The Pew Report

The Pew Forum recently issued a report about the Mormons. Interestingly the report is dated July 24th, which as readers of this blog know is also Pioneer Day. In it they report that Latter-Day Saints make up 1.7% of the American population, and 58% of Utah's population. They report that:

"A new analysis of the Landscape Survey data reveals that as a group Mormons are among the most devout and conservative religious people in the country. The Mormon community is also internally diverse, with differences according to levels of religious commitment and educational attainment, regions of the country where Mormons live, and between lifelong Mormons and those who have converted to the faith. This report explores Mormons' unique place in the American religious landscape and is divided into three parts: demographic characteristics, religious beliefs and practices, and social and political views."

There are a few surprising details in this report such as:

• They include all of the Restoration churches (i.e. LDS, Church of Christ, Strangites, etc..) as a group
• Mormons are younger than the American population on average
• 56% of Mormons are female
• Mormons and Hindus have the highest percentage of married people with rates much higher than the national average
• Mormons and Hindus are the most likely to have married someone of the same faith (83%)
• Mormons have a high percentage of whites although the Jews, mainline Protestants, and Orthodox Christians have a higher percentage
• Mormons have a high percentage of people who go to college, but the number of college graduates is near the national average

They also have some interesting statistics about converts. To read the whole report click here.