by Keith L. Brown | Feb 20, 2014 | Mormons in the News
As part of a larger study on religious values, diversity, and immigration, the Public Religion Research Institute released an infographic which shows the age range of religious affiliations throughout America. Concerning the infographic, Tony Jones in his blog post on Patheos titled “Bye-Bye Millenials” stated,
Here, in living color, we see the church’s failure to engage an entire generation.
You’ll notice that it [the infographic] also undermines the evangelical claim that they’re doing better with younger generations than progressive Christians. You’ll see that’s not true. In fact, the evangelical drop is more precipitous than the mainline drop — they’ve also got further to fall. [1]
Evangelicals Experience Decrease, Other Faiths Witness Increase in Number of Millenials
While the evangelicals may be experiencing a decrease in the retention rate of the younger generations, other Christian groups are maintaining their numbers, and even in some cases, are increasing in the number of members of their congregations who are a part of the younger generations. Jana Riess in her article, “Mormons gaining ground in the 18 to 29 age group,” commented, “Black Protestants are holding steady; nonwhite Catholics are exploding; and Mormons (of all ethnicities combined) have moved from a 2% share in the 65+ age group to a 3% share among that generation’s grandkids.” [2] She also carefully notes that one of the main differences between Mormonism and other mainline religious groups is that the trend of disaffiliation within Mormonism often occurs later than sooner in life. (more…)
by Charlotte Wilson | Feb 18, 2014 | Mormons in the News
In 2014 for the first time in its history, the National Prayer Breakfast will have a Mormon giving the keynote address. (Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a faith often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church). Senator Mike Lee, a republican representing Utah, spoke on Thursday, February 6, 2014, to a group of many prominent public figures, including the President of the United States.[1]
(more…)
by Charlotte Wilson | Feb 3, 2014 | Mormons in the News
When young men and young women go out to serve missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a faith often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church), they are religious ambassadors who present a message that brings purpose and peace. When these missionaries return home, they are equipped with specific skills and talents that help them connect and communicate with others. Many former Mormon missionaries use their missionary skills (in addition to formal education and training) to serve the United States as ambassadors to other countries.
What Makes Mormon Missionaries Good Ambassadors?
Mormon missionaries make great ambassadors because they’ve been ambassadors before. The message they share on Mormon missions is somewhat different than that of an international ambassador, but the overall basics are the same.
While serving missions, they learn how to approach strangers and talk to them candidly. They learn how to connect with people and how to share and stand up for what they believe. The social and communications skills that they learn in the field help to prepare them for the rest of their lives. (more…)
by Charlotte Wilson | Feb 3, 2014 | Mormons in the News
The 2014 Winter Olympics begin in Sochi, Russia, in just a couple of short weeks. Tyler Anderson, a luger who’s been training for the Olympics almost his entire adolescence, decided to table his Olympic ambitions to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a faith often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church). Why would someone with so much athletic talent give up a chance to compete in the Olympics? The answer is simple: Tyler felt he was needed elsewhere.[1]
source for all images (more…)
by Charlotte Wilson | Dec 3, 2013 | Mormons in the News
YouTube is not an easy place to make it big online. It’s like the LA of the internet! Sure, YouTube houses countless one-hit-wonders, but if you do go viral on the video streaming site, it’s usually a one-time deal. The success of an entire YouTube channel is hard to come by. The Mormon Channel, however, ranks in the top 5,000 YouTube channels, outperforming brands like Apple, Microsoft, and Lego.[1] The Mormon Channel is owned and managed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a faith often inadvertently referred to as the “Mormon” Church, and is able to draw in not only viewers but also subscribers by producing content that shares messages to touch the soul.
Mormon Channel Draws Subscribers
The key to the success of a YouTube channel is the number of subscribers in addition to the number of total views. As of October 2013, the total number of Mormon Channel subscribers was over 200,000, with the site boasting almost 60 million views. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ are likely the primary subscribers to the channel, and share videos they find inspiring. When these videos are shared via social media, countless others–both members and non-members of the Mormon faith–are exposed to these soul-reaching messages. (more…)
by liviw | Aug 19, 2013 | Mormons in the News
Two boys stare up, beaming out of a small photo in a gold locket. A picture of a newborn – the baby’s tag reads “born March 2011”. An old black and white photo of a couple that seems to be set in the 50’s. Photos of people she doesn’t know surround Brooke Porter, of Oklahoma, at home, and she is determined to find them.
Latter-day Saints Always Willing to Lend a Helping Hand
Brooke Porter volunteered in the Oklahoma tornado clean up with Mormn Helping Hands, the official community service program with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently called the Mormon Church).
In her characteristic yellow Helping Hands vest, Brooke joined fellow Church members in the clean up after the E-5 tornado in Oklahoma. Digging through the debris, Brooke began to notice some personal items left behind, mostly pictures. She volunteered herself to take home the hundreds of photographs she salvaged. She has started a Facebook page and is manually scanning and photographing the personal items and pictures and uploading them to be claimed online. (more…)
