According to a survey being conducted now by the pro LDS Meridian Magazine, 83% of members have an inactive child.

http://www.ldsmag.com/index.php?option=com_poll&id=35%3Ado-you-have-an-inactive-child-in-your-family-and-if-so-how-many

What a damning and sad statistic. This means that the vast majority of LDS parents carry or have carried the guilt and sadness associated with losing a child for ETERNITY!!

Boy am I glad to have left this misery fest behind.

It's depressing and encouraging at the same time to be a part of that statistic. More young people are recognizing the TSCC for what it is, but I can attest to the heartbreak.

There's bazillions of years, right? I'm gonna be a goddess--and not the invisible kind with no name. And there's bazillions more kids where that one came from, and I'm supposed to get all torn up about one poopy kid who wouldn't get with the program? I don't think so.

:)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2011 06:52PM by munchybotaz.

And that many families that will be split apart.

On the upside, it was my inactive children that led me out of the cult. "A little child shall lead them."

It was a child who said that the Emperor had no clothes. There is hope!

forestpal Wrote:
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> "A little child shall
> lead them."
>

Hopefully men will soon be leading the women out of the church. The proportion of women in the church has risen from 53% to 60% in the last 10-15 yrs. The women need to restore the balance.

The statistic about women depresses me. Suggests that more women affirm patriarchy than men do.

When you consider how many LDS families are young, just starting out, with their oldest children not even able to make a decision yet...that gives you an idea how series this statistic is. Statistically, it is probably a given that all LDS families will have a child go inactive. Probably multiple.

Turmoil abounds in the family friendly church of zion.

You said, "This means that the vast majority of LDS parents carry or have carried the guilt and sadness associated with losing a child for ETERNITY!!"

Knowing my mom is probably sick with sadness that 4 of 5 of her children have rejected mormonism just breaks my heart! She is the sweetest, kindest person I've ever known. Here she is needlessly worrying that almost all of her kids won't be with her in the CK. It just makes me absolutely SICK that J.S. made up all this crap for his own selfishness and look at how many people are affected by it now!

I feel the same for my mother. Sweet, kind, wonderful woman, but hopelessly devoted to the church. 2 of her 4 she knows are inactive. She doesn't know about me yet. Just don't want her to hurt anymore.

Same thing here. I know my mom prays for me every night to return to church. She is so devoted to TSCC. She is sweet and loving also but I feel sorry that she believes this stuff.

That's what she said! lol, I can imagine my mother saying that.

there is just no way that all of the next generation in my family and my inlaws family are ALL going to be faithful to the MORmON religion despite their parents best laid plans & high hopes. there has to be some fractures with the faith somewhere. when it happens, I wont have to be the only apostate in the family.

The day is approaching when every active LDS will personally know someone who has departed. When the active witness that apostates don't become terrible people but usually go on to live happy, fulfilled lives the cog dis will grow.

It is difficult to continue to demonize an entire group of people when you know a member of that group well. Then when TSCC leaders rant against the apostates, those still active will think "hmmm, that really doesn't apply to my uncle, cousin, daughter, mom...." That guy is wrong.

It isn't a big leap to "what else is he wrong about and why am I listening to him?"

They already all do, but they choose to hide from this problem by making a few half efforts to win us back, and then shunning us.

caedmon Wrote:
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> The day is approaching when every active LDS will
> personally know someone who has departed. When
> the active witness that apostates don't become
> terrible people but usually go on to live happy,
> fulfilled lives the cog dis will grow.
>
> It is difficult to continue to demonize an entire
> group of people when you know a member of that
> group well. Then when TSCC leaders rant against
> the apostates, those still active will think
> "hmmm, that really doesn't apply to my uncle,
> cousin, daughter, mom...." That guy is wrong.
>

You're right. Exmo is going to be the new gay.

I'm a statistic!

That's probably true of most LDS families from the very beginning, although most parents would never admit to it. Never mind if there children are college graduates, responsible citizens, hard-working and overall normal; if they don't bear the same cross, then they are somehow less:(

It doesn't make sense and it never will.

