LDS focuses on retaining its converts
Mormon church claims to have more members in other countries than
Census data reveals
By Eric Gorski
ASSOCIATED PRESS
02/07/2008
PROVO, Utah -- Although retaining members is a challenge for all
evangelizing faiths, the Mormon church appears to have a particularly
poor retention rate in some countries.
Increasingly, classroom conversations at the Mormon church's flagship
Missionary Training Center have centered not just on winning new
believers but on keeping them.
The foreign retention rate is critical to the future of the Mormon
church. An American-born denomination, the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints now boasts more members abroad than at home -- about
55 percent of the world's 13 million Mormons live outside the United
States, according to church figures.
The Mormon church does not publish retention figures, and it is hard
to make comparisons because denominations count their members and
measure participation differently.
Timothy Heaton, a sociologist at Brigham Young University, used census
data from Mexico, Brazil and Chile to show the number of citizens who
claim Mormonism as their religion in those countries was only 20
percent to 25 percent of the church-reported membership figures,
suggesting low retention.
Some scholars suggest the church is struggling to retain members
because it resists accommodating the cultural trappings of other
countries. The Roman Catholic Church, in contrast, has allowed
drumming in African parishes, something Mormon leaders frown on.
Even in the African bush, Mormon missionaries still wear white shirts
and ties. And designs for Mormon meeting houses are conceived in Salt
Lake City.
"It's like a McDonald's that stands out in Tokyo," said Jan Shipps, a
prominent non-Mormon scholar of the religion.
Others believe that although the Mormon church describes itself as a
universal faith, American aspects of its theology are probably costing
it members in other countries.
"God's prophet was a New Yorker, the Garden of Eden is here in the
states and Christ is to return in Missouri," said Gerald McDermott, a
professor of religion at Roanoke College in Virginia. "At a time when
America is not really popular overseas, that's not going to win
friends and influence a lot of people."
Then there are the demands of the faith that can turn some away --
such as donating 10 percent of one's income and forsaking coffee,
which is a big part of Latin American culture.
"Becoming a Mormon if you live in California is hard enough," said
Richard Bushman, a Mormon scholar and professor emeritus at Columbia
University.
"The different kinds of people around the world, they will keep their
personality and their traditions," said Dieter Uchtdorf, a member of
the Quorum of the Twelve, a top Mormon governing body. "The point is
that the core doctrine brings the members together."
Uchtdorf said Mormon retention is remarkably high, given that the
church relies on lay, unpaid congregational leaders.
Uchtdorf also said that in areas with fast growth potential, the
church must grow "slowly and in a natural, healthy way" so that local
congregational leaders are well grounded in doctrine.
"In some parts of Africa, we could baptize full villages," said
Uchtdorf, 66. "We could immediately explode our membership. We're
going slowly to have sufficient leadership."
There are signs of change: Missionaries are being urged to spend more
time following up with new believers. Also, the church's online
disaster-preparation manual urges storing not just wheat but rice.
In a recent broadcast of a worldwide training meeting, some Mormons
noticed that a church apostle sitting alongside Filipino church
officials wore not the standard suit and tie but a short-sleeved dress
shirt. He still wore a tie.
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