Leaving the Saints

Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith by Martha N. Beck
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting book, especially if you want to know more about the LDS religion.  Martha Beck shared a lot, confirmed a lot and denied a lot of what I know about Mormons.


I have spent significant amount of time in Provo, Utah were the majority of the book takes place.  Beck talks about the 'niceness' of the Mormons (true), the male domination (true), the censorship (I will take her word for it, with a grain of salt) and the undermining of the amount of abuse in Mormon families.  This is a subject that I have heard many debates while spending time in Utah.  The most prevalent is that the Bishops in the church refuse to deal with the issue--and that too often the kids are blamed for their sexuality.  Seriously.


The book is well written, and Beck's sense of humor had me chuckle out loud in several places.  She does get a fantastic in her descriptions and needs at points which left me skimming parts.  And, I am not sure I believe her story about the abuse she suffered.  I just do not know, and was not convinced in the book.  I read other information through a google search that did not confirm her story.  She does explain the victim, survivor side of the abuse, so maybe it is her life.  I just have been around too many 'false memory' people to believe.  Whether or not Beck was abused, she brings to light a real and horrible issue.


This is on the recommend list.