Losing members???
If you’re referring to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the growthrate has only ever “Lost Members” in 1839, and again for one small period in the 1850’s. Other than that of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Church has continued in growth. For 150 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_membership_history
Losing members???
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Faster than you can imagine. According to an acquaintance (we have some mutual friends) who worked in the name removal office, they had a hard time keeping up and that office was the fastest growing.
when I left in the early 1990’s the rumor was about 1200 name removal requests, as of 2001 or so the number was about 40,000. But since the LDS does not release official numbers, it is difficult to pinpoint the loss.
They do admit to a ZERO percent growth rate which means that those leaving every year are close to the number of converts plus children born in the faith.
Add to that that many people don’t even bother with the name removal process. When I was in grad school I knew 14 other former Mormons and I was the ONLY one who went through the name removal process. Only one was ex-communicated (before name removal was allowed). The other 12 just simply quit going. The LDS church does not ex-communicate for non attendance so those 12 were still counted as members of the LDS church and will be until 110 YEARS (!) after their birth date. Someone born in 1970 who leaves the church as a teenager but doesn’t go through the name removal process (which can be a hassle), will be counted as a member of the LDS church until the year 2080 regardless of when they died, if no ‘temple work’ is done for them post-mortem.
All of this shows that, contrary to what the LDS ‘party line’ is they are not the ‘fasted growing church’ NOR do they have 14million members who are ‘active’. The actual number is MUCH lower and thus LDS,inc. has gone on the defensive in order to keep membership.
>>Losing members???<<
If that’s the way you want to see it.
Personally, I’m seeing the handwriting on the wall. I’m seeing people being watched and arrested for their conservative beliefs. You may not like the LDS but they are conservative.
If they can arrest 9 guys for believing in Revelations, prepping for the oncoming storm and playing soldier in the woods here in MI, any one of us conservatives could be next. (I have yet to find any proof that those guys are guilty of sedition)
I’m building my own walls and I’m not LDS.