Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds opens up on why he left Mormonism: “I’m on a different path”

nme.com:

Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds has opened up about his departure from Mormonism, and explained that he is now “on a different path” in life.The singer discussed his upbringing in a Mormon household during a new interview with People, and recalled the shift that happened in his early 20s that inspired him to turn his back on the belief system.According to Reynolds, he was raised in a “really conservative” Mormon household and served a two-year Mormon mission in Nebraska.

He later moved away from the way of life, however, in his early 20s.“There’s obviously parts of the Mormon religion that I feel pretty strongly are harmful, especially to our gay youth,” he explained, looking at the reasons why he had a “complicated” relationship with the religion.He also explained that he spent his 20s and early 30s feeling “angry” at the religion, but has now realised that it can work for other people, even if it doesn’t work for him. “[I] saw a lot of the harm that came from it for me personally, but it also seemed to work incredibly well for my family, and they’re all healthy, happy individuals,” he said.“As I’ve gotten older, I’m not angry about it anymore.

If something works for someone, that’s really wonderful and rare, and I don’t want to mess with it.”Now aged 36, he has not been a practising Mormon for several years, but his family remains a part of the church.

In 2017, he founded the LOVELOUD Foundation in support of the young LGBTQ+ community.“At times I feel pretty isolated from my family, but I also love them and am close to them and see them, and there’s no animosity there.