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Post-Mormonism: Rebuilding your Worldview

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By Mason


You were living in a bubble.

Your entire community was Mormon. Your parents were Mormon. Your siblings were Mormon. Good chance, most of your friends were Mormon. Most of the social ties you had in your life were Mormon. You were in a Mormon bubble.

Waking up one day and deciding to pop that bubble is absolutely terrifying. You are threatening almost every aspect of your life. Your mind was probably racing with doubts.  

There are people who wake up dreading the moment they have to tell their spouse they don't believe Joseph Smith was a prophet, because they know it might lead to a divorce. There are people who get outcast from their entire group of friends. People who are no longer invited to family functions. Nothing else in their life has changed, except for the fact that they don't believe in the church. And the worst part? You dont know if you're going to be one of those people until you do it.

But its not just social ties that might be damaged. Your entire worldview could shatter.

The way you think about the world around you, and even the way you approach major life decisions. You are taking away the entire mental model you built of the world are faced with the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding it from the ground up.

That is terrifying, and it takes a tremendous amount of bravery.

But lets say you take that step. Lets say that the voice of personal integrity triumphs and you boldly burst free and enter a new world. Where do you start in rebuilding yourself? 

I personally recommend reading Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe (affiliate link) But, fair warning, this book ties a lot of its ideas into Humanism. However, you don’t have to call yourself a humanist to gain some value from it. It’s for anyone trying to understand how an atheist worldview can still be thoughtful, grounded, and moral. It helped me reconnect with the parts of myself that still cared about truth, purpose, and people, without needing to adhere to religious belief.


Here’s some of what the book covers, though the list is not exhaustive:

1. What is Humanism?
Epstein lays it out clearly. Humanism is about living a good life based on reason, empathy, and responsibility to others. Even if you don’t fully adopt the label, the label can still help you think through the big questions.

2. Morality Without God
One of the hardest parts of leaving religion is figuring out where your values come from now. Epstein explains how we can build ethics from empathy and shared human experience, not from authority. 


3. Building Meaning and Purpose
When you’ve been told your worth depends on a divine plan, it’s hard to find meaning outside of that. Through relationships, work, curiosity, and doing good in your community, you can build a life that matters.

4. Community Without Church
Losing your ward and your religious community can leave you feeling isolated. Epstein talks about building connection without religion. That might look different from what you had before, but it’s still possible. People gather around shared values, even outside church walls. 

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Walking away is hard, terrifying even. But I promise you that it can be an absolutely wonderful new beginning.

- Mason

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Looking for reading suggestions?

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