tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post1598642451602731781..comments2024-03-29T00:47:42.684-06:00Comments on Growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church): 2018 Statistical ReportMatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16030323360917985701noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-90350324495448179872019-04-10T06:19:37.201-06:002019-04-10T06:19:37.201-06:00Interesting. I was told that the number of resigna...Interesting. I was told that the number of resignations was 42,000. Are you aware if that is accurate and, if so, the source? I'm a stake president. I continually hear that the number of resignations is increasing. My casual perspective is that this is not accurate, at least in my stake (Utah). I get a letter whenever a member of my stake removes their name from the records of the church. Out of a stake of nearly 4,000 members, I get 6 to 8 of these letters a year. If you round up to 10 and multiply by the nearly 3,400 stakes that would equal about 34,000. So, the 42,000 number seems reasonable. But, what I'd really be interested in seeing is a graphic of the number of resignations divided by total church membership by year. I'd be interested to see the trend if you are aware of this data. Thank you much for your interesting analysis and work.BHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13793263006539713278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-55734333587106475902019-04-08T23:25:19.798-06:002019-04-08T23:25:19.798-06:00Anyone ccx who has read Charles Murray's work ...Anyone ccx who has read Charles Murray's work on the decline of the white working class knows that many issues seen as African-American problems are just as if not more pronounced among working class whites.<br /><br />This leads me to wonder if the Church is experiencing troubles in working class white areas.<br /><br />My sense is the answer may be yes. The last 2 vaptisms of my mission were children of a member mom who lived with their grandmother and both their dad and granddad were in prison. They were white. That largely working class stake has seen a decrease of 2 units since my mission, and it would be 3 if a YSA ward had not been found. The population in that part of Las Vegas has risen some, but the Spanish spwaking branch is now a ward. Some of the decline may be due to migeation of members out, but there are other issues at pkay and needing to find better ways to reach snd retain people who live in a society ehere thd family gas collapsed and drufs fill the void caused by lost high paying jobs is key.<br /><br />My point is in some ways I think the problem is we have huge outreach po robkens in the US. Most are not unique to Afrixan-Americans but the combination of the Upper West Side types sneering down their noses at th he Church, supported by the East Bench apostates or Troy, Michigan apostates who post on exmormon and related sites, while the underlying culture of Fishtown is fully of behaviors incompatible with Church membership leads to the fact that a high oercentage of US memvers areegacy members. It is telling thst whild most of my branch members over 40 of sny race are converts, under 40 al.ost all the white members are lifelong while all the black members aare converts. There are two exceptions but the rule generally holds.<br /><br /> <br />I have hopes we can turn things around, snd to be fair some of the over 40 white members of the beanch are recent converts, one got endowed just over a week ago for example, And one of our stake service missionaries was baptized only 6 years ago at age 52, her husband joined in Arizona back when he was 30 but was inactive for seceral years before she got baptized, mainly due to unkind things said by ward members when he and his first wife got divorced. <br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07776353426882099610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-41008000566868172732019-04-08T22:56:45.126-06:002019-04-08T22:56:45.126-06:00The obstacles I saw first habd on my mission to ba...The obstacles I saw first habd on my mission to baptizing African Anericans and retaining them in activity included several things.<br /><br />First off objections to going to Church as thd only black people. I knew sone missionaries who objected to Spanish-speaking units because they felt it nade the resultant English-speaking units too close to lilly white. Of course this was mb ainly my French companion who had extrenely racist views towards the Roma.<br /><br />The next big obstacle was the Church's picy if not baptizing peopke in provation and parole. To some African Amerixans mwans the Church joins the governnent in enforcing the injustice system. With my two full brother-in-law and my father-in-law all in prison, tge first two for murder with sentences of natural life the most harsh available in Michigan, and my seminary-going niece thus never going to see her mothers husvand in a regular way, I can understabd this reaction even if I understsnd why the Church has such policies.