Mormon church growth statistics
Today the LDS Church issued a press release on membership numbers and trends: Mormon church growth statistics.
There are currently 13 million Mormons, with another million added about every three years. While the National Council of Churches lists the Mormon church as the fourth fastest growing church in the U.S., the Church itself does not make “statistical comparisons with other churches and makes no claim to be the fastest-growing Christian denomination.” (Some critics mistakenly believe that the Church asserts itself to be the fastest growing church.)
The preoccupation with membership statistics comes by scriptural mandate: “And after they had been received unto baptism … their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God” (Moroni 6:4).
Not all Church members are “active,” but the Church does not remove names from its membership records because of inactivity. The baptismal covenant through which persons become Church members is “not [to] be lightly made and is not casually dismissed.” Church growth is fastest in Africa and South America, slower in Northern Europe.
The faithfulness of members is more important than statistics:
“Ultimately, the strength of the Church is really measured by the devotion and commitment of its members,” said Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “The Lord has never given us a mandate to be the biggest Church — in fact, He has said our numbers will be comparatively few — but He has asked that we commit ourselves to living and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Source: Church Growth Statistics
The Church tries to put a positive spin on its latest membership numbers, but, in reality, the Church is growing much slower than it has in the past. Up until about 10 years ago, Church growth was exponential, growing 10x every 40 years. But recently the Church has grown at a more linear rate.
Left by Bruce Morton on 04/24/2007I believe the primary reason is that the number of full time missionaries has been flat during that same period.
Why has it been flat? Three reasons: smaller families, less sister missionaries, and raising the bar.
Church growth was getting slower and slower from 2000 to 2004, then after that, church growth rebounded and is skyrocketing again. Since raising the bar, the missionary pool shrunk slightly, but now that’s also been rebounding for the past two years. Check the Church’s website for yourself.
Please do more better research next time Bruce.
Left by Cody Quirk on 08/25/2007Wouldn’t growth flatten out statistically as membership numbers became greater. In other words, if I had an organization of 30 members and another 30 joined, that would be 100% growth. If there were 300 members and 30 joined, that would only be a 10% growth. Also, many inactive members will in all likelyhood be active again at a later date.
Left by Juan Moore on 12/28/2007Doesn’t baptizing dead people, who never joined your church, falsely inflate membership numbers? Being false is not something a church should rationalize as being acceptable.
Left by Deb on 02/17/2008Deb, Baptisms for the dead do not count towards membership statistics…
Left by Isaac on 02/18/2008