Click to Donate to Newt Gingrich
Posted on 02/03/2012 7:30:52 AM PST by C19fan
The ascendancy of Mormonism as a world religion once seemed inevitable. The year was 1984, and sociologist named Rodney Stark made a startling projection: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would grow to 267 million members by 2080.
.....................................................
But new data suggests that Mormonism may no longer be (as it is often described) among the fastest growing faiths in the United States. Instead, American Mormons appear to be settling into the twenty-first century as a maturing minority having an increasingly hard time holding onto younger members.
(Excerpt) Read more at religiondispatches.org ...
Duh, only the gospel of grace can truely attrack and hold people (aka the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Bible)! J.S.
ping
Thank God this bizarre cult is on the decline.
Last numbers I read about, where 13 million world wide with only 5 million active members, a majority of those in the US.
As the internet continues to expose mormonISM with information, people will leave this cult.
The one true Catholic Church keeps growing, century after century, regardless of how many mistakes her fallible leaders make, no matter how much effort and energy Hitler, the Soviets, the godless dictators in France and Mexico and elsewhere, and the Henry VIII the butcher of England have expended trying to kill her off, Christ’s Bride, the Church, continues to thrive because despite her many flaws, she has preserved and shared and propagated Christ’s gospel and true Christian doctrine infallibly!
Amen.
Viva Cristo Rey!
AMDG
This why the mormon church is for illegal immigration. The hispanics can be duped and they have a ton of children...
Mormons should be careful about what they hope for. Mitt Romney getting the Republican nomination will result in the nation getting a crash course in Mormonism. Unlike the propaganda coming from SLC, this will be the unvarnished truth of Mormonism which is not pretty. I think that the PR crises will come so quickly that the “church” won’t be able to respond to one before the next one hits like waves and waves from a tsunami.
Interesting. I had been wondering about that. Probably less convincement on the part of the young when they go out on their conversion missions. And the news from Salt Lake City often seems to be rather negative. Plus you’ve got guys like Dingy Harry showing that Mormons don’t seem to care who they vote for. They used to have a reputation for being honest political conservatives.
I don’t know how many people see through someone like Mitt, but I don’t think he has been helpful to the cause. The media pretend to defend his Mormonism, but in reality they are setting it up for questioning.
Less than 2% of the population, about the same as homosexuals.
Google: What businesses does the LDS own.
Do we continue to patronize them? Check it out.
How well are Christian religions holding on to their youth? What are their stats?
The Barna Foundation reports that 85% of children from **highly** active evangelical homes who attend our nation's godless government schools are not active in their faith 2 years after graduation. Homeschooling evangelical children are just the opposite. Of homeschoolers 95% of evangelical children will be active in their faith 2 years after graduating.
Without know how well other religions are doing in retaining their youth, the statement about Mormons and their youth is meaningless. It is possible that in comparison to Christian and Jewish faiths, they may actually be doing fairly well in keep their children committed to the faith of their fathers.
” I think that the PR crises will come so quickly that the “church” won’t be able to respond to one before the next one hits like waves and waves from a tsunami.”
The PR campaign started months ago with their “I’m a Mormon” TV ads and billboards. To say that wasn’t a coordinated effort with the Romney crowd would be disingenuous.
You’ll all be relieved to know that in the last year we have had three young adults who are friends of my daughters’ baptized, and they are very active in the church (they were bombarded with anti-mormon, but it just made them stronger in their decision!) Two more will be baptized in the very near future, and they are all very bright, amazing college students (and internet literate!) Two are converts from the Catholic church (as is my husband), one from Pentecostal (as am I), one from atheism, and one from no church. Happy Day!
I have posted this before, but here is some research I did on how the LDS have finessed their membership numbers. Also, if you don’t go through the name removal process (easier now but it used to be quite the problem), then they still count you as a member.
Actual numbers are hard to come by, since the LDS does not release the numbers of those who have left. Additionally, their convert numbers are not necessarily accurate since the report each April, the previous years numbers and by their own admission, convert retention rate past one year is less than 50%.
The 0% growth rate has been confirmed by someone in LDS headquaters, who stated that their only real growth is those born into the church.
There is also some question as to if those whose names are removed are still counted in the numbers, because their records are changed to “non-member” rather than destroyed.
