Please join us for an evening with Jeff Strong discussing his research and new book, Torn: Why People We Love Are Leaving The Church And What We Can Learn From Them. This powerful and timely topic opens up some really important conversations about belonging, and what we can do to affect the culture in our wards, and with our loved ones.

Why is Jeff’s research valuable and what can it teach us?

Research suggests that roughly 40% of formerly active, faithful members have stepped away from the Church in the last twenty-five years—and the pace is accelerating. Jeff Strong is asking why. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, he’s found that, again and again, disaffiliation is rooted in unmet spiritual needs, strained trust, and experiences of exclusion or spiritual starvation. This book is unflinchingly honest—and genuinely hopeful, because if culture is part of the problem, there’s also something all of us can do to help. Jeff really challenges the assumption that people leave casually. His data shows that, on average, most people wrestle for nearly a decade before stepping away. These are sincere, often private, and deeply painful journeys that deserve to be understood with care. Jeff says that what we need are not more gatekeepers, but more gardeners. He suggests our role is not to monitor who’s in or out—or how “in” or “out” anyone is—but to tend the kind of soil where faith can grow: in our homes, our wards, and our relationships. Join us for an evening of discussing some practical, grounded ways that we can cultivate something more nourishing — a more Christ-centered culture where more people can have a sense of belonging and flourishing.

If you haven't heard of the book yet, Jeff has been on quite a few podcasts lately discussing it. We’ve linked a couple of the best conversations below; we highly recommend you check them out before the event:

Podcasts featuring Jeff Strong

Faith Matters: Torn: A Conversation About Who We're Losing and Why, with Jeff Strong

Listen, Learn & Love: Jeff Strong and his new book Torn

Keystone: New Data reveals how LDS culture is HURTING faith (shortest and most viewed)

The most popular Instagram reels featuring Jeff Strong’s interviews:

There has to be more than one way to be a Latter-day Saint

Misconceptions many members have

Three of my children left, but they are not lost to God

How can we make the church a place for more different kinds of people?