94 Reasons to Be a Latter-day Saint

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LDS Rank

#1

Mental HealthVerified

LDS LGBQ Youth Have the Lowest Self-Deletion Attempt Rate

10% attempt rate — lowest of any religious group. No religion: 23%. BYU Studies, 86,346 students.

Health

Monthly Fasting Cuts Coronary Artery Disease Risk by 54%Verified

71% less likely to have heart failure. Intermountain / AHA.

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Mental Health

Active LDS Men Have Self-Deletion Rates 3-6x Lower Than Non-LDSVerified

American Journal of Epidemiology, 27,738 death records. One of the largest protective effects ever documented.

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ServiceVerified

LDS Members Lead Every Denomination in Neighborly Service

45% of LDS — highest of any religious group. AEI Survey Center on American Life, n=5,058.

HealthVerified

LDS Members Die at Half the Rate of the Average American

All-cause SMR of 49 (men), 59 (women). U.S. baseline: 100. Enstrom & Breslow.

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HealthVerified

LDS Members Live Nearly a Decade Longer

Men: +9.8 years. Women: +5.6 years. UCLA, 24-year study. 'Lowest death rates ever documented.'

Health

Active LDS Men: Cardiovascular Death Rate 74% Below U.S. AverageVerified

SMR of 26. Among the lowest ever documented. Enstrom & Breslow.

Health

LDS Men Die of Smoking-Related Cancers at 85% Below National RateVerified

SMR of 15. Word of Wisdom written 1833. Science confirmed 1950s.

Character

The Only Religion That Likes Every Other Religion — Including AtheistsVerified

Net favorable view of every group measured. No other denomination does this. Pew 2023.

Mental Health

The 'LGB Mormon Paradox': Better Mental Health Than LGB Non-MormonsVerified

Baylor University, Journal of Homosexuality, 2017. Population-based data.

Mental Health

Bowling Green State Confirms: LDS LGBTQ Youth Have Lower RiskVerified

Independent analysis of 73,982 students confirms BYU Studies finding.

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LDS Rank

#1

Women & HappinessVerified

LDS Women Report the Highest Happiness Rate of Any Religious Group

35% 'very happy' — highest. 5% 'not too happy' — lowest. Pew 2023-24.

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Child SafetyVerified

LDS-Sponsored Boy Scout Troops Were 4-6x Safer Than the Average BSA Troop

LDS troops: one-quarter the expected rate by troop share. Cranney & Roach, Public Square Magazine.

LDS Rank

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Happiness

LDS Tied for #1 Happiest Religious Group in AmericaVerified

69.4% well-being score. Gallup, 676,000 respondents.

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Happiness

Active LDS Members Are 'Very Happy' at Nearly Double the Rate of Those Who LeaveVerified

35% of lifelong LDS "very happy" vs 20% of former members. Pew 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study.

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Marriage

LDS: Lowest Divorce Rate + Highest Marriage RateVerified

9% divorced (lowest). 66% married (highest). Pew / GSS / Cranney at Baylor.

LDS Rank

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ServiceVerified

LDS Members Volunteer 430 Hours/Year — 7x National Average

Penn: 'the most prosocial members of American society.'

LDS Rank

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Civic Engagement

Penn Called LDS 'The Most Pro-Social in American Society'Verified

428 hours/year volunteering. Cnaan / Pew, 2012.

LDS Rank

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Youth Outcomes

LDS Teenagers Have the Highest Abstinence Rate from All SubstancesVerified

25% tried alcohol vs 85% nationally. BYU RSC.

Self-Reliance

LDS 7x More Likely to Have a Disaster Supply KitVerified

5x food storage, 4x community connection. Peer-reviewed PMC study, 572 households.

HealthVerified

LDS Men Live 7.3 Years Longer — Same State, Same Environment

Neighbor vs neighbor in Utah. Demographic Research, 2004.

LDS Rank

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Marriage

LDS Marital Satisfaction: 9.3/10 — Highest of Any ReligionVerified

Evangelicals: 8.9. Catholics: 8.2. GSS / Schaefer Riley.

Health

LDS Members Have 24% Lower Cancer RatesVerified

60% lower smoking-associated cancer in women. Lyon et al., Cancer Causes & Control.

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Commitment

GPS Data Proves LDS Church Attendance Is 3x the National AverageVerified

2.1 million phones. University of Chicago.

Mission Service

Pentagon's Language School: 64 Weeks. LDS Church: 9 Weeks.Verified

36,000 students/year. 50+ languages. NPR, 2014.

LDS Rank

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FamilySearch

FamilySearch: 22.7 Billion Records — Largest Genealogy Database, FreeVerified

1.8 billion people. 297 million visits in 2025. Entirely free.

Commitment

American Prayer Fell 14 Points. LDS Held at 73%.Verified

U.S.: 58%→44%. LDS: steady. Gap: 29 points. Pew.

LDS Rank

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Biblical LiteracyVerified

LDS Scripture Reading: 77% Weekly — Higher Than Evangelicals

Evangelicals: 63%. Pew, 35,000+ Americans.

