Patterns of religious doubt, disbelief, and disaffiliation can be as diverse and interesting as patterns of religious inquiry, faith, and conversion. Both patterns can be temporary, decades-long, or lifelong. Both involve the mind, the spirit, and the emotions. Drawing on decades of research in Mormon / LDS / RLDS documents, this paper discusses patterns of doubt and resolution involving devout believers in the Restoration claims and teachings of Joseph Smith Jr. and his successors (as variously defined). The paper then compares those findings with scholarly studies of patterns of doubt and resolution among Christians generally. As time allows, audience members will be invited to comment, from their own experiences and observations, on the accuracy or applicability of my personal findings and those separate findings by Christian scholars.

D. Michael Quinn