Speculation On Growth And Organization

[daz2]

We sometimes note how Catholics have changed the original organization of the Church of apostles and 70s. Moreover, there are wide differences in practices and sometimes in teachings among the Catholic churches throughout the world. On the other hand, through correlation and a tight organizational structure, the 12 and FP are able to exercise stewardship in maintaining uniformity of doctrine and practices.

Our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters claim about 1.2 billion members worldwide; we LDS claim 14.1 million.

For the heck of it, I wonder what our church might look like if we claimed the same number of adherents as Roman Catholicism. For rounding purposes,I will pretend that someday we have 100 times the number of LDS we currently do. If there were 1.41 billion LDS,

then the statistical report might look a bit different (assuming we retained the same organizational units).

There might be 294,000 stakes

2,880,000 wards and branches

34,000 missions

5,540,000 missionaries

13,600 temples

2,500 areas

Might there be 7,000 Seventies at the general authority level? 24,000 area seventies?

I wonder if there might be something intermediate between the 2500 areas and the central church. Super-areas? Might there be other general officers designated?

Would all 5,540,000 missionary callings be processed through SLC? All 2,880,000 approvals of bishops through SLC? Would there be more devolution of authority?

Other fun things to toy with. If indeed the Church's tithing revenues are 6 billion, then 100 times that would be 600 billion a year.

Would the current BYUs be the only sponsored church universities (or would they remain church sponsored)? Or might there be 100 times that number: 300 BYUs throughout the world?

[zerinus]

We sometimes note how Catholics have changed the original organization of the Church of apostles and 70s. Moreover, there are wide differences in practices and sometimes in teachings among the Catholic churches throughout the world. On the other hand, through correlation and a tight organizational structure, the 12 and FP are able to exercise stewardship in maintaining uniformity of doctrine and practices.

Our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters claim about 1.2 billion members worldwide; we LDS claim 14.1 million.

For the heck of it, I wonder what our church might look like if we claimed the same number of adherents as Roman Catholicism. For rounding purposes,I will pretend that someday we have 100 times the number of LDS we currently do. If there were 1.41 billion LDS,

then the statistical report might look a bit different (assuming we retained the same organizational units).

There might be 294,000 stakes

2,880,000 wards and branches

34,000 missions

5,540,000 missionaries

13,600 temples

2,500 areas

Might there be 7,000 Seventies at the general authority level? 24,000 area seventies?

I wonder if there might be something intermediate between the 2500 areas and the central church. Super-areas? Might there be other general officers designated?

Would all 5,540,000 missionary callings be processed through SLC? All 2,880,000 approvals of bishops through SLC? Would there be more devolution of authority?

Other fun things to toy with. If indeed the Church's tithing revenues are 6 billion, then 100 times that would be 600 billion a year.

Would the current BYUs be the only sponsored church universities (or would they remain church sponsored)? Or might there be 100 times that number: 300 BYUs throughout the world?

And how many temples would there be? Will the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon have been revealed by then? Will Zion have been redeemed, and the temple in Missouri built? If you want to give free reign to your imagination, the possibilities are limitless.

[Buzzard]

When the seven quorums of 70 are fully staffed, make sure those walking shoes are broken in and your GPS is programmed with directions for Independence. IMHO, of course.

[Freedom]

Would there ever be more than one quorum of 12 apostles? Perhaps one per 50 million members? I have heard it said, and I have no credible sources to back this up other than the opinion of a general authority back in 1988 that the then-existing church structure can accommodate 40 (?) million active members. I think it was Ted Brewerton The conversation was a long time ago, I didn't take notes, and the context of the conversation is long forgotten but this number has stuck in my head.

Growth has slowed significalty however. It was moving along at 4%/year and then in about 1998 it suddenly dropped to 2% and has remained at that level ever since.

[CV75]

Or might there be 100 times that number: 300 BYUs throughout the world?

Whenever I hear about Church growth, I think about 1 nephi 14:12: "And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw."

[Alan]

When the seven quorums of 70 are fully staffed, make sure those walking shoes are broken in and your GPS is programmed with directions for Independence. IMHO, of course.

Actually, there are eight quorums of Seventy at present.

If the LDS numbers were similar to the Catholic numbers, there would have to be changes in church organisation in my view. I could see the creation of national churches each with a first presidency and a quorum of 12, under the umbrella of the First Presidency.

[boaz]

My ward just baptized a 15 year old girl that is mentally unstable. Her parents approved hoping our ward would start to take care of her. She was in a mental care facility weeks before she was baptized and has returned just a few weeks after baptism. My how the church is growing.

[blackstrap]

My ward just baptized a 15 year old girl that is mentally unstable. Her parents approved hoping our ward would start to take care of her. She was in a mental care facility weeks before she was baptized and has returned just a few weeks after baptism. My how the church is growing.

Don't forget to twist the knife after insertion.

[Duncan]

My ward just baptized a 15 year old girl that is mentally unstable. Her parents approved hoping our ward would start to take care of her. She was in a mental care facility weeks before she was baptized and has returned just a few weeks after baptism. My how the church is growing.

our ward did that last year and haven't seen head nor tails of this woman since. I knew from the beginning she wasn't a keeper but the elders wouldn't listen. So far we have 4 baptisms this year with two still active and the other two are children with inactive parents, the kids come sometimes with their grandparents

Edited October 3, 2012 by Duncan

[Bikeemikey]

You really only need leadership for active members.

Take the numbers and divide them by three - that's what 1.4 billion members would look like. Unless we are assuming all members are active.

I have been in wards with 800-1000 on the roles and only 70-100 people there on Sunday.

[Hamba Tuhan]

So far we have 4 baptisms this year with two still active and the other two are children with inactive parents, the kids come sometimes with their grandparents

Could you pick the children up each Sunday?

Edited October 3, 2012 by Hamba Tuhan

[Hamba Tuhan]

Would the current BYUs be the only sponsored church universities (or would they remain church sponsored)? Or might there be 100 times that number: 300 BYUs throughout the world?

My mission president had earlier served as what they used to call a regional representative. In that position, he had been approached by the Catholic Church at one point. They wished to divest themselves of a small, underutilised university campus but wished to see it continue as a religious institution and checked with him to see if we'd be interested in purchasing it and turning it into a new BYU. He contacted Church headquarters with the offer and was put through to Pres Hinckley, who, as my MP reported it, said, 'Heaven's no! We have enough trouble with BYU as it is. Why would we want to compound our troubles?'

Edited October 4, 2012 by Hamba Tuhan

[Duncan]

Could you pick the children up?

They won't allow it, the grandparents are the "in" with the grandkids=they get them whenever whatever the parents say

[Hamba Tuhan]

They won't allow it, the grandparents are the "in" with the grandkids=they get them whenever whatever the parents say

OK. I hate seeing people who wish to be at church miss out for things like transport issues. I pick up four boys each Sunday, two deacons and two teachers.

[MiserereNobis]

I've thought about this issue in discussions with Mormons. Imagine the LDS church is 2000 years old and has 1.(whatever) billion members. Do you think that all the so-called problems the Catholic Church has had would be absent? Personally, I don't think so. Humans are fallen humans. And between now and that hypothetical point in the future your church would have gone through several growing pains, as the Catholic Church did.

The LDS church is a new, young church, with all of the benefits and disadvantages of youth. Ah, to be alive 2000 years from now, and to see what religions look like, eh?