Membership Numbers

Recently a friend (hat tip to Mark Giles) pointed out to me that there is a discrepency between the number of LDS in the US that Church records reflect, and the number of people who claim adherence to our faith in the US Census. Roughly speaking, the numbers are 50% - only half of the people on our records consider themselves Latter-day Saints. This is not surprising to me.

I have noticed the 50% number appearing frequently in Church statistics. A list of personal observations follows:

• 50% of baptized members consider themselves members (see above)
• 50% of active adults are endowed
• 50% of endowed adults have a current recommend
• 50% home teaching is quite common
• 50% of active members pay tithing

Naturally these 50% figures are all estimates but it is a striking pattern. Then I read the Parable of the Ten Virgins, a parable about active Church members, and I wonder how many of us are truly prepared to pass through to the other side. Is it 50%?