The landscape of American religion is undergoing a complex evolution, marked by shifts in demographics, institutional participation, and personal identity. Central to this broader trend is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), a faith tradition that has long occupied a unique space in the American religious tapestry. As part of a comprehensive effort to map these changes, the Pew Research Center’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS) offers a robust, data-driven look at the current state of the LDS population in the United States. Conducted in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, this extensive survey of 36,908 U.S. adults provides a granular view of how modern adherents, converts, and former members define their faith and place within the national discourse.
Historical Context and Research Evolution
To understand the current standing of the LDS Church, one must look at the longitudinal data provided by previous iterations of the Religious Landscape Study. The Pew Research Center has tracked religious identification across the country for nearly two decades, with major surveys conducted in 2007, 2011, and 2014. These earlier studies were largely telephone-based, relying on verbal prompts to categorize religious affiliation.
The 2023-24 RLS represents a significant shift in methodology, transitioning toward a self-administered model—predominantly conducted online or via paper questionnaires. This evolution in survey design was accompanied by a refinement in how the LDS Church is categorized. While early studies utilized a simple prompt asking respondents to select from a list of major religious traditions, the latest survey explicitly included the church’s full name: "Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS)." This change reflects an ongoing effort to align academic research with the preferred self-identification of the faith’s leadership and global membership.
Methodological Rigor and Sample Composition
The accuracy of sociological reporting relies heavily on the transparency of its data collection. The 2023-24 study sampled 36,908 adults across the United States, including both English and Spanish speakers. Within this expansive sample, the study isolated a subgroup of 565 Latter-day Saints, allowing for a statistical analysis with a margin of error of approximately 6.2 percentage points.
This sample is further disaggregated to provide insight into the diverse experiences of members. For instance, the data captures 253 men and 308 women within the faith, reflecting varying margins of error—9.7 and 7.5 percentage points, respectively. Regional trends are equally critical; the study highlights that 332 respondents are located in the Mountain region, traditionally the heartland of the LDS faith, while 233 reside in other areas of the country. These figures are essential for researchers attempting to discern whether the religious experiences of members in Utah and Idaho differ significantly from those living in more secular or religiously diverse urban centers on the coasts.
Classifying the Latter-day Saint Identity
A perennial challenge in the study of religious identity is the "back-coding" of respondents who identify with peripheral or historically related groups. In the 2007 and 2014 surveys, the methodology included a safety net for those who did not immediately select "Mormon" but volunteered identities like "Community of Christ" or "fundamentalist Latter-day Saint." These individuals were folded into the broader Mormon category for analytical purposes.
The 2023-24 study adopted a more streamlined approach. While it allowed for self-identification, it did not proactively back-code respondents into the LDS category. The impact of this change, however, is statistically negligible. In the most recent survey, only six out of the nearly 37,000 respondents volunteered an identity associated with a Mormon group outside of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This underscores a high degree of clarity among American respondents regarding their specific religious affiliation and suggests that the institutional identity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remains distinct and well-understood by the public.
Socio-Demographic Breakdown of the LDS Population
The data suggests that the LDS population in the United States is not a monolith; it is deeply stratified by age, education, and conversion status. The survey indicates that younger members (ages 18-49) account for 247 respondents, while the 50+ cohort comprises 311. This age distribution is vital for observers tracking the generational retention of the faith.
Educational attainment also reveals interesting patterns, with 303 respondents reporting a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 262 with less formal education. Perhaps most significant for those studying church growth is the divide between "lifelong" members—who make up 414 of the sample—and "converts," numbering 151. The higher margin of error associated with the convert population (12.7 percentage points) indicates the inherent difficulty in capturing this smaller, more mobile segment of the religious landscape, yet the data remains an essential benchmark for understanding how the church grows through proselytization versus birth rates.
Political and Institutional Implications
Religious affiliation in the United States has become increasingly correlated with political leaning, and the LDS Church is no exception. The 2023-24 RLS reports that 412 respondents within the LDS category identify as Republican or lean Republican. As the church navigates a rapidly changing political environment, this high degree of partisan alignment remains a point of interest for political scientists.
Furthermore, the study tracks "Former Latter-day Saints," a group represented by 316 respondents. Understanding the motivations and demographics of those who leave the faith is as important to the study of religious sociology as understanding those who remain. By analyzing the "exit" data alongside the "entry" data, the Pew Research Center provides a dual-lens view that illustrates the fluid nature of religious belonging in the 21st century.
Analysis of Trends and Future Outlook
The broader finding that the decline of Christianity in the U.S. may be leveling off provides a critical backdrop for the LDS-specific data. If the "religious landscape" is indeed entering a period of stabilization, the LDS Church, which has historically been known for high retention and strong community cohesion, may serve as a bellwether for institutional resilience.
However, the margin of error for specific subsets—such as converts or those outside the Mountain region—serves as a cautionary note for those attempting to draw sweeping conclusions. The reliance on self-reporting and the shift in terminology over the last two decades require that researchers approach these findings with an appreciation for the nuance of language.
Conclusion: A Foundation for Further Research
The 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, led by researchers Jonathan Evans and Rebecca Leppert, stands as a critical resource for scholars, policymakers, and religious leaders alike. By standardizing the methodology and providing a transparent look at the demographic makeup of the LDS population, this project facilitates a deeper understanding of one of America’s most distinct religious communities.
As the digital age continues to reshape how surveys are conducted and how religious identities are expressed, the data collected between 2023 and 2024 offers a snapshot in time—a necessary reference point for all future inquiries into the stability and evolution of the LDS faith in the United States. Through rigorous data collection and a commitment to objective analysis, the Pew Research Center continues to illuminate the complex, often shifting, patterns of belief and belonging that define the American experience. The ongoing documentation of these trends ensures that the narrative of faith in America remains grounded in facts, providing a stable foundation for the complex discussions that will undoubtedly follow as the religious landscape continues to change.
