What works, what doesn't?

[dinner_spoon]

This is a sincere and honest question, seeking factual and evidence-based answers. Which teachings/practices of the church work, and which don't work, with regards to increasing the well-being of people?

I'd like to share why I'm asking, because it will help explain what I'm asking. I grew up constantly receiving guidance from church leaders like "Forget yourself and go to work", "Lose yourself in the work", "The righteous are happy", and "Trust and obey". Always accompanied by promises of happiness, health, safety, peace and prosperity. I gradually developed severe anxiety and depression. This horrific state perpetuated for years because I "knew" how to be happy, I just had to earn it, had to endure the trial of my faith. Suicidal thoughts finally drove me to seek help. Therapy was a paradigm shift, learning and practicing evidence-based strategies for healing and well-being. As I processed my past, seeking to understand and heal, I was shocked by the role the church played -- especially with regards to unhealthy thinking patterns. I eventually opened up with family and friends about my journey and questions. Unfortunately, almost everyone responded by telling me everything was my fault, because church leaders couldn't have possibly made any mistakes. I was terrified they were right. I decided to risk proving them right by looking into public health data. I was shocked to learn how awful mental health is in Utah (and the LDS community specifically), and has been since mental health metrics were first tracked. Utah is anything but "happy valley". In the spirit of wanting to not throw away the good with the bad, I'm asking if anyone knows of verifiable, unbiased metrics that show the church is succeeding in making some lives better. Thanks in advance.

[drumdude]

I’m afraid you’re unlikely to come across a lot of high quality data. It would be extremely expensive to run dozens of double-blind experiments on hundreds of people to try and tease out which aspects of Mormonism are beneficial and which aren’t.

So you’re stuck with observational studies which simply point out areas of correlation. Mormons don’t drink and do drugs, so they are healthier than average, for example.

Daniel Peterson points these correlations out on an almost daily basis at Sic Et Non under his “Christopher Hitchens File.” You can take them for what they’re worth, which is not a whole lot in my opinion.

[yellowstone123]

Thank you for sharing dinner_spoon. My experiences are very similar.

[Gadianton]

Welcome to the forum dinner_spoon.

I think for me, the things that may work okay or even work well in Mormonism for some people work for reasons totally at odds with the reasons Mormons imagine. So it doesn't really matter. Unless you can completely lie to yourself about just about everything or be so completely uninterested in anything in the world that might conflict with your beliefs, then it's going to be tough.

[mcjathan]

The church caters well to individuals who align with traditional values and beliefs, but simply doesn't for those who identify as LGBTQ+, feminists, intellectuals, or skeptics, as well as their loved ones. Yesterday, I attended a large family reunion in Bountiful, Utah, considered the heart of Zion. The event brought together around 100 people, including my 85 year old Mother, siblings, maternal aunts, uncles, cousins, and others. My siblings, cousins, and I are old enough to have grandchildren. It was heartening to see the sense of belonging and fulfillment experienced by the majority of my relatives and their descendants within the church's framework. However, for those who deviate from the stereotypical "Father Knows Best" mold demanded by the church will encounter difficulties fitting in and feel marginalized. In essence, the church's effectiveness depends on how well one conforms to its traditional principles, and those who do not will experience a sense of inadequacy and exclusion.

[huckelberry]

I think drumdude is correct to point out how difficult it would be to put together data. If I use my limited personal experience and awareness of others I can see some tendencies. I think Mormonism can encourage a practical can do attitude. It can encourage the positive abilities people have and teach effort is worthwhile to make abilities grow. On the other hand I have seen it for some people encourage exaggerated power of positive thinking type ideas. I think these at best have limited effectiveness and may be emotionally destructive or painful.I do not know how to make a clear divide between these or to be sure which the church actually teaches the most.Church culture may loom larger here than official teaching.