LDS Rank

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Biblical LiteracyVerified

LDS Members Score #1 on Bible Knowledge — Pew Survey

Higher than every other group tested. Pew Religious Knowledge Survey.

Youth Outcomes

BYU Study: Home Spiritual Environment Protects LDS YouthVerified

3,540 students across 3 U.S. regions. BYU RSC.

Disaster Response

12,000 Volunteers in 48 Hours: Hurricane Helene 2024Verified

170,000 hours. 5,700 homes. 14 command centers.

Education

Perpetual Education Fund: 130,000 Graduates, 70% Graduation RateVerified

80+ countries. 88% found better work. Double US college completion rate.

LDS Rank

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Education

Payscale's #1 Value University Is LDS — Tuition $4,800/YearVerified

Above Harvard in relative economic value. Payscale ROI Report.

Mission Service

Returned Missionaries: College Degrees at 2x the National RateVerified

37% men, 45% women completed degrees. BYU Studies.

RetentionVerified

Gen Z Leaves Religion at Record Rates. LDS Gen Z Attends at 60%+.

68% under 45 say religion very important. Outperforming every denomination.

LDS Rank

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CommunityVerified

Most Community-Connected Religious Group in America

72% feel connected. Evangelicals: 57%. AEI 2021.

EducationVerified

Education Strengthens LDS Faith — The Most Dramatic Exception to the Pattern

92% of college-educated LDS are highly religious vs 78% without. Pew 2017.

LDS Rank

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HealthVerified

LDS Smoking Rate: 8% — Lowest of Any Religion

National: 20%. Heavy alcohol: 1% vs 5-7% others. Gallup.

Global Humanitarian

47% Fewer Infant Deaths: LDS Neonatal Program in 94 CountriesVerified

16,473 trained in 9 countries in one year. Tanzania: 47% reduction.

Church Growth

308,000 People Joined the LDS Church in 2024 — Most in 27 YearsVerified

+22.6% from 2023. Salt Lake Tribune confirmed.

LDS Rank

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CommitmentVerified

LDS Lead Every Denomination in Weekly Group Scripture Study

45% vs 30% Evangelicals. National: 13%. Pew 2023-24.

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Retention

LDS Active Participation: 42% — Highest of Any ReligionVerified

42% raised LDS attend monthly. Highest of any religion. Pew RLS.

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Service

$1,821 to Social Causes + Full Tithing — #2 of Any ReligionVerified

Only Jewish households give more. Penn / Giving USA.

LDS Rank

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Health

GPS Verified: Least Likely to Visit Liquor Stores and Tobacco ShopsVerified

2.1 million phones. Not surveys — actual behavior. U of Chicago.

Disaster Response

LDS Disaster Relief Deploys Within Hours — 569 Emergency Projects in 2025Verified

Pre-positioned supplies. Ward-based volunteer mobilization.

LDS Rank

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FamilyVerified

80% of LDS Parents Teach Faith at Home — Most of Any Group

Evangelicals: 76%. Muslims: 70%. All Christians: 58%. Pew 2023-24.

Youth Outcomes

At 18, LDS Youth Have Premarital Sex at One-Fifth the National RateVerified

LDS men: 11% vs 58%. LDS women: 19% vs 59%. BYU.

Church Growth

President Nelson Has Announced 200 Temples in 7 YearsVerified

382 total temples worldwide. Half of all temples in Church history.

LDS Women

Relief Society: 7 Million Members, 188 CountriesVerified

Founded 1842. One of the oldest and largest women's organizations.

FamilyVerified

81% Say Being a Good Parent Is a Top Life Goal — vs 50% Nationally

73% prioritize marriage vs 34% nationally. Pew 2012.

LDS Rank

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Health

Active LDS Drink at a Fraction of the National RateVerified

11% of temple-recommend holders drink. 60% nationally. NMS / Religion in Public.

HealthVerified

LDS Women Live 5.6 Years Longer

86.1 vs 80.5. UCLA, 24-year study.

LDS Rank

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Marriage

82% of LDS Marriages Are Between Two Latter-day SaintsVerified

Second only to Hindus (91%). Pew 2015.

Church GrowthVerified

Last 12 Months: Highest LDS Conversions in Church History

Q1 2025 up 20%+ in every region. Salt Lake Tribune.

Mission ServiceVerified

74,127 Full-Time Missionaries in 150+ Countries

450 missions. 35,000+ service missionaries.

Commitment

100% Believe in God — 90% Absolutely CertainVerified

National: 89% believe, 63% certain. Pew 2014 RLS.

Food Security

124 Bishops' Storehouses Produced 100 Million Pounds of FoodVerified

32 farms. 44M lbs donated through community initiatives.

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Service

72% of LDS Volunteered in the Past Year — Highest by 20 PointsVerified

20 points above next group. Pew 2023-24 RLS.

LDS Rank

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HappinessVerified

LDS Think About Life's Meaning More Than Any Other Religious Group

65% weekly. Evangelicals: 58%. Pew 2023-24.

Education

BYU Pathway: 88,937 Students in 180+ CountriesVerified

U.S. and Nigeria lead enrollment. Low-cost accredited degrees.

