Mormons are very successful as missionaries. According to some estimates, most Mormons today are people not born born. Note also that you only need more than 50% of the population to stay Mormon for this to work, and I’m pretty sure that the fraction leaving the fold is large but much less than that (I’d venture a guess of less than a third leave and likely much lower than that).
A similar example is happening with Orthodox Jews. The charedi(Ultra-Orthodox) have many kids, generally from 6-12 kids per a family. They are in the midst of what they call a “crisis” because kids are leaving the faith. But in practice, only a small fraction (at most 10%, probably a lot less) are leaving. That might have deep sociological and psychological effects, but the overall fraction of the population staying religious is still very high.
and I’m pretty sure that the fraction leaving the fold is large but much less than that
I haven’t found numbers myself; I know 9 ex-LDS, all of them born into the LDS church, as well as 3 Mormons who converted into the religion. I personally know no Mormons who were born into their faith. Given this, I have an obvious bias to thinking that Mormons tend to leave their faith, but I have no idea how true it is. I’m not surprised that most Mormons are not born into it, and I’m reasonably sure that currently the percentage of people who are Mormon worldwide is increasing, but I have some faith that that trend will not continue for long. I hope that’s not unfounded optimism.
I know a large number of Mormons who were born into the faith and remain there as adults. I have met at least one ex-Mormon, and I don’t think I know any converts, although it might have just failed to come up with some of my more distant acquaintances.
Mormons are very successful as missionaries. According to some estimates, most Mormons today are people not born born. Note also that you only need more than 50% of the population to stay Mormon for this to work, and I’m pretty sure that the fraction leaving the fold is large but much less than that (I’d venture a guess of less than a third leave and likely much lower than that).
A similar example is happening with Orthodox Jews. The charedi(Ultra-Orthodox) have many kids, generally from 6-12 kids per a family. They are in the midst of what they call a “crisis” because kids are leaving the faith. But in practice, only a small fraction (at most 10%, probably a lot less) are leaving. That might have deep sociological and psychological effects, but the overall fraction of the population staying religious is still very high.
I haven’t found numbers myself; I know 9 ex-LDS, all of them born into the LDS church, as well as 3 Mormons who converted into the religion. I personally know no Mormons who were born into their faith. Given this, I have an obvious bias to thinking that Mormons tend to leave their faith, but I have no idea how true it is. I’m not surprised that most Mormons are not born into it, and I’m reasonably sure that currently the percentage of people who are Mormon worldwide is increasing, but I have some faith that that trend will not continue for long. I hope that’s not unfounded optimism.
I know a large number of Mormons who were born into the faith and remain there as adults. I have met at least one ex-Mormon, and I don’t think I know any converts, although it might have just failed to come up with some of my more distant acquaintances.