Are LDS Prone to Problems
by Michael R. Ash

 

In 1982 a staff-writer for the Denver Post published a series of articles that were very critical of the LDS faith.  This anti-Mormon series made several unflattering claims about Mormons and attempted to show that Utah statistics painted a picture of an unhappy, wicked, maladjusted, and dysfunctional people.  Other anti-Mormon publications (including several books) were quick to incorporate these (and other) seemingly damming statistics in their crusade against Mormonism.

            Current estimates suggest that about 70% of Utahan’s are LDS, and that about 42% of Utahans are actively practicing LDS.[1] As more non-LDS move to Utah the numbers of Mormons in the state continue to decrease.  Since, however, the majority of Utah residents are either Mormon or members of record, the critics, citing unfavorable Utah statistics, have implied that the fruits of Mormonism are far from positive.

 

Divorce Rate

According to the Denver Post article the divorce rate in Utah has always been higher than the national average.[2]  While the Church places high emphasis on the family, it’s a true but sad fact that Utah divorce rates are about the same as the national average.[3]  Those critics who generally refer to these supposedly damming statistics are often evangelical Christians.  It’s ironic, therefore, to note that according to divorce statistics, the “divorce rate in much of the area where evangelical Christianity is particularly strong is roughly 50 percent above the national average.”[4] 

            Studies suggest, however, that linking divorce to religions denominations could be faulty methodologically.  Low income and age of marriage are known to contribute to higher divorce rates.  Also, for as yet undetermined reasons (although economic factors seem to be at play), certain geographical locations show significant differences in overall divorce rates.  Of the eight intermountain states (which typically have higher than average divorce rates), Utah ranks the lowest.

            Other studies suggest that those who attend Church weekly (regardless of denomination) are 36% less likely to divorce than those who never attend Church.[5] As one researcher observes, the “biggest factors contributing to marital success are higher income, increased education level, higher age at marriage and higher levels of religious commitment and activity.”[6]  According to additional statistical research, significantly less temple-marriages end in divorce than non-temple marriages.[7]

 

Depression and Suicide

According to some critics, Mormonism causes depression (especially among women) and suicide (especially among male youth).  “I’m now convinced,” wrote one ex-Mormon, “that depression among LDS women is rampant….”[8]  Part of the reason that some people believe that LDS women are depressed stems from the claim that Utahans purchase more Prozac and other anti-depressants than any other state.[9] 

            Even if it were true that Mormons purchased more Prozac or other anti-depressants, it would be difficult, according to professional statistician, Tim Heaton, to “know the meaning” of such statistics.  It’s always possible, he notes that “Mormons go to the doctor and get a prescription to deal with their depression whereas other people are more likely to self-medicate with alcohol or other drugs….”[10]  Dr. Andrea Radke explains that there are “complex factors that might affect the use of Prozac and other anti-depressants”

 

…these include socio-economic status, level of education, number of children, genetic factors determining predisposition to depression, religiosity or non-religiosity (even among Mormon women born into the faith who are non-practicing), counseling services that accompany medication and the numbers of men who might also require medication and counseling. Further, the high percentage of Prozac use might reflect a greater awareness by leaders that encourages members to seek professional therapy and medication alternatives.[11]

 

Other recent studies challenge some of the unfavorable Utah statistics. Janet and Larry Jensen (psychologists), for instance, found that there is no evidence for the claim that Utah women are more depressed or purchase more antidepressants.[12]  According to the research of sociologists Sherrie Mills Johnson and Marie Cornwall, Mormon women are less likely to be depressed than the average American woman.[13]  “‘To date,’” notes Johnson, “‘no conclusive evidence has been presented that proves that LDS women are more depressed or take more anti-depressants than other women.’”[14]

            Critics also claim that, in Utah, suicide is the “leading cause of death for males between the ages of 15-44.”[15]  Unfortunately, according to reliable sources, the suicide rate in Utah is higher than the national average.  As with the divorce statistics, however, we find that Utah has a lower suicide rate than surrounding western states. “There’s kind of this notion,” explains Heaton, “of frontier mentality, people moving in, less established social structure, [that] creates higher suicide [rates]…”[16]  Among active members, the rate is lower.  The latest research on this topic demonstrates a direct inverse correlation between suicide rates and Church activity among LDS males, aged 15 – 34.

 

Inactive LDS males experience a suicide rate roughly four times that of active LDS males.  Non-LDS males experience a suicide rate roughly six times that of active LDS males.[17]

 

This same research shows that U.S. white males (aged 20-34) had suicide rates two and one-half to seven times that of active LDS males of equal age.  Active LDS males, aged 15–19, have an equal suicide rate to that of national rates.[18]

 

Crime, Violence, and Abuse

Critics frequently site statistics that cast Utah in unfavorable light in regards to violence, crime, and abuse. Reportedly rapes, for example, are higher in Utah than the national average. [19]  The problem with all such statistics is that they show correlation between relative population sizes, but they do not show causation.  What do these statistics mean?  In