Researcher Devin Pope at the University of Chicago tracked 2.1 million cell phones over nearly a year to measure actual church attendance — not self-reported surveys, but GPS-verified physical presence at houses of worship.
LDS members showed approximately 15% weekly attendance — the highest of any major religion and 3x the 5% national average. The only comparable group was Jehovah's Witnesses.
A critical finding: 22% of Americans claim they attend church weekly, but only 5% actually do according to GPS data. Most religious groups significantly overreport their attendance. LDS members are among the few groups where self-reported attendance closely matches actual behavior.
LDS members also spent an average of 115 minutes per church visit, compared to approximately 60 minutes for Catholics.
Pew's 2023-24 survey data aligns: 64-69% of LDS members report weekly attendance, compared to 56% for Evangelicals, 27% for Catholics, and 21% for Mainline Protestants.
An additional behavioral finding: frequent religious attenders were significantly less likely to visit strip clubs, liquor stores, and casinos — with LDS members showing the lowest visitation rates of any group at 1.7% for adult venues.
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