The LDS Church is the second fastest growing religion, but there's a debate over how many people are Mormon. In the U.S., the Church reports some 6.2 million members. Independent researchers place the number at 4.4 million. The difference lies in who should be counted. LDS statistics reflect people who were baptized, but who may no longer be active or even believe. Monday, we're discussing what this gap reveals about the Church today: how it's connecting with a new generation and how it's faring abroad.
Resources from Today's RadioWest:
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Official Statistics
- Mormons in the United States, 1990-2008 by Rick Phillips and Ryan Cragun, American Religious Identification Survey, Trinity College
- Matthew Martinich: LDS Church Growth and Cumorah Foundation
- Joanna Brooks, Mormon Numbers Not Adding Up at Religion Dispatches
