Intro to Mormon Exodus.

150 people gathered in Salt Lake City, home city to the Mormon church, to announce their break with the church on Sunday. Utah resident Alison Lucas said “this feels awesome, I don’t know if I would have had the courage except in a group.” The Latter-day Saints are known for their strict conformity in its membership, and the religion rarely sees public displays of individualism. The group signed a “Declaration of Independence From Mormonism” and cited the church’s strict stance against gay marriage as a cause for the demonstration. The views the church holds that they said were racially or sexually prejudiced were other reasons for their discouragement with the church. The Mormon church has claimed to have some 14.4 million members around the world.