Reader comments
An unprecedented look at the religious landscape of the United States

Interesting. Very easy to browse through the data and see how the various religions compare in their demographics.

More and more good people are learning that churches are managed by Elmer Gantrys who are no better and little worse than the people in the pews. God is in the heart and mind of man and not in his buildings or the voices of would be demigods. In the near future church life will be more personal family/neigbor group meetings in members homes. And that will work well for a time until one member starts believing he/she should be priveledged as special and above the others and be crowned with a special title: prophet, pope, etc., and then it all starts over again.

I thought the site was easy to manage and am glad the Deseret News provided the link.
I thought it was interesting that a higher percentage of Mormons are black than of Catholics. However I think this is largely a function of there being so many Hispanic Catholic immigrants.
In some ways 86% of Latter-day Saints being non-Hispanic whites is pretty high. However in the county I live in, Macomb County, Michigan, which has had its African-American population well more than double in the last decade the percentage of non-Hispanic whites is still 87%.
My best indication is that the only over 18 nature of this survey under counted non-whites. So many of the people of partial Aisan and Hispanic ancestry I know are under 18 that I think the mixed race componant would go up and possibly the partial Hispanic componant as well.

Certainly some curious trends there. Who would have thought there'd be a net loss for the church between those that grew up LDS and those that now consider themselves LDS?

We got thinking that over, and remembered His prophets foresaw this specific falling away almost 2,000 years ago, and again 170 years ago.

It's an eternal battle. Our Father and His church don't change, but the Adversary wins some.

My own ancestors were about half and half (faithful and literally apostate) starting almost a century ago.

I looked through the data. Actually only 1.6 percent identified with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This survey supports my [ideographic] impression that the Church is losing its grip on its members and its phenomenal growth.

Moreover, this extensive survey doesn't get into the detail of activity rates. Many are becoming inactive for a number of reasons.

I think the best thing that could possibly happen is for the inactive numbers to reach 90% or higher. True activity in the Mormon Church is really HYPER-activity, and it corresponds to FANATICISM.

The worst thing in the world is religious fanaticism. Just look at the news, and read history.

People who have gone inactive are tired of the judgmental, intolerant, "actives" who ostracize them and treat them as sub-human. Others leave the Church (or go inactive) because they "opened their eyes" and learned how fanatic, irrational, and unreasonable the doctrines are.

Actives lack tolerance because they are fanatic. Inactives leave because of this fanaticism: fanatic doctrines, fanatic intolerant people, and fanatic lifestyle requirements.

Inactives are more likely to be temperate and reasonable; "actives" are more likely to be fanatic and to call temperate belief "lukewarm" and "uncommitted". But that is the very fanaticism that is so dangerous!

The Church changes all the time. How could you even come close to thinking it doesn't?

Gosh, Jerry, I don't know who you hang out with because they sure don't resemble the people I've known during my 36 years in the Church. I've found people to be loving and accepting. I've never met these "fanatics" you keep endlessly harping on about. I've been inactive here and there over the years without the walls falling in like you feel you have experienced.

Where do these fanatics live? In your mind, perhaps?

You couldn't have a CHIP on your shoulder that could be exacerbating the situation--ya think?

The broad brush you're using reminds me of people who dislike Jews or used to be KKK. Someone offends them and suddenly the whole entire world's Jews or blacks are horrific people worthy of hate and ire.

Get a grip! Maybe someone did say or do something unpleasant. Don't extrapolate to the rest of us who wish you well, would be willing to help you, but ultimately don't care all THAT much.

Jerry... The thing that counts is you. If you have lost your prospective on the teachings of the church then you need to look inward. The Gospel is a personal Individual commitment.

To zax: The Church changes all the time. How could you even come close to thinking it doesn't?

*Scratching head* I don't see where I would have left the impression that there would be no change in church demographics. I just thought it awfully counter-intuitive that with our robust missionary program, we would still have a net loss over roughly one generation, i.e., # opting out > # converts. Is that what YOU expected?