But many of these explanations don’t hold water statistically, based on findings from former members in the Next Mormons Survey (see here for more about the study, and here to order the book, which will be available March 1).
Within orthodox Latter-day Saint circles, there’s a general impression that people who leave the church abandon faith in God altogether, but this isn’t quite accurate, especially outside of Utah.
This means that 86 percent of former Latter-day Saints say they believe in God, though they may have doubts at times or feel God is more like a “higher power” than a personal deity.