<br /><br />However the most egregiouscase related to this was when some missionaries were teaching a man, learned that he was on provation, and at least i The view of the ward mission leader at the time dropped the man from their teChinv pool because they cared more about short term credit for vaptisns than long term salvationof people involved. This is also why missionaries in my mission would occasionally baptize people who lived outside their ward boundaries <br /><br />I saw if last Sumner when the Grosse Pointe missionaries baptized a man who didnf live in their area. Considering he is still active 7 or 8 months later in thus case the,story dies not go vad, but only because they poached at least in the branch boundaries while in my mission it was cross boundary poaching.<br /><br />The incident with the man dropped because he was on probation had worse effects. That man's sister who was a member went totally inactive vecause shd was offended and her white hus BBC and who was being fellowshipped close to baptism became lost as well.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07776353426882099610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-78897047719639348112019-04-08T22:42:50.652-06:002019-04-08T22:42:50.652-06:00However it is not in my experience racism of Churc...However it is not in my experience racism of Church members per se, or even normally racially insensitive acts that stand as varriers to baptizing African Americans.<br /><br />Number one issue in Metro Detroit is placement of Church buildings outside the city, where fears of police harassment, some based on reality, some based on 50 year out of date world views and some based on lack of insurance because of the oppresively high rates imposed on coty residents. Combine this with a substandard bus system and seperate city and supurb bus systems that in sone cases mean over a mike walk from t hff e nearest bus stop to tge Church building on Sunday, and dont get me started on Livonia, Bloomfield Hills and some other places opting ouf of the bus system. Livonia is racism pure and simpke while Bloomfield Hills is the actions of arrogant millionaries who also refuse a city library and complain at ouf of city card fees from their neighbors. This keabs that on paper ine cannof get to the Detroit Temple by bus even though it is on the largest and busiest non-freeway road in the metro area. In reality it is close enough to Bloomfield Township and Birmingham that I have gotten there by bus, but expecting women in high heals ans Sunday best to make the journey from bys stop to temple is a bit much. I think one time I got the bus to make a stop right across from the temple in defiance if regulations, they should not hav ed stopped for another 2 abd a half miles, but most times I made the 0.25 plus mile walk from the bus stop.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07776353426882099610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-68151612721131379112019-04-08T22:31:29.463-06:002019-04-08T22:31:29.463-06:00While a large percentage of Amerixan converts to I...While a large percentage of Amerixan converts to Islam are African-Americans tge number of African-American Muslims is not super high but my studies indicate that especially aming active African-American converts many were part of Iskam just befire baptism as was Elder Johnson.<br /><br />This may in part reflect that African-American Christiabs hace derp connections to existing Churches in a way that makez it hard to convert them.<br /><br />African Anericans have in geberal a higher Church attendance rate than Euro-Americans. Tge extreme example of what this looks like is Detroit where there are churches which literally operate in spaces where everything else has been leveled in an over 2 block radius and the blocks are very short. It is amazing not just jow many congrwgations of the Missionary Baptist Church and the Pentecostal Church of God in Christ exist in Detroit, nut how many places 3 congregations of these Churches can be found in less than 2 blocks.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07776353426882099610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-72517809154625858632019-04-08T22:24:27.676-06:002019-04-08T22:24:27.676-06:00In my experience African-Americans not only join t...In my experience African-Americans not only join the Church at lower rates but convert retention and multi generation retention are struggles.<br /><br />This is coming from a man who narried his African-American wife in the temple, has an African American mother inlaw who was gospel principles teacher until that calling was abolished, yet of my step daughters only one of the three even semi regularly attends Church, and my wife's former room mb ate who got married in the temple is one of the few to do that from our branch.<br /><br />The past racial policies are inpediments to growth among African-Americans. However this has as much to do with a view that the Church still has such picies as anything else.<br /><br />On the other hand considering as a BYU student in 2002 I had a professor who felt the need to denounce false expkanations for the priesthood restriction or that I had another professor who was exposed in 2012 as trumpeting to the media other false explanations the kegacy of these policies lives with us.