Ex-Mormon, also written as exmormon or exmo, generally refers to those persons who have voluntarily chosen to leaven the Mormon Church because they disagreed either with its teachings, or with the practices of the Church. While technically anyone who has left Mormonism may be termed anEx-Mormon , the term is usually reserved for those who, after leaving, oppose Mormonism. Ex-Mormons do not constitute a single group and are only defined by what they oppose: the Mormon Church,Mormon beliefs, and its members. Some ex-Mormons join other churches, such as Evangelical Christian or Catholic, and some become agnostic or secular humanist. Their only common factor is opposition and hostility to Mormonism. As such, they can be classified as Anti-Mormon.
Because Mormonism is distinct subculture with its own traditions and even vocabulary, transition out of Mormonism can represent a very real culture shock. A similar problem confronts those converting to Mormonism. Ex-Mormons feel that this means Mormonism is a cult, but really it only shows that Mormonism has a unique culture that separates it in some aspects from the broader American culture. Also, sinceMormonism is very family oriented , transition from the Mormon Church can also mean a painful break with family. The emphasis Mormons place on cooperation means that they frequently work together communally to help one another. In modern American culture, which is highly individualistic, such communal cooperation is viewed negatively. Among Ex-Mormon, such cooperation is portrayed as “group think,” whereas for Mormons it represents fulfilling Jesus’ admonition to serve one another.
Many ex-Mormons feel that faithful members must be brainwashed or easily duped to continue being Mormons. In chat rooms and in ex-Mormon literature, Mormons are invariably portrayed as incapable of free-thought. This is obviously untrue as the many examples of faithful Mormons in every conceivable field at various universities, businesses, and governments throughout the world show. The truth is that ex-Mormons, having rejected as foolish what they once believed, must find someone to blame and so they inveigh the Mormon Church and its members for supposedly tricking them. Ex-Mormons do this to preserve their own sense of pride and to find an excuse for their behavior.