LDS general conference - Fall 2013

[colton]

Any particular talks stand out to you all? I personally really appreciated Pres. Uchtdorf's talk this morning inviting lapsed members to return. He always emphasizes love and support, and reaching out without judging.

 

[Jazz Spazz]

I also enjoyed the talk on meekness, and Elder Bednar's on tithing. Somehow the talk on tithing was interesting and had a new angle and information that I have never heard in that way.

 

[Stoked]

15 million.

 

[colton]

15 million.

When I was born, the church was less than 3 million. And I don't feel especially old.

 

[addictionary]

I've heard that the Mormon families usually have more than 2 kids but you also must be converting many people since you had a candidate for the highest position in the world.

 

[Chad Feldheimer]

15 million.

How many are active?

 

[colton]

How many are active?

Probably around 50%.

 

[sirkickyass]

Probably around 50%.

Not even close.

 

[Doublea]

Bro. Holland right now.

 

[Zulu]

Not even close.

I believe it's around 30%....

 

[colton]

Not even close.

Where are your stats from?

Here's an article from 1989 which backs up my 50%-ish number:
https://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Activity_in_the_Church

As one measure of their rate of activity, 48 percent of adult Latter-day Saints in the United States in 1989 reported that they attended church services weekly, compared to 38 percent of adult members in other denominations.

I doubt it's changed too much since 1989, although now that I think about it I suppose the activity rate in other countries could be substantially lower than in the U.S. (it was in Germany in the areas where I was a missionary).

Edit: here's a 2012 news article which quotes a guy from cumorah.com giving a 40% rate for the U.S. I'm not at all familiar with cumorah.com, so don't know how trustworthy that figure is.
https://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54036926-78/church-lds-membership-growth.html.csp

 

[Jazz Spazz]

There is also the issue of the definition of active. Is it someone that shows up every week, once a month, or once every 6 months.

Is not active seen as someone that never goes anymore, or someone that still wants to be affiliated with the church and goes off and on when they can?

You can't just throw a number out unless it is clearly defined. It would also be nice if that definition was agreed upon by both sides/parties of that conversation.