On Tuesday, February 10, 2015, it was announced that outspoken Mormon Stories podcaster and self-described progressive activist John Dehlin lost his membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for reasons of apostasy. Based on documented statements made by Mr. Dehlin, he long ago ceased to believe in the basic tenets of the faith, and according to his local leaders, he has acted to deliberately draw others after him in his disbelief.

“This is an unfortunate but understandable outcome, once the circumstances of the case and the purposes of excommunication within Mormonism are understood,” stated Scott Gordon, co-founder of MormonVoices, an organization that seeks to assist the media in reporting on Mormon-related topics. “John’s religious leaders have worked with him for a long time to help him find a place in the Mormon community, but John has turned his own departure from the faith into a socio-political issue, and himself into a self-made martyr.”

“This is a manipulated and deliberate result” added John Lynch, co-founder with Gordon of MormonVoices. “Mr. Dehlin claims that the Church is driving him out because of his positions on LGBT or gender issues, but that is a false narrative. His leaders worked very closely with Mr. Dehlin since 2006, trying to draw him back into the fold. For nearly a decade, John has cycled in and out of wanting to be accepted by a faith in which he no longer believes. He has now chosen to actively fight against it. As a vocal critic within the Church who publicly used his membership as a platform to draw others into disbelief, it is only inevitable that his lost membership now reflects his lost faith”

Gordon concluded: “John’s public activities show that his actions were deliberate and calculated to create an impression of political retribution against an activist. In reality, Dehlin’s choices forced his local leaders to take steps to protect their adherents from one who not only ceased to believe, but who actively sought to have others embrace his disbelief.”

MormonVoices has compiled a summary of the circumstances and events leading up to the excommunication of John Dehlin. It can be found at MormonVoices.org.

MormonVoices is supportive of, but independent from, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints based in Salt Lake City, Utah. MormonVoices is a division of FairMormon, which can be found at www.FairMormon.org.

###