DiscussMormonism.com

Even in Utah, Land of ‘Big Love,’ Families Are Getting Smaller

Interesting article in the NYT on how the birth rates in Utah, even among Mormon families, are dropping quickly.

But Utah is now experiencing the biggest fertility rate drop in its modern history. After a peak in 2007, Utah’s rate has plummeted by more than 37 percent, the largest decline of any state in the country. Utah, which was No. 1 in the nation for fertility rates for years, is now ranked sixth.

Also interesting was this link in the article to an extensive BYU poll on religious retention, which notes that Mormon women now show

a striking generational difference for women, with younger women much less likely to continue identifying as Latter-day Saint than women of older generations. In contrast, men are nearly just as likely to stay in the faith no matter what generation they were born into.

There is a lot to digest in both the article and the poll.

Enjoy.

At 42%, Latter-day Saints have the highest percentage of retention (i.e., continuing to identify as a Latter-day Saint as an adult) and monthly attendance of any religion. This is followed by Muslims at 38%, then Nondenominational at 28%. For Jews, who are the third highest in overall retention, only 18% of respondents are retained and attend monthly.

Essentially, it is a minority of Latter-day Saints who do not attend at least monthly and still identify as Latter-day Saint (12%).

This is an important aspect of Mormonism being a very “high demand” religion. Meaning the demand is high on members to be active participants and make Mormonism the core of their personal identity. Unlike Catholicism, you cannot just be a silent non participating member in the back pews.

That kind of demanding religion is a double edged sword. It fosters a very tight social framework, but it also means the second you step away from the norms, you’re essentially ostracized from that social group.

I’m surprised even 12 percent of self identifying but non-participating Mormons is as high as it is.

Also because of such high demands, if a husband or wife has any doubts about Mormonism, they’re basically in a mixed faith marriage. Not conducive to having children at all.

One of the factors highlighted in the article that I found noteworthy is that part of the reason that women in Utah are foregoing having children is because they experienced being raised by parents who were too young and not ready to have children. Something Mormonism irresponsibly encourages. They’ve even turned the missionary programme into a dating programme designed to have young people married and having children as soon as as they leave the mission field.

Utah is a leading example of a demographic transformation that is sweeping the United States and other rich countries, as young women increasingly delay childbearing. As the trend deepens, the worry is that more women would forgo having children altogether, a choice that could have serious consequences for the country, economically and politically. For the first time, about half of all 30-year-old women are childless.

Adriana Guzman-Sierra, of Salt Lake City, is one. Her childhood, she said, was chaotic and stressful, with parents who she says were not ready to raise kids.

If the gender imbalance goes too far toward men, will the church start adopting polyandry?