MoNomo guide
Keep your records, or remove them?
There is no wrong answer here. There is only your answer, on your timeline.
Why people remove their records
- A clean, official ending. For a lot of people it is closure: the paperwork finally matches the reality.
- Not being counted. Some don't want to stay on the membership rolls the church reports.
- Fewer knocks on the door. Many people find ward outreach drops off afterward, though it isn't always instant.
- A boundary everyone can see. It answers "is this a phase?" without another conversation.
Why people keep them
- Family peace. For some families, resigning lands as a much bigger deal than quietly not going. Protecting those relationships is a real reason.
- Not ready yet. Plenty of people wait months or years. Waiting is a decision too.
- Keeping a door open. Coming back after resigning means being baptized again. Some people want to keep that simpler, just in case.
- It just doesn't matter to them. Not going is enough. The paperwork feels like their system, not yours.
Things people don't expect
- Resigning can start family conversations you weren't planning to have that week. Timing it around holidays, weddings, or a hard season can help.
- Feelings show up even when you're sure. Relief and grief can arrive together.
- Temple weddings needed a recommend either way, so resigning doesn't change whether you can attend one.
Middle paths
- Just stop going, and decide about records later. Or never.
- Tell your ward, in writing, that you don't want visits or calls. Many people do this first.
- Pick a date to revisit the question, say a year out, and give yourself permission not to decide before then.
If you decide to go
QuitMormon handles it for free, with an attorney, and you never sit in an office to explain yourself. The Resigning, explained guide covers the do-it-yourself way too. And once it's done, set your date in You > Edit profile: you get an Ex-versary.
Whatever you pick, someone here picked the same thing and is doing fine.