http://nevinpratt.com/groups/workgroup/wiki/a3125/images/7b9f1.jpg#874x654

My removed observations are that the stake and ward/chapel count is making it very difficult to prop up the membership numbers. Maybe only in the Moridor are chapels full.

Somehow Mormins need to get the message that they are only about 3 to 5 million strong. Might not change the TBM count, but they cannot deny their leaders maliciously lie and deceive their followers. Then the conversation about Mormonism can really start with a TBM.

What's interesting is how the active member graph line peaks at right around the popularity of the internet. Coincidence? I think not.

And why did the membership start taking an upwards rise aroung 1960-ish?

Just a guess: that was a period of social upheaval and protest against authority. I suspect many people turned to strict religious groups to protect themselves and their kids from the loosening of social convention, changing of women's roles and opportunities, anger against Viet Nam and the government. I think it was pretty scary for lots of Americans. The morg offered a return to the good old days of the fifties.

Adult of god has a huge point. One of the reasons I was attracted to the LDS Church, was that it represented a tranquil throwback to the 1950s from the chaotic 1960s. I know I wasn't the only one as two of my close friends joined the LDS church in the early 1970s.

For those who hated the crazy of those times, the interest in the LDS church was also reflecting a backlash from conservative groups. In addition to that, was the popularity of the Bill Gothard seminars with the swelling numbers of Conservative Christians.

Both Ronald Reagan in California and Richard Nixon nationally, rode the conservative wave to public office. There was a wave of nostalgia with the playing of 1950s-'60s music that led to 'American Graffiti' in the theaters. How could the LDS church NOT benefit?

Today, the conservative movement is peaking, including interest in religion. The writing is now on the wall for the LDS church.

I only wish a freedom and liberty movement were the replacement.

Spot on, adult.

I joined in 1972 because I was a single mother and the world was in great turmoil. I had four little boys and was afraid I might make mistakes raising them. I thought I needed help and they offered it.

It was a stable society within the unstable society.

I thought I was doing the right thing.


Anagrammy

The graph is great news. Thanks for posting it. I'd seen it before but forgot to bookmark it.

Is this really from PEW?

I think, too, that the United States was riding a wave of popularity around the world in the 50s and 60s and that opened a lot of doors to "missionaries" who were seen as a reflection of that. Europe was finally growing out of its post WW2 pit and standards of living and such were booming after the American pattern. Today the world at large is a lot more cynical about things American and two pre-emtive wards have not helped. That doesn't account for 60s growth in the US but I think "good times" had a lot to do with it here.

On the graph, does "Official Members" refer to GA's and such?

What is the difference between actual members of record and official members?

Not sure, but one possibility, TSCC keeps people on the records until they are something like 110 even if they die at age 50. The dead person would not be an actual member because they are dead, but they are still considered an official member.

And please do not ask me to reconcile this with the whole dead dunking thing.

There's a lot of number fudging going on in the church right now. Where I'm from they've closed a number of long established wards due to insufficient priesthood numbers and yet, inexplicably, they've created more new stakes with no where near the required PH numbers to do so. Probably in anticipation of the windfall coming from their new missionary drive...yeah, right.

The rise in membership in the 1960s could also be due to the popularity of Mormon singing groups such as the Osmonds. I occasionally attend their concerts and there is a group of women who joined the church because of them. Type in Osmond on mormon.org and it will bring up the profiles of people who joined the LDS church because of the Osmond family.

Well, it certainly explains why reactivating people is so important. Spending so much effort into getting new members, which skyrocketed, and active membership dropped? It is a waste of time and money to recruit so many if you don't keep them.

Huh... I see a decline start happening about 1997, when the internet was taking off.

It's actually a direct correlation to when I served my mission, '96-'98. I was very persuasive.

Where did you get this? I can't find it anywhere on the interwebs. In fact, cumorah.com says this stuff hasn't been published for years.

See the bottom of the page...I don't have time to read this but looks interesting....

http://nevinpratt.com/groups/workgroup/wiki/a3125/Decline_of_the_LDS_(Monson)_Church.html

It is a good read. It takes on some key issues in the head count done by the LDS church. There is comment about how Mormons still count people that have gone to the effort to remove their name from their organization in their total numbers.

My favorite quote is "The church is "cooking their books"!"

Mr. Obvious agrees and says "Potato chips are salty"

Chips crumble, don't ya know?