The rocker opened up about his “complicated” relationship with religion..

For much of Dan Reynolds’ life, religion was a cornerstone.

The Imagine Dragons rocker grew up in a “really conservative” Mormon household, attended Brigham Young University, and even went on a two-year Mormon mission in Omaha, Nebraska.

However, in his early 20s, things began to shift for Reynolds. Now at 36, it’s been several years since he last practiced Mormonism.

In this week’s issue of PEOPLE, the musician opens up about his complicated relationship with religion and how he has navigated leaving the church while his family remains active members.

“There are parts of the Mormon religion that I feel are harmful, especially for our gay youth,” says Reynolds, who founded the LOVELOUD Foundation in 2017 to support the young LGBTQ+ community. “At times, I feel pretty isolated from my family, but I also love them and remain close to them. There’s no animosity; I’m just on a different path. I have to love myself enough to follow my truth.”

The “Eyes Closed” singer says he “always struggled” with religion, growing up the seventh of nine children to parents Ronald and Christene.

Reynolds admits he spent his 20s and early 30s “really angry” at religion because he felt deceived.

“I saw a lot of harm that came from it for me personally, but it worked incredibly well for my family, who are healthy and happy individuals,” he shares. “As I’ve gotten older, I’m not angry anymore. If something works for someone, that’s wonderful and rare. I don’t want to disrupt that.”

Reynolds has chosen not to raise his four children with ex-wife Aja Volkman (daughters Arrow, 11, Gia and Coco, 7, and son Valentine, 4) in the church.

“My greatest goal every day is to not manipulate my kids. I don’t want to tell them what their spiritual path should be,” he explains. “I share my thoughts and try to protect and care for them, while making sure they have the freedom and agency to choose their own paths.”

Reynolds is currently gearing up for the July 30 kickoff of Imagine Dragons’ Loom World Tour, set to be their largest North American headlining tour since they started in 2008.

“I think this will be our best record to play live. It has a lot of tempo and emotions,” he says. “We’re already rehearsing for this tour, and I know it’s going to be a party and also cathartic. It will be sad in the right ways, heavy in the right ways, and happy in the right ways. It’s going to be a really fun record to tour.”