Yesterday, The Church News published an article regarding instruction provided by apostle Elder Quintin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the annual new mission presidents training seminar in Provo, Utah. Elder Cook shared the following statistics in his remarks:
- The worldwide number of convert baptisms during the 12-month period from June 2024 to May 2025 was the highest ever reported during any 12-month period of the Church since its founding in 1830.
- During the first quarter of 2025, "every region of the world" had at least a 20% increase in the number of convert baptisms compared to the first quarter of 2024.
- The annual number of convert baptisms in 2024 (308,682) was the highest reported in approximately 25 years, and "the rate of increase for New Members Attending Sacrament Meeting was even higher."
- People who attend sacrament meeting within one week of first meeting with full-time missionaries are 10 times more likely to be baptized and confirmed.
These reports are highly encouraging after decades of stagnation or decline in annual convert baptisms. From 2000 to 2019, the average was 264,769 per year. The Church's all-time high for the most converts ever baptized in a single calendar year was 330,877 in 1990. The next highest years were 1996 (321,385), 1989 (318,940), and 1997 (317,798). Therefore, there have been more than 330,877 converts baptized between June 2024 and May 2025. Moreover, the first quarter of 2025 saw more than a 20% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024. If the number of convert baptisms increases by 20% in 2025, then there would be 370,418 converts baptized in 2025 — approximately 40,000 more than the previous all-time high. If the trajectory continues into 2026, we may witness the highest sustained growth in convert baptisms since the early 1990s—a dramatic reversal after two decades of stagnation and slowing membership growth rates. From 2016 to 2022, there were fewer than 250,000 convert baptisms per year. Elder Cook indicated that three principles have improved the effectiveness of the missionary program: (1) focusing all activities on the missionary purpose and the doctrine of Christ, (2) inviting and helping people to attend sacrament meeting, and (3) effectively finding people to teach.
Perhaps the most remarkable and surprising statistic shared by Elder Cook in this article was that "every region of the world" had at least a 20% increase in the number of converts baptized in 2025 compared to 2024. It is unclear how broadly he is defining world regions, but this is probably broken down by continent. Although Elder Cook indicated growth in every region, the Church does not release detailed regional data, making it difficult to independently verify where the greatest increases are occurring. The statistic shared by Elder Cook suggests that there has been an increase in global receptivity to the Latter-day Saint Gospel message, improvements in the effectiveness of the missionary program, or a combination of the two. Although the number of converts baptized worldwide has increased at a more rapid rate regardless of world region, it is probable that many of the new converts in more secularized areas of the world are from migrant, immigrant, or minority groups who have historically exhibited higher receptivity than their more established, ethnic majority counterparts. Convert retention also appears to be good considering Elder Cook's remark that sacrament meeting attendance for new converts was an even higher rate of increase than the total number of converts baptized. Historically, some critics have expressed concern about rushed baptisms and long-term retention challenges. However, Elder Cook’s emphasis on sacrament attendance and doctrinal focus may reflect efforts to address these very issues, although retention 5–10 years after baptism has historically — and continues to — remain a major challenge. It remains unclear how these recent gains are distributed across global regions. While the Church faces increasing secularization and disaffiliation in many developed countries, these new trends may reflect growth in more receptive areas — including among immigrant populations in those same secular regions.
It remains to be seen whether this momentum will continue into future years. However, the current trend suggests that significant structural improvements in missionary work are underway — despite low member activity rates (15–25% of nominal membership) in most countries. While these new figures are the highest since the 1990s, at the time when the Church reported its most significant numerical increases in convert baptisms, it is worth remembering that many of those convert booms did not result in sustained activity or stake viability. The future impact of the current growth will likely depend on improvements in post-baptism support and doctrinal engagement. If the Church can sustain these gains while simultaneously improving long-term integration, doctrinal conversion, and local leadership development, it may mark not only a numerical revival — but a qualitative one as well.
