Key Findings at a Glance [Latter-day Saint Trends in the United States]
- Highest religious activity in America. Seventy-six percent of Latter-day Saint Millennials and Gen Z attend church at least monthly—more than any other major US religion. Eighty percent of Latter-day Saint parents pray and/or read scripture with their children, also the highest.
- Strong well-being, even among the youngest generation. Latter-day Saints rank among the very highest in feeling “deep spiritual peace” and being “very happy with life.”
- The highest active retention in the country. Forty-two percent of those raised Latter-day Saint still identify as such and attend monthly as adults—the highest active-retention rate of any religion. Among Millennial+ Christians, only Adventists retain active members at a higher rate.
- Some data suggest retention has declined, a trend similar to that seen in other religions. The current retention rate is ~50%, down from 82% in the 1980s. This is higher than other Christian denominations except Catholics and Orthodox Christians.
- Two factors stand out as the strongest predictors of leaving. Among Latter-day Saint youth, not feeling God’s presence in daily life and political ideology were the most significant predictors of deidentifying in their early 20s—a pattern seen across US religions today.
- Most who leave still value faith. Of those who deidentify, 54% still consider religion or spirituality important, and roughly 2 in 3 leave open the possibility of returning.
