Lifelong Mormon vs. Mormon Convert Activity

[PacMan]

Pew Research did a study of different religions, and I found some of the statistics surprising. I also doubt the probatity or clarity in some of the questions, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Oh...so the answer (according to Pew) is that lifelong Mormons are more active, which stands out significantly from the rest of the religions researched. Why so different? Is the belief system so much stronger than other faiths at the family level, or do we do a really crappy job with converts?

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1392/greater-zeal-of-religious-converts-is-real-but-modest

PacMan

[Jeff K.]

Have you looked at the numbers?

Do you notice incredibly large the percentages involved are? How much more active Mormon converts are than converts in other churches?

Consider the importance of God in ones life

research

I think the original post leaves out a great deal of context.

[notHagoth7]

Have you looked at the numbers?

The percentage of those who proselyte as converts vs. those who proselyte as life-long members is telling.

The percentage is twice as high among those who converted.

Which means they're twice as apt to be on the front lines, interacting with those of other paradigms, attempting to share.

Whereas most life-long members are insulated by friends/families who mostly all share the same faith.

Like a flock of birds, where the same handful are bearing the brunt of the headwinds, while few spell them off.

Try to deal w/that kind of friction your whole life, and you can bet it could take a toll on a number of certainties.

So converts are surrounded by friends and family who don't share their faith. Several of whom are probably antagonistic.

Which is why their need may be stronger for support/friendship from other members.

[PacMan]

Have you looked at the numbers?

Do you notice incredibly large the percentages involved are? How much more active Mormon converts are than converts in other churches?

....

I think the original post leaves out a great deal of context.

Jeff,

It only leaves out a great deal if you think any measure of success of the true church is based on the comparables of other religions. I don't, but rather prefer an internal consideration of why activity levels of LDS life-longs vs. converts is as it is.

PacMan

[divinenature]

Wow, that is very interesting. I'm pretty shocked that only 57% of LDS polled believe theirs is the "one true faith" leading to eternal life. I would have expected it to be much higher.

[Jeff K.]

Jeff,

It only leaves out a great deal if you think any measure of success of the true church is based on the comparables of other religions. I don't, but rather prefer an internal consideration of why activity levels of LDS life-longs vs. converts is as it is.

PacMan

You raise a good point, I was thinking of the comparison basis and not necessarily the direct singular catagory of the church and its internal characteristics.

I suppose, in an effort to keep the context relevant, that there should be a multi year study to see if the trend is in the positive or negative direction. It is one thing to see the distinctions, it is another to see if we are responding to those plausible distinctions.

[rodheadlee]

The percentage of those who proselyte as converts vs. those who proselyte as life-long members is telling.

The percentage is twice as high among those who converted.

Which means they're twice as apt to be on the front lines, interacting with those of other paradigms, attempting to share.

Whereas most life-long members are insulated by friends/families who mostly all share the same faith.

Like a flock of birds, where the same handful are bearing the brunt of the headwinds, while few spell them off.

Try to deal w/that kind of friction your whole life, and you can bet it could take a toll on a number of certainties.

So converts are surrounded by friends and family who don't share their faith. Several of whom are probably antagonistic.

Which is why their need may be stronger for support/friendship from other members.

Everything you say is true, we are converts and the only members in our family in the church. Many times I wished I had been born Mormon, in Utah, to be insulated from my past.

[PacMan]

Wow, that is very interesting. I'm pretty shocked that only 57% of LDS polled believe theirs is the "one true faith" leading to eternal life. I would have expected it to be much higher.

I don't have much faith in the question. I can see how easy this one is conflated; i.e. compare "Is all truth comprised to one faith?" with "Is all truth unique to one faith?" The ridiculously low percentage really tells me the answers were of the "No, but..." variety.

Jeff K.,

Yes, it would be interesting to see data over time. It would also fix some of the possible other problems of question bias, etc.

PacMan