<br /><br />President Hinckley's forceful declaration of racism was still not enough to stop my Dad's justification of the racist views of a man ge hometaught. My wedding would probably have been boycotted by my paternal grandmother if she had not died a year and a half before.<br /><br />Yet as a missionary in Las Vegas objections to the Church's past policy on priesthood ordination was only ond of several roadblocks to baptizing more African Americans. Other blocks were missionaries who believed being black meant you had been cursed, lazy missionaries who baptized without retention goals and ones who were motivated by getting on the baptize weekly list in the newsletter or a stake dinner for 10 baptisms ina month more than bringing people to Christ.<br /><br />Let ne see other problems. Members who refused to rwach out as frinds to near African American neighbors we were teaching. Members who refused to drive to unsafe parts of town to give members rides to church.Memvers who refused to visit a newly baptized black girl who had a white Mom. The incident was just frustrating, but I have noclue if it was a race based protest or against baptisms of minors not with their parents. That vaptism was too rushed. I tried to convince my senior companion the girks needed more understanding of the truth before b.c. aptism but he argued they understood the gospel as much as could be expected of a 12 and 9 year old. This is the attitude that lead to the baptism of an African-American friend of mine wgen s by e was a 14-year-old girl with a live in boyfriend. Such rushed vaptisns in early 1990s in Detroit gave us a legacy of long memvership lists with few active members. In the earlg 1990s some thought we would soon get a Detroit based staje. Of course the 1990s 0.3% decline in African Americans in Detroit became the 2000s decline of over 16%. Yet there are other issues.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07776353426882099610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-30639068053854932912019-04-08T19:07:46.752-06:002019-04-08T19:07:46.752-06:00Christopher, you state that African-Americans have...Christopher, you state that African-Americans have not joined the Church for obvious reasons. Would some of those reasons be that most of their ancestors were enslaved for a few hundred years, or that many U.S. laws and government institutions worked against their progress, or that many African-Americans today suffer from poverty, high incarceration rates, lack of two parent homes, poor education rates, alcohol and drug abuse (not to mention rampant imprisonment for dealing and consuming illicit drugs), and twisted artistic values with misogyny and law enforcement. Those are obvious impediments to me.<br />But I think you mean that the Church of Jesus Christ has more of the blame due to past racial policies of the priesthood.<br />All the reasons are not obvious, in my opinion, but I am happy approximately 3 percent of US members are currently black and that number will grow. Despite all past and current obstacles.Eduardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05019747288076783700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-10728746354004181162019-04-07T22:49:53.664-06:002019-04-07T22:49:53.664-06:00the lower net number, almost certainly, is attribu...the lower net number, almost certainly, is attributable to the rising age of the baby boom generation. People born in 1945-1955 are now turning 65-75. I expect we will see this trend for another 10 years.tylerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01198905262210173861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-8913550617620300242019-04-07T22:42:34.790-06:002019-04-07T22:42:34.790-06:00It can happen... it all depends on us. How we shar...It can happen... it all depends on us. How we share and build the gospel. Miracles can happen if we all work together with the Lord.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07817867895957942230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-19819432265259783192019-04-07T22:11:14.402-06:002019-04-07T22:11:14.402-06:00I am surprised that no new temples were announced ...I am surprised that no new temples were announced for Africa. Benin City, Freetown and Lumbumbashi all remain top picks on my list. <br /><br />Moses Lake surprises me a little but analysis of Cental Washington will probably show it not too surprising. Okinawa was unexpected but President Nelson seems to be trying to reach isolated members.<br /><br />It is telling how much we have built expectations that I think of 8 new temples as a low number when I dont think President Monson ever announced that many at once. Ive decided that 1000 temples by 2030 probably wont happen. