An article in the Deseret News written by Hanna Seariac headlines with…
A new Gallup survey measuring church attendance shows that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have the highest rate of church attendance among religious groups.
Two-thirds of Latter-day Saints attend church weekly or nearly weekly.
This rate has stayed mostly steady over time. In 2000 to 2003, 68% of Latter-day Saints reported regular church attendance. There was a spike to 75% in 2011 to 2013 and data from 2021 to 2023 puts the rate at 67%.
But the survey probably relies on participants self-identifying as Mormon. Among that group, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a high activity rate. But that groups is also much smaller than what the church counts as being on its membership rolls.
I haven’t attended in over 10 years. If I had been contacted in the survey and asked my religion, I would have answered none. So while the Chirch may consider me a member, I would t have been included as one in the survey, and my inactivity would have not been counted.
Ask anyone who’s ever been a ward clerk (or assistant to the clerk, as I once was), and they’d confirm that there isn’t even anything close to 50% attendance.
What does it matter? It’s like watching the walking dead Sundays at the revenue centers. Virtually everyone hates being there, but are so brainwashed they do it anyway.
- Doc
Hugh Nibley claimed he bumped into Adolf Hitler, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Gertrude Stein, and the Grand Duke Vladimir Romanoff. Dishonesty is baked into Mormonism.
I haven’t attended in over 10 years. If I had been contacted in the survey and asked my religion, I would have answered none. So while the Chirch may consider me a member, I would t have been included as one in the survey, and my inactivity would have not been counted.
This was exactly what I was thinking. I've known countless life-long Catholics/Episcopalians/Methodists/Baptists that label themselves as such but haven't entered a building in ages. I've not met many LDS that would say the same. Some might claim a cultural bond with Mormonism, but if I asked what religion they identified as I'd be hard pressed to find some that would actually claim it in that capacity.
He/Him
“If you consider what are called the virtues in mankind, you will find their growth is assisted by education and cultivation.”
― Xenophon
Simple math will tell you that this percentage is not based on the membership numbers the church reports.
Church claims 17,000,000 members.
Church says there are about 24,000 wards.
17,000,000 divided by 24,000 = 708 members per ward.
708 x 67% = 481 members in the pews each week.
My guess that even a very active ward has at best 2-300 members attending and most not even that much.
If you were to ask Marco Rubio his religion, he’d say Catholic (but might try to play up a Mormon past if campaigning for Utah voters). He wouldn’t have been counted in this survey as an inactive Mormon.
I'm curious if he is related to Rulon and Clayne Pope, from the BYU Econ Department. I have fond memories of them and my time there. I especially enjoyed Professor Kearl, one of the best teachers I've had.
No need for surveys or guesses. The folks at HQ know exactly how many members are in church every week. All they need to do is share with the rest of us. (Like many other churches do)
