10 Mormon Memes from r/exmormon Explained
Growing up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a truly unique experience. The church fosters a distinct culture, complete with its own customs, lingo, and inside jokes that might leave outsiders scratching their heads. But for those who’ve lived it, this culture also provides endless meme material.
Just like the Book of Mormon musical found humor in the quirks of the church, r/exmormon is full of memes that hit especially hard for current and former members.
“The Social Norms of their Day”
Many of the earliest leaders of the LDS church are criticized for their racism, polygamy, misogyny, or other harmful behaviors. A common defense by church apologists is that these men were “products of their time” and should not be held accountable by today’s standards.
This meme points out the irony in the fact that modern church members are expected to follow guidelines (such as the Law of Chastity which forbids sexual relationships outside of marriage) that are against social norms of our day.
Polygamy of Plaque Control?
This meme combines multiple facets of Utah and Mormon culture. For some reason, Utah has developed its own style of family portraits–usually taken outside with all the women striking matching poses and the men just kinda standing there.
The fact that Mormons also tend to have large families makes these photos even more similar to a staff photo. So when you have a dental office with one male doctor and a dozen female hygienists, the resemblance to a polygamist family photo becomes almost uncanny.
Limited Edition Commandments
In Mormonism, members who follow some rules but ignore others are often judged harshly. It’s an all-or-nothing faith—either you’re fully committed, or you’re not making it to heaven. This meme highlights the irony of members being expected to follow every rule while the church itself has changed its doctrine over time. Many beliefs once taught as essential doctrine have since been disavowed or quietly brushed aside.
The Mysteries of God
In a desire to isolate and control its members and to prevent any of the “religious persecution” resulting from their practice of polygamy, Mormon leadership under Brigham Young led the church to the desolate valleys of Utah. In 1890, 43 years after their arrival, the US government threatened to seize the church’s assets if they continued practicing polygamy.
Fortunately, the US government successfully bullied God into “revealing” a change of doctrine to church leadership just in time for them to keep their assets.
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This billboard mockup blends several references into one. First, it nods to Geico ads, known for their promises of quick and easy savings by switching insurance. The second reference is to tithing in the LDS Church, where members must pay 10% of their income to participate in key church services.
These are humorously combined into an ad for QuitMormon.com, a free service created by Exmormon lawyers that automates the process of sending a legal request to have one’s church membership removed (yes, you may need a lawyer’s help for the church to honor your request).
A Punishment or a Test?
This meme highlights the irony in how church members interpret hardships. When a hardship happens to someone viewed as sinful, it’s seen as punishment for their sins. But when the same hardship happens to someone considered righteous, it’s framed as a test to strengthen their faith.
Joint in Faith
The church imposes strict rules on its members, which often leads those who struggle with the weight of these restrictions to secretly break them. Discovering that others are quietly bending the same rules can create a web of awkward relationships, where interactions are shaped by a mutual fear of being exposed or a bond formed by shared secrecy.
Infidelity x 40 = Joseph Smith
This meme uses the classic format of a man checking out another woman while with his girlfriend but repeats the process with each of Joseph Smith’s wives. Known to have married up to 40 women, the meme reflects the excessive number of Smith’s marriages through its continuous repetition.
“I Know You Will Be Blessed”
LDS missionaries are given a strict list of topics they need to discuss with prospective members before their baptism. These topics focus on the easy-to-swallow aspects of the church and paint it in a light that doesn’t honestly reflect the whole truth. Most converts only learn about some of the uglier parts of the religion like its past polygamy or racist policies far after they’ve committed themselves through baptism.
The Army of God
Within the church, missionaries are referred to as the “army of God.” They are frequently seen as the best the church has to offer and saintly in every way. This meme contrasts that image with what they truly are for most people–a nuisance. That being true, they’re usually just teenagers that were socially manipulated into assuming a role that they wouldn’t have otherwise, so don’t be too hard on them.
The Day of the Lord is Upon Us… Any Minute Now…
This meme pokes fun at the fact that the Second Coming has been prophesied to be right around the corner literally ever since the First Coming. It’s been nearly 2,000 years, so maybe Jesus feels awkward about showing up too late.