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07776353426882099610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-58464266733202275782019-04-07T21:13:56.167-06:002019-04-07T21:13:56.167-06:00Sports Spaces? Most chapels have the multi use cul...Sports Spaces? Most chapels have the multi use cultural hall model which includes multi use sports court mainly for basketball. The other model has the court in the carpark or a extra field out back for sports. The church includes such for reasons of the Word of Wisdom physical exercise and of course community aspect. Cultural halls are used and needed as much as classrooms are for various reasons, I doubt sporting courts will ever be taken away. Just my opinion I'd say when Pres Nelson said 'Without hoops getting in the way' he just means to simplify the chapel building program and raise the bar for more temple building. William Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03931591227004043340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-74515811022511869672019-04-07T17:34:39.431-06:002019-04-07T17:34:39.431-06:00Great to see northern Chile (finally) get one. Kee...Great to see northern Chile (finally) get one. Keep it up, Chile!<br />South Pacific is strong.<br />Nice admonition from the Prophet about humble reverence.Eduardohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05019747288076783700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-78972956684605331712019-04-07T16:58:21.326-06:002019-04-07T16:58:21.326-06:00I came to the same general conclusion regarding an...I came to the same general conclusion regarding an increase in records removed for excommunication and apostasy/resignation. <br /><br />However, I try to make allowance also for records cancelled because of members' passing. I don't have an estimate at hand (it would require some figures for death rates by age by country by number of Saints, then adjusted somehow for the longer life expectancy of Church members) but I suppose that there would not be dramatic changes in this number from one year to the next so a sharp decrease in membership net of conversions and adjusting for number of new Childen of Record would indicate a marked increase in excommunications and apostasies/resignations.manaenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12477422681100540710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-65806524056505381632019-04-07T15:56:47.679-06:002019-04-07T15:56:47.679-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Ohhappydane33https://www.blogger.com/profile/07783098797978517423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-11020298694434828632019-04-07T15:56:45.771-06:002019-04-07T15:56:45.771-06:00Moses Lake was the Dark Horse!!! My hometown!!!Moses Lake was the Dark Horse!!! My hometown!!!Levihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14600635006100832578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-75120272302353687332019-04-07T14:46:33.230-06:002019-04-07T14:46:33.230-06:00As the final session begins, my final temple picks...As the final session begins, my final temple picks:<br /><br />Freetown, Sierra Leone<br />Benin City, Nigeria<br />Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo<br />Vienna, Austria<br />Bentonville, Arkansas<br />San Pedro Sula, Honduras<br />Santa Cruz, Bolivia<br />Ribeirão Preto, Brazil<br />Antofagasta, Chile<br />Port Moresby, Papua New Guineacoachodeepshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08168822498180000486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-52512907490097767282019-04-07T14:17:06.106-06:002019-04-07T14:17:06.106-06:00Good list, David Todd!Good list, David Todd!coachodeepshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08168822498180000486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-20499034198067427272019-04-07T13:42:03.403-06:002019-04-07T13:42:03.403-06:00I forgot to include Colorado Springs, Colorado (It...I forgot to include Colorado Springs, Colorado (It would be after Tooele, but before Charlotte). I'm sure I am forgetting others that I have been stewing over as well, but whatever.David Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16633681311966766482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-79240396140215855272019-04-07T13:38:54.951-06:002019-04-07T13:38:54.951-06:00My final predictions for possible temple locations...My final predictions for possible temple locations, in order of likelihood, split up by regions of the world.<br /><br />Bentonville, Arkansas<br />Tacoma, Washington<br />Tooele, Utah<br />Charlotte, North Carolina<br />Austin, Texas<br />Heber City, Utah<br />Salem/Eugene, Oregon<br />Bakersfield, California<br />Fort Worth, Texas<br />Jacksonville, Florida<br /><br />San Pedro Sula, Honduras<br />Santa Cruz, Bolivia<br />Chiclayo, Peru<br />Guatemala somewhere<br />Valparaiso/Vina del Mar, Chile<br />Queretaro, Mexico<br />Santa Ana, El Salvador<br />Joao Pessoa, Brazil<br />La Paz/ El Alto, Bolivia<br />Antofagasta, Chile<br />Santiago, Dominican Republic<br /><br />Freetown, Sierra Leone<br />Benin City, Nigeria<br />Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo<br />Kumasi, Ghana<br />Vienna, Austria<br />Monrovia, Liberia<br />Antananarivo, Madagascar<br />Kampala, Uganda<br /><br />Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea<br />North Luzon, Philippines<br />Taichung, Taiwan<br />Pago Pago, American Samoa<br />Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia<br />Tonga somewhere <br />Tarawa, Kiribati<br />Singapore or Jakarta, Indonesia<br />Christchurch, New Zealand<br />Osaka, Japan<br />David Toddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16633681311966766482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-72652543998024179682019-04-07T13:35:17.653-06:002019-04-07T13:35:17.653-06:00On the issue of the Endowment House I have heard r...On the issue of the Endowment House I have heard rumors there once was such in Southern Colorado. Any indication if this is true.