Stereotypical Mormons are known for their impeccable manners and devotion to traditional Church values. Jon Adams possesses much of the former and very little of the latter. His dedication to principle is matched by his commitment to fairness and truth. After having his faith seemingly secured by religious experiences throughout his teenage years, his demand for evidence began his interest in science and a path toward secularism. He has an impressive knowledge of Mormon history -- the timeline of Joseph Smith’s life, the Church’s long-held view that blacks were spiritually inferior to whites, the belief in the war for heaven. His criticisms of his religion are much-contemplated and factually-based.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints doesn’t generally produce bisexual Democrats. His evolution into an atheist, as he explains, was a liberating experience, allowing him to forgo years of cognitive dissonance. The pain he feels for his worldview shift is not for himself, but for his parents, who have been told by their church community that his atheism is a result of failed parental guidance. While he condemns the ignorance aimed at his family, he wouldn’t want his perspective to change: he finds his atheism to be enriching and empowering.