EducationVerified

1 Million Students in LDS Seminary and Institute

75,000 non-LDS participants. Daily scripture education.

Service

LDS Church: $1.58 Billion in Welfare and Humanitarian SpendingVerified

196 countries. ~$4M/day. 2025 Caring Report.

Service

670,000 People Made More Self-Reliant in 130 CountriesVerified

61% improved problem-solving. Church program data.

Mission Service

74,127 LDS Missionaries in 150+ Countries WorldwideVerified

411 missions. 60+ languages. Mostly youth volunteers, self-funded.

CommitmentVerified

73% of LDS Members Pray Every Day

Only 7% seldom/never vs 32% of Americans. Pew 2023-24.

LDS Rank

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CommitmentVerified

LDS Say Grace More Than Any Other Religious Group

68% always/often. Evangelicals: 58%. Pew 2023-24.

LDS Rank

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Commitment

84% Say Religion Is Very Important in Daily LifeVerified

Evangelicals: 79%. National: 53%. Pew RLS.

LDS Rank

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Commitment

Highest Afterlife Belief of Any Christian GroupVerified

95% believe. 80% certain. Pew (KSL summary).

LDS Rank

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Commitment

73.4% 'Very Religious' — Highest of Any ReligionVerified

Protestants: 50%. Muslims: 45%. Catholics: 40%. Gallup.

LDS Rank

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Commitment

115 Minutes Per Church Visit — Nearly Double CatholicsVerified

GPS-verified. University of Chicago.

Commitment

22% Claim Weekly Church. Only 5% Go. LDS Reports Match Reality.Verified

GPS data. Most groups overreport. LDS doesn't.

RetentionVerified

60%+ of LDS Young Adults Attend Weekly — vs 22% Non-LDS

Bucking national trend. Pew/CES 2024.

Youth OutcomesVerified

85% of LDS Young Adults Say Faith Is Important

vs 54% non-LDS. Only 7% say 'not at all' vs 27%. Pew.

Happiness

92% of Young LDS (Under 50) Report High Life SatisfactionVerified

vs 79% general population. Pew 2012 Mormons in America.

Happiness

85% of LDS Report Being Very or Pretty HappyVerified

Pew 2023-24. Consistent with Gallup #1 ranking.

Marriage

LDS Same-Faith Marriages: 13% Divorce in 5 Years. Interfaith: 40%.Verified

Threefold difference. Lehrer & Chiswick, Demography.

MarriageVerified

Temple-Sealed Marriages: Divorce in Low 20s% vs ~50% National

Three times lower. BYU Studies 2023.

LDS Rank

#1

Marriage

LDS Families Average 3.4 Children — Highest of Any Major GroupVerified

vs 2.1 national. Pew 2015.

Education

LDS Post-Secondary Education: Men 53.5% vs 36.5% NationalVerified

Women: 44.3% vs 27.7%. BYU RSC.

Education

LDS Youth Attend Daily Religious EducationVerified

No other denomination matches. Seminary + Institute.

Financial Outcomes

29% of LDS Households Earn $100,000+ — Up From 16%Verified

Pew 2023-24 RLS. Nearly doubled since 2007.

ServiceVerified

Annual Volunteer Value Per Active LDS Member: $9,140

430 hours/year at economic value. Penn.

Civic EngagementVerified

74% Say Helping the Poor Is Essential to Being a Good Mormon

Not optional. Pew 2012.

Global HumanitarianVerified

3,836 Projects. 192 Countries. 6.6 Million Hours. One Year.

591 food security + 267 clean water projects.

Global HumanitarianVerified

$55.8 Million for Child Nutrition Across 12 Countries

Nearly 2 million children. One line item in a $1.45B year.

Global Humanitarian

350,000+ Wheelchairs. 6.4 Million With Clean Water.Verified

Decades of sustained humanitarian investment.

Food Security

LDS Church Spent $906 Million on Welfare and Humanitarian Aid in One YearVerified

$1.45B in 2024 across 192 countries.

Food Security

32 Church-Owned Farms Supply a Vertically Integrated Food SystemVerified

Operating since 1936. 100M lbs/year. 44M donated externally.

LDS Rank

#1

CommunityVerified

Most Weekly Social Time With Church Community

50%+ socialize weekly outside services. AEI 2021.

Service

LDS Self-Reliance: 67,000 Businesses Started in One YearVerified

22,000 trainings. 14,000 jobs. 69 countries.

Service

Deseret Industries: 85 Years of Job TrainingVerified

A thrift store that's actually an employment program.

Mental Health

Utah's Antidepressant Rates: Altitude, Not TheologyVerified

3 of 4 SSRIs less effective at high altitude. U of Utah Health.

HealthVerified

LDS Fasting Linked to Lower Diabetes: 12% vs 20%

Routine fasters vs non-fasters. Intermountain Medical Center.

Retention

LDS Members Lead All U.S. Christian Denominations in Active Monthly ParticipationVerified

42% active monthly — the highest rate of any Christian denomination in America. Pew Research.