Study: Latter-day Saint retention rate falls to 54%
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The share of U.S. adults raised as Latter-day Saints who still identify as members of the faith fell from 70% in 2007 to 54% in 2023-24, according to a new Pew Research Center study.
Why it matters: The decline could reshape the religious and cultural makeup of Utah, home to nearly one in three Latter-day Saints in the U.S.
By the numbers: About 46% of Americans raised as Latter-day Saints no longer identify with the church as adults, per the study.
- Just over a quarter (28%) of adults who were raised in the church are religiously unaffiliated, double the rate since 2007.
How it works: The center's findings are part of the its 2023-2024 Religious Landscape Study that surveyed more than 36,000 U.S. adults about their faith and social and political views.
- Caveat: Among those, 565 identified as Latter-day Saints, while 316 were former members.
Between the lines: Latter-day Saint congregations are tight-knit. Leaving the church can upend a former member's social life and relationships.
- Singer David Archuleta, who grew up in Utah, has described the hardship of leaving the church and losing friends after coming out as queer in 2021.
What they're saying: "Official church records show consistent worldwide increases in both membership and participation. We are encouraged by increased participation among our children, youth and young adults in the United States over the past decade," the church said in a statement.
Zoom in: Even among those who remain in the Utah-based faith, attitudes and religious practices are changing. Compared with 2007:
- Latter-day Saints were 14 percentage points less likely to say they believe in God or a universal spirit with "absolute certainty."
- They were 11 percentage points less likely to say religion is very important in their lives and 9 percentage points less likely to say they pray every day.
Some of their social views have also shifted:
- 46% said homosexuality should be accepted by society, up from 24% in 2007.
- 61% said having more women in the workforce is a "change for the better."
Zoom in: Latter-day Saints, one of the most devout and conservative religious groups in the U.S., are a critical voting bloc for Republicans.
- About 73% identify as Republican or Republican-leaning independents.
What we're watching: How Utah's population growth — driven by people moving from states like California, Washington, Idaho and Texas — could accelerate the state's evolving religious and political landscape.