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MikeWaters · 09-10-2015, 03:21 PM

The answer is "no". Because international growth will occur. Particularly in Africa, and eventually I think in China.

But the answer regarding America is less clear. It may be the case the Mormonism in the US has already peaked. What does that mean? I don't know. What is the cause? Multifactorial. Some internal causes, some external causes. Is it something to mourn or be upset about? I don't know. Is it a condemnation of the church and its members? I don't know. I doubt it.

There are certainly people in the church that have access to vast amounts of data. And have a much more clear answer to this question. But those data are held close to the vest. We know about baptisms and ward and stake numbers, but that's about it. Other numbers are being followed, but we don't know what they are.

If there is a problem, what is being done about it? Can we look to changes the church is putting in to make some judgments? Change in missionary age. Change in missionary teaching program. Changes in the teaching manuals for the YM. Some very limited movement to increasing the role of women in the church. Some limited movement to being more open about church history. Some signs of softening on the anti-gay rhetoric and policies. Recent focus on sabbath observance.

What am I missing?

09-10-2015, 03:21 PM	#1
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	Has Peak Mormonism already occurred? The answer is "no". Because international growth will occur. Particularly in Africa, and eventually I think in China. But the answer regarding America is less clear. It may be the case the Mormonism in the US has already peaked. What does that mean? I don't know. What is the cause? Multifactorial. Some internal causes, some external causes. Is it something to mourn or be upset about? I don't know. Is it a condemnation of the church and its members? I don't know. I doubt it. There are certainly people in the church that have access to vast amounts of data. And have a much more clear answer to this question. But those data are held close to the vest. We know about baptisms and ward and stake numbers, but that's about it. Other numbers are being followed, but we don't know what they are. If there is a problem, what is being done about it? Can we look to changes the church is putting in to make some judgments? Change in missionary age. Change in missionary teaching program. Changes in the teaching manuals for the YM. Some very limited movement to increasing the role of women in the church. Some limited movement to being more open about church history. Some signs of softening on the anti-gay rhetoric and policies. Recent focus on sabbath observance. What am I missing?