"never mind if THEIR children..." typo

Is it a survey, or a poll? It's a poll.

The sample doesn't represent all LDS members across the planet. It is just < 1600 people who visited the Meridian site and chose to respond to the poll.

hello Wrote:
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> Is it a survey, or a poll? It's a poll.
>
> The sample doesn't represent all LDS members
> across the planet. It is just < 1600 people who
> visited the Meridian site and chose to respond to
> the poll.

There will never be a survey of members all over the world. The only people who know exactly what the rate of inactivity is in families is the church, and we all know the likelihood of them releasing that information.

1600 is a very large number as far as polls go. Survey that many Australians at voting time and you typically get within 1% of the true vote. It is certainly enough to get a very accurate picture of the rate of inactivity in the Meridian readership. Do you have reasons to think people with more inactive children choose to read Meridian Magazine? Perhaps people with no inactive children don't read?

Inactivity rates are higher in non-English speaking countries (non-Meridian readers) so if a survey was done to include these I can't imagine the result looking any better for the church.

It all fits with a pattern of serious decline in the rate of church growth due to a significant increase in inactivity.

Nah Simon, I was just being technical, not contrary.

A random survey (as in your example of Aussie voters) is technically different from a targeted sample like the volunteers who visited the Meridian site. But the results could still be interpreted as you describe, and could be just as accurate and meaningful as a random sample of SLC Mos.

I know nothing about the demographics of Meridian readers, or how much or little they represent the general membership.

I found your comments reasonable tho.

hello Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nah Simon, I was just being technical, not
> contrary.
>

Cool. I can see where you are coming from.

Whatever the true numbers are we are looking at a tragedy. Many hundreds of thousands of families needlessly being torn apart over loyalty to a cult which is demonstrably false.

Don't I know it brah, I'm in one of them...

I noticed this in my own ward whilst still a child living at home. Out of all the large, stable Mormon families in the ward (maybe 7 or 8), all with 4+ kids, ours was the only one where all the kids were active. My parents were so proud.

Today, I am the only one not fully active (I am still "semi-active") and my parents are still proud.

One of those families had 9 kids, and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM left the church one at a time over a period of many years, all aged between 16 and 20 at the time. The father had been a Bishop and on the High Council. He must be carrying an enourmous deal of undeserved guilt.

IN my case there were 2 as both my brother and I are inactive...and both my children were raised outside of the church...so it's allllll good!

So....

If registered Mormons equate to 0.2% of the population.
And 83% of that 0.2% have inactive close family members.
Then only 0.034% of families will be together forever.

Best change that damn hymn....

+1

Yep, lots of miserable Mormon parents out there. My convert daughter's Mormon MIL is going to have to rescue her second youngest son again.....he is 27 and will soon most likely be losing his second wife but this time the wife will leave him.She worked hard at getting him back in the "church" the first time when he left his wife as she carried his second child. He is into other women and showing them how wonderful his body is by sharing photos. Oh yes, the whole family knows. It is sad and comical at the same time.

The guy has problems and wont see anyone for them....he has 3 kids and one on the way. Never seems to be satisfied. Mom got him back on track once and this time he married in the temple - the first marriage took place in the Ward house and I guess later they went to the Temple. Anyhow, now she must try again but I am sure to only save this marriage. How shameful for her if it ends. She will be beside herself but it seems Mormon moms always get their sons to repent-it just doesn't last I guess. I say "GIVE UP"....the guy is not the marrying kind and for sure not faithful.

Out of seven siblings, five are inactive. I'm the only one to officially resign, but the other four think the same as I do, TSCC is a load of crap that sucks your money and time from you.

As for my wife and our three children - our three nevermo children have two exmo parents.

I grew up in a small town, two other families were as large as ours. One has only one daughter still in church in utah. The other has no child still active and the dad is done too.

It sure looks like a lot of kids are jumping ship to avoid eternal mormon familial relations.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2011 11:03AM by nickerickson.

I resigned and would never want anyone to be confused with my position!

So this doesn't surprise me a bit.