Also, it has been said that “inactives” are not removed from the roles until after they would have been 110, regardless of date of death.
OTOH, Evangelical churches and ministries are reporting a large increase in those who are claiming to leave the LDS for a relationship with Jesus Christ. One Evangelical pastor I know in Utah states his congregation is almost 40% ex-LDS.
Other sites, like ex-mormon.org also show an increase in those leaving.
How the LDS finesses their numbers can be easily seen by how they have historically reported their membership numbers at General Conference.
They used to include number of deaths of members. They no longer do so.
They used to separate converts and BIC baptisms, they do not, which makes me question how many “converts” were actually Born LDS.
They used to have a separate category for the baptisms of “children of record”, that has disappeared. Some have speculated that they are now lumped together with converts.
Regarding the number of stakes/wards, I have read that they reorganize and consolidate stakes and call that a new stake. Also the numbers required for a ward/stake have decreased, so it looks like an increase. They have also closed a few missions (consolidated) but add the new mission to the old number.
The finessing of numbers has made it appear that the church is still growing, but outside sources tell another story, and now they are at least admitting it.
1974 -Statistical Report
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=c57f61cb2b86b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
Church Units
*
Number of Stakes of Zion at the Close of 1974 675
*
Number of Wards 4,756
*
Number of Independent Branches in Stakes 1,195
*
Total Wards and Independent Branches in Stakes at the Close of the Year 5,951
*
Number of Mission Branches at the Close of the Year 1,822
*
Number of Full-time Missions at the End of the Year 113
Church Membership, December 31, 1974
*
In the Stakes 2,960,143
*
In the Missions 425,766
*
Total Membership 3,385,909
Church Growth During 1974
*
Children Blessed in Stakes and Missions 72,717
*
Children of Record Baptized in Stakes and Missions 47,234
*
Converts Baptized in Stakes and Missions 69,018
1985 - Statistical report
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=81edef960417b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
Church Units
*
Number of stakes 1,582
*
Number of districts 352
*
Number of missions 188
*
Number of wards 10,168
*
Number of branches in stakes 2,766
*
Number of branches in missions 2,071
*
Number of sovereign countries with organized wards or branches 95
*
Number of territories, colonies, and possessions with organized wards or branches 20
(These statistics reflect an increase of 75 stakes and 542 wards and branches during 1985.)
Church Membership
*
Total membership at the close of 1985 5,920,000
Church Growth during 1985
*
Increase in children of Record 95,000
*
Children of record baptized 70,000
*
Converts baptized 197,640
1996 - Statistical Report
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=eda6dbdcc370c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
Church units
*
Stakes 2,296
*
Districts 671
*
Missions 309
*
Wards and branches 23,528
These wards and branches are in 140 nations and in 21 territories and possessions.
Church membership
*
Total membership 9,694,549
*
Eight-year-olds baptized during 1996 81,017
*
Converts baptized during 1996 321,385
2007 - Statistical Report
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=4ff1558fcc599110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
Church Units
Stakes 2,790
Missions 348
Districts 618
Wards and Branches 27,827
Church Membership
Total Church Membership 13,193,999
Increase in Children of Record 93,698
Converts Baptized 279,218
I have a friend whose son (LDS) just recived his “Mission Call” it is to Mexico, apparently it is the same mission that several of his friends also got sent to which is VERY VERY unusual, at least it used to be. Of his 8 friends recently ‘called’ 6 have been sent to Mexico (5 including him to the same mission), 1 to Jamaica, and only one to a US mission.
Vendome posted an interesting analysis of why the LDS church is focusing on illiterate nations.
Thanks for that info. I will pray their eyes will be opened and that they will leave Mormonism for a real relationship with Jesus Christ.
FWIW, convert retention rates are less than 50% by the two year mark.
Also, I was bombarded with ‘anti-Mormonism’ before I joined the LDS, and it made me more intent in my resolve to be a good and faithful Mormon.
It took a few years for me to realize that the ‘antis’ were the ones telling the truth, and that the LDS church was the one lying to me.
There is hope for them yet.
In the end the Pope's action encouraged both the English and the French and the Spanish, and finally, even the Italians and Germans to seek control over their own national churches. Schism in Spain was avoided when all the brotherhoods were allowed to provide missionaries to the New World.
It was over such minor issues that Rome lost so much for so long.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.