Does every senior media editor spend the day firing off Slack missives calling for fresh stories on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? It appears journalists chase clicks by publishing salacious stories about reality television shows featuring church members, prominent celebrities who’ve left the faith, and self-labeled exmo (former “Mormon”) influencers with often complex relationships with the church.
Increasingly, their audiences are invited to believe that all Latter-day Saint meetinghouses must be nearly empty, as most members have followed their favorite young influencers out the chapel doors.
This narrative, often flavored with deeply disrespectful descriptions of the faith’s sacred religious traditions, might deliver stellar website stats and ad rates for the platforms which publish these pieces, but it’s not rooted in reality.
For the last 14 months, my wife and I have been assisting with a unique congregation of the church that was created specifically to serve young single adults ages 18 to 35 who live in Winchester, Virginia, and surrounding areas. Rather than a “peace-out” parade led by former members, we’ve witnessed something far different.
On any given Sunday, while the internet is breaking with the latest influencer post or legacy media piece about the church, members of our congregation are arriving early for leadership meetings. I serve as the branch president — similar to a pastor, preacher or bishop — and there are two other older married couples who support the congregation. But 19 of the 22 current leadership positions and all other assignments are held by young single members.
After these meetings, which serve as wonderful opportunities to counsel about the spiritual and temporal needs of our members, leaders have 30 minutes before church begins to greet members, socialize and connect.
They don’t disappear into the parking lot to scroll social media, and they don’t crowd into corners to complain about doctrine, local leaders or having too many “rules” — a hot topic among influencers.
When our worship services begin at noon, our membership reflects the diversity of a global faith. The bread and water of the holy sacrament are blessed and passed to congregants by humble Hispanic, Black, and white members.
Are young people fleeing the faith?
Our membership has grown since our congregation was formed in July of 2024. We’ve seen more people enter the waters of baptism than our neighboring traditional congregations geared to families. That’s not a flex, as our young members might say, it’s an inspiring piece of evidence that when friends visit, they find something special. Young people are thirsty for more than online content, and they cherish the chance to worship together with others in the same season of life.
What do these converts look like?
They’re men and women, college students, college grads and some still making decisions about their futures. They work in trades and transportation. They’re nurses, office managers, architects, aspiring artists and writers, IT professionals and entrepreneurs.
Yes, some members have left us, but not because they’re impacted by a content creator. Along with 80,000 other young church members, a number of ours are serving volunteer missions for 18 to 24 months. They’re not scattered around the globe conjuring up controversies in videos they’re making for YouTube. No, they’re making a difference in places including Australia, California, France, Illinois, Japan, the Philippines, Spain and Thailand.
They’re not building a personal brand or monetizing their message. They’re serving a higher, better message, while unconditionally loving and serving God’s children.
As some popular influencers discuss leaving the faith, I witness many returning. Once a month in the church, members may choose to share their testimonies of Jesus Christ in front of the entire congregation.
Almost every meeting features at least one member standing humbly at the pulpit and sharing a journey of wandering from the faith, wrestling with tough questions, and returning. They’re incredibly honest about their fears, frailties, habits and hopes. These are always among the most powerful, inspiring moments of our services.
When meetings end, members don’t jostle through the doors like Buc-ee’s fans on a Saturday. Instead they stay and share a snack. They laugh, make plans, talk about their shared struggles and care for one another.
Remarkably, this doesn’t end on Sundays.
On Monday nights, many of our members return for a fun activity planned by their peers.
On Tuesday nights, they’re back again for a one-hour Institute of Religion class. Students are encouraged to ask meaningful questions that often invite deep discussions that stir the soul.
And when events aren’t scheduled?
Members are frequently ministering to one another in casual settings. Our congregation uses WhatsApp, and there are groups for carpool needs, local service opportunities and more.
Naturally, members are also encouraged to pray and ponder daily for opportunities to serve one another in personal ways. See someone around town looking down? Give them some love. Miss someone on Sunday? Send them a text during the week, and make sure they know they were missed.
Does this sound like an exodus from the faith?
Obviously, influencers creating this kind of content have a right to express opinions. As they respectfully share their concerns and experiences, they deserve to be seen, heard and loved. But they represent only themselves, not their peers, and certainly not a worldwide religion.
What about traditional media? Those who report on the church broadly, or specifically on these influencers, have a responsibility to paint a more complete picture, and to treat the church’s sacred traditions and customs with the same respect typically extended to other religions.
Yes, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is wrestling with many of the same issues as other religions, and better serving young people is a priority for faith leaders everywhere. But suggesting that today’s “exmo” content creators are representative of all young Latter-day Saints might be tantalizing, but it’s not the truth.
These influencers might be leaving a religious movement, but they’re not leading one.