<br /><br />More to the point though, is there any indication the Church is moving away from sports spaces in chapels? <br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07776353426882099610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-9051320030060457462019-04-07T13:32:56.094-06:002019-04-07T13:32:56.094-06:00I have not kept close on all numbers. However the ...I have not kept close on all numbers. However the most quoted number is the percentage of full time proselyting missionaries who are single sisters. Elder Cook's wording covered married sisters serving with their husbands. Add to this question of weat j.g er setvice missionaries are covered I would hesitate to make any assumptions based on any figure. If 12% or more of missionaries are senior couples we would expect Elder Cook's number without a change in the percentage of missiobaries who are single sisters. Elder Cook saod percetage females with no statement of marital status so I am convinced he was including serving married people.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07776353426882099610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-11929219730905414772019-04-07T13:06:25.165-06:002019-04-07T13:06:25.165-06:00I am curious about the mention during conference t...I am curious about the mention during conference that 30% of the missionary force is female, wasn't it 24% back during the surge? It sounds to me that much of the decrease with missionaries are due to less men applying. I know the optimist would change it to "more women applying" but let's be realistic so the problem can be addressed, if it was "more women applying" the number would likely be going up not down.MeaganThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01372635840878914630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-11999603083057211152019-04-07T12:44:18.535-06:002019-04-07T12:44:18.535-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.The Accountanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10816731112356174739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-21582698581270167412019-04-07T12:43:50.356-06:002019-04-07T12:43:50.356-06:00This conference weekend I have been reading the ne...This conference weekend I have been reading the new book about Pres Nelson by Sheri Dew. As I have reached the end of the book it has a wonderful nugget on what Pres Nelson is thinking concerning temple building and chapel building.<br /><br />"One question we've wrestled with is how to take the gospel in its simple purity and the ordinances with their eternal efficacy to all of God's children without having basketball hoops get in the way. We are accustomed to a church that is supported at home but accomplished in the chapels. We need a complete turnaround, where we have a home-centered church supported by what takes place inside our buildings. THE ONLY BUILDINGS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL ARE TEMPLES (CAPS ADDED). Stake centers and chapels are a luxury. This imbalance is on our worry list-high on the list. Faith, repentance, baptism, the endowment, and the sealing ordinance are essential. Everything you'll see happening in the Church from this point forward will be in that direction." (page 405-406) <br /><br />Very interesting nugget and could we see the return of the 1850 style endowment house?The Accountanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10816731112356174739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786908254617003646.post-79574836184709933322019-04-07T08:45:04.940-06:002019-04-07T08:45:04.940-06:00A few hours before Conference, but I wanted to giv...A few hours before Conference, but I wanted to give I guess a "wishlist" for temples. I didn't have time to go over everywhere in the world, so this list is strictly the Western U.S. Included is a possible size of the temple district, depending on where it is.<br /><br />Pretty Likely:<br />Bakersfield California - 6 stakes<br />Camarillo California - 8 stakes<br />Colorado Springs Colorado - 9 stakes<br />Everette Washington - 7 stakes<br />Fairbanks Alaska - 1 stake<br />Flagstaff Arizona - 8 stakes<br />Heber City Utah - 7 stakes<br />Helena Montana - 8 stakes<br />Modesto California - 7 stakes<br />Price Utah - 8 stakes<br />Salem Oregon - 11 stakes<br />San Jose California - 13 stakes<br />Smithfield Utah - 10 stakes<br />Tacoma Washington - 19 stakes<br />Temecula California - 7 stakes<br />Toole Utah - 13 stakes, 1 district<br /><br />Not as Likely:<br />Bloomfield/Farmington New Mexico<br />Burley Idaho<br />Cheyenne Wyoming<br />El Paso Texas<br />Grand Junction Colorado<br />Morgan Utah<br />Moses Lake Washington<br />Ontario Oregon<br />Redding California<br />Richfield Utah<br />Victorville/Lancaster California<br />Yuma ArizonaRyan Searcyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03492045549474456000noreply@blogger.com