The best way to leave the cult
This is my experience: This is the best way to leave the cult when other family members are active PIMIs. First, you should expect the rest of the family to become radicalized immediately. I’ve always observed this—after all, I was an ultra-active original PIMI for 30 years. For 25 of those years, I was an elder. Whenever someone left, the family wanted to fill the void. This led them to become more radical. Shortly thereafter, “regression to the mean” set in. Fortunately, this radical phase didn’t last long. That’s exactly what happened in my family. Two family members viewed me as a threat. During this time, it’s extremely important to criticize as little as possible and under no circumstances attack the Bible. My recommendation is definitely this: Start by gently stepping back—stop attending meetings, but don’t write letters to the elders asking to be disfellowshipped. Let your family get used to this situation. Don’t cause any arguments! Once everyone realizes that you’re continuing to live a normal life and are doing well, you can officially leave if you feel it’s the right thing to do. If your PIMI family has maintained normal relations with you for one or two years, they won’t cut off contact with you just because of an announcement.