Scholar Matthew Bowman explores various reasons that could explain why LDS Church growth in the U.S. is slowing.
The rise of secularism, the loosening of standards, and opposition to progressive causes have all been blamed, but there are flaws in each theory. Could it be that all play a part?documenting — as we have come to expect — the faith’s ongoing expansion, complete with an increased number of congregations, multiplying missions and so on.
General authority Seventy Clark G. Gilbert speaks at General Conference in 2021 has pointed to the rise of secularism. According to the strict-church theory, demanding high commitment from members means that a church gives high rewards. If only 20% of the congregation sings, it sounds bad, more people won’t sing the next time around, and eventually fewer people show up to church. But if everybody is expected to sing, everybody enjoys the music. Similarly, if a church expects a high level of commitment to its youth programs, the summer camp will be incredible.
The observations the strict-church theory makes seem to have held some truth in the 1970s and ’80s, when evangelical churches were booming in membership while older mainline churches were hemorrhaging members. But it also appears that the American religious landscape is changing in ways that make the argument seem today rather archaic. The Y on Y Mountain east of Brigham Young University is lit in rainbow colors to show support for the LGBTQ+ community in 2021.
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