are, and follow your own moral compass, not the moral compass of out-of-touch old men.

Anything to add? Let us know in the comments and we’ll include it in our list!

Zina Jacobs-Smith-Young

Zina Jacobs-Smith-Young would have been a millennial blogger, but she died in 1901. The wife of Brigham Young, and prior to that Joseph Smith, and prior to that Henry Jacobs, who was sent on a mission by Brigham before he married her, Zina loves writing, long walks on the beach, and playing the field.

You get to live life on your own terms, and not on a conveyer belt of culturally- and doctrinally-decided steps.

You get to help people and do good just because you can, not because you’re anticipating blessings. What better display of character is there than that?

You don’t have to make excuses for the parts of church history or policy or doctrine that make you uncomfortable. (The next time the church embarrasses itself with a new homophobic policy? You don’t have to stand by it! Hooray!)

You no longer indirectly support polygamy and teen brides and racism and sexism and goodness knows what else.

You can wear whatever underwear you freaking want!

You get a 10% pay raise, or an extra 10% you can use to help whoever you want.

Sundays can become brunch and hiking days. Or whatever else you might love. Golf, I hear, is popular. You can also go volunteer wherever you like. #SecondSaturday

(For gays) YOU CAN FALL IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE YOU REALLY WANT TO BE WITH!

You can wear whatever you want in summer, meaning you’ll probably sweat a lot less.

You can wear whatever you want IN GENERAL, because shoulders aren’t pornographic!

You can wear bikinis and have a tanned stomach for the first time in your life.

(For single people) You can make dating and marriage decisions that aren’t affected by your sexual urges. You get to take your time and save up for a dream honeymoon.

You can drink alcohol. (Drink responsibly, people. Or irresponsibly. It’s your life.) I really recommend this cranberry orange mulled wine recipe for the holiday season. Red wine contains healthy antioxidants that may prevent cancer!

(A healthier alternative to most alcohol) You can vape/eat/smoke marijuana. If you live in Colorado… or have a medical condition that could be helped by it. Again, it’s your life.

(For women) You can have a career! If you want!

You can vote democrat.

You don’t have to spend hours engaging in cult-like temple ceremonies when you could be out helping real people in actually real ways.

You can drink coffee (or tea) when you need a pick-me-up. Coffee is also good for you and may prevent cancer! We recommend Celestial Blend, because it’s the most apostate-friendly.

You can drink green tea and never age. Kind of. It has anti-aging properties, let’s just leave it there.

You can go shopping on Sundays.

You can explore Mormon history (if you’re interested) to your heart’s content, without fearing that it’ll destroy your worldview and/or life.

You can watch Bridesmaids, 21 Jump Street, and any other R-rated movie you feel like watching.

You can stop supporting BYU. Honestly, it’s just embarrassing at this point anyway.

You can listen to any song you want without worrying that it’ll turn you into a sexual fiend.

You can swear when you drop heavy objects on your toes. That’s gotta be satisfying at least sometimes, right?

You can get that second piercing/tattoo/nipple ring you always secretly wanted.

Your mind is free to make decisions and form opinions without being confined to a false and limiting box.

You can have sex with your spouse without thinking that God/angels/Satan’s minions are watching. (Mormons often have issues with sex. Even if they have it, their sexuality is limited, which can cause problems.) You can even experiment with things you never dared try before!

Many people find that their pornography use actually goes down after leaving the church. The whole “don’t picture a pink elephant” concept is something the church apparently hasn’t figured out yet.

You can create a life you want to live, and find the happiness you hoped would come in the next life NOW. This has been one of the coolest things for me. Why live your life trying to one day obtain blessings (promised by a con-man) when you can create heaven NOW?!

You can watch this hilarious video of Bo Burnham without feeling guilty for laughing.

You can drink alcohol on all-inclusive vacations that charge you the same amount whether you do or don’t.

You don’t have to make Relief Society small talk anymore. (I’m guessing you know what I mean.)

There’s less pressure to get a boob job. Lolz.

You don’t have to wear another piece of DownEast clothing ever again!

You don’t have to tell an old man about your masturbation habits.

… or any of your sexual/life habits.

You can love and appreciate science more.

You can finally make all those temple jokes you’ve been holding in for years.

You don’t have to force yourself to be friends with people you don’t have a lot in common with just because they’re in your ward.

You can make new, close friends anywhere, regardless of their beliefs. Many Mormons can do this, but there’s definitely something tribal in Mormonism that makes it happen less often.

You’ll probably judge other people a lot less. (You don’t have to worry about where the “righteous judgement” vs “judgment” line is, yay!)

You can complain sometimes without feeling guilty.

You can replace daily scripture study with meditation and feel amazing.

You can read WAY more inspirational and uplifting books than the scriptures. Here are some of our recommendations!

You can watch and love Ellen AND approve of her lifestyle!

You might care about animals a lot more. (I did.)

You can go artwork shopping for cooler artwork to replace your temple/Joseph Smith/prophet pictures. THIS WILL REALLY IMPROVE YOUR HOME’S AESTHETIC, GUYS.

You can become rich by selling your signs and your tokens.

You can finally stop veiling your wife’s face during family prayer.

You can laugh at the two comments above.

You can wear tight shirts without worrying that the birds on your nipples will show through.

You can stop outsourcing your charity to God, and be more motivated to help people.

You might want to stop filling your body with crap like cookies and Kool-aid and focus on eating a healthy diet that’ll help you to live a longer, happier life. (Because you’re not itching to die and get to the celestial kingdom anymore, you feel me?)

You don’t have to have more kids because you feel obliged to!

You can start having kids whenever you damn well feel like it, and not a year after your wedding once the religious guilt that you interpret as revelation starts creeping in. (I’m really happy about this one.)

You can invite whoever you want to your wedding without them needing a special ticket to get in!

You can decide for yourself what your priorities are, and follow your own moral compass, not the moral compass of out-of-touch old men.

Zina Jacobs-Smith-Young

The Koan of Being: Who Am I?

The Mormon Fear of Loud Laughter (and Good Sex)

Spirituality after Mormonism