Latter-day Saint Trends in the United States
Religiousness, Well-Being, and Retention
This report uses national surveys and longitudinal youth data to examine Latter-day Saint religious life in the United States.
Key Findings at a Glance
Highest Religious Activity in America
Latter-day Saints rank at or near the top in monthly attendance, prayer, scripture reading, and parents praying or reading scripture with children.
Strong Spiritual Well-Being
Latter-day Saints report high levels of spiritual peace, happiness, and family well-being.
Highest Active Retention
Latter-day Saints have the highest active-retention rate among the religious groups studied.
Retention Has Declined
Retention is lower than in previous decades, reflecting broader religious shifts in the United States.
Deidentification is Not One-Size-Fits-All
Many former Latter-day Saints continue to value religion or spirituality and remain open to recommitting.
Youth Retention Predictors
Feeling God's presence and navigating political/social concerns emerge as important factors.
What the Report Measures
Religiousness
Church attendance, prayer, scripture reading, family religious practice, importance of religion, and belief.
Well-Being
Spiritual peace, happiness, family life, depression, anxiety, and related measures.
Retention
Continued identification, active participation, generational differences, and patterns among those who deidentify.
Featured Data Highlights
These selected charts highlight some of the report’s central findings: Latter-day Saints remain highly active in religious practice, report strong measures of spiritual well-being, and show comparatively high active retention, even as broader religious shifts continue to shape affiliation in the United States.
Religiousness
Monthly religious service attendance
Latter-day Saints report the highest levels of monthly religious service attendance among the groups shown. This suggests that regular gathered worship remains one of the clearest strengths of Latter-day Saint religious life, including among younger generations.
Parents praying/reading scripture with children
Latter-day Saint parents are especially likely to pray or read scripture with their children. This family-centered pattern matters because home religious practice is one important way faith, identity, and belonging are passed from one generation to the next.
Well-Being
Spiritual peace and well-being
Latter-day Saints report high levels of spiritual peace and well-being compared with many other religious groups. The data suggest that religious participation is not only a matter of outward practice but is also connected with many members’ inner sense of peace, meaning, and happiness.
Active retention
When retention includes both continued identification and regular participation, Latter-day Saints rank especially high. This distinction matters: the report shows not only who still identifies as Latter-day Saint, but who remains actively connected to worship and community.
Retention
Groups of deidentified Latter-day Saints
Former Latter-day Saints are not a single, uniform group. Many who no longer identify with the Church still value religion or spirituality, hold warm feelings toward Latter-day Saints, or leave open the possibility of recommitting to a congregation someday.
50%
current identification across PRLS/SSS
42%
Active Retention
2 in 3
deidentified respondents leave open some possibility of recommitting
54%
of deidentified respondents fall into groups that still value religion/spirituality
Takeaways
- • Family religious practices continue to be a major strength.
- • Retention has declined, but active retention remains comparatively high.
- • Those who deidentify are not a single, uniform group.
- • Feeling God’s presence in daily life matters deeply.
- • Data can clarify trends, but individuals and families should never be reduced to statistics.
BYU Studies Report
Latter-day Saint Trends in the United States
Religiousness, Well-Being, and Retention
W. Justin Dyer, Jenet Jacob Erickson, Sam A. Hardy, Barbara Morgan Gardner, and David C. Dollahite
Key Findings at a Glance
A snapshot of the study’s biggest takeaways, highlighting Latter-day Saints’ leading levels of religious activity, well-being, and active retention in a shifting U.S. religious landscape.
Executive Summary
A data-driven overview showing that despite national declines in religious engagement, Latter-day Saints remain highly religious, deeply engaged, and comparatively strong in retention and well-being.
Introduction
Sets the stage by exploring how Latter-day Saint religiousness, well-being, and retention compare across generations and against broader trends of declining institutional affiliation in the U.S.
Religiousness
Examines how Latter-day Saints consistently rank among the most religiously active Americans, with especially high participation in church attendance, prayer, and family-based faith practices.
Well-Being
Explores how Latter-day Saints report strong spiritual peace, happiness, and family satisfaction, while showing similar mental health risks to other faith groups.
Religious Retention
Analyzes retention patterns over time, revealing both declines and notable strengths—especially in active participation—along with key factors influencing why some stay or leave.
Conclusion
Wraps up by showing that while cultural shifts pose challenges, Latter-day Saints remain uniquely resilient, with high engagement, strong faith transmission, and a promising future.
About the Authors
W. Justin Dyer, PhD
W. Justin Dyer is Professor of Religious Education at BYU and editor-in-chief of BYU Studies. His research focuses on religion, well-being, and Latter-day Saint youth and families.
Jenet J. Erickson, PhD
Jenet Jacob Erickson is Associate Professor of Religious Education at BYU. Her research focuses on women’s well-being in the contexts of faith, work, and family life.
Sam A. Hardy, PhD
Sam A. Hardy is Professor of Psychology at Brigham Young University. His research focuses on religious development in adolescence and young adulthood.
Barbara Morgan Gardner, PhD
Barbara Morgan Gardner is Professor of Religious Education at BYU. Her research focuses on women, religious experience and leadership, international religious education, and Latter-day Saint doctrine.
David C. Dollahite, PhD
David C. Dollahite is Professor of Family Life at BYU and codirector of the American Families of Faith project. His scholarship focuses on religion, marriage, parenting, and family life.