Members come to N.Y. — to stay

NEW YORK — Latter-day Saints in America's largest city say they have come out of obscurity in the eyes of their faith, creating a burgeoning destination that welcomes growing numbers of newcomers rather than being a place for "just passing through," according to local leaders and members.

"It used to be when (Latter-day Saints) would move here from the West they were always pursuing something else short-term, whether it was grad school or a career start in performing arts, medicine or Wall Street," said Brent Belnap, Manhattan stake president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "They would stay for a season and most would move back West. More of them are staying now."

With the scheduled dedication Sunday of the Manhattan temple, members and observers alike are curious about what is driving the growth that led to the announcement of a temple here.

Belnap, who moved here 18 years ago as a single law student, watched the revolving door of church membership during his first five years. But then the dynamic began to change. Young professional couples would come and stay "until their kids were ready to start school."

Then he saw another shift, where many stayed until their children entered the teen years, and now — despite the hectic lifestyle, heavy taxes, hefty cost of living and often cramped living quarters — "some are making a long-term commitment here. We have seen a real infusion of people who are staying longer."

It's a change of mind-set for many of who are used to suburban life. Fewer than 2 percent of Manhattan church members own their own vehicles, and Belnap estimates even fewer own their apartments or homes. The most recent cost of living survey in New York put the price of an apartment at just more than $1 million, he said. Average rent on the "most livable" two-thirds of Manhattan tops $3,500 per month.

Yet the trend is there, and combined with a growing conversion rate and the church's rising profile on the East Coast, it represents something of what some see as an about-face for the LDS Church, which followed national housing and economic trends that rode a decades-long flight to the suburbs post-World War II.

As one of the fastest-growing faiths in America, the church is returning to inner city venues in a way unprecedented in its history. Manhattan is no exception, according to Claudia Bushman, an adjunct professor of history at Columbia University.

A longtime East Coast resident, Bushman and her husband, Richard, have lauded the "new commitment of the church to urban areas" after living through the flight to the suburbs and watching as the church "sold all its urban city properties. But almost immediately afterward, it began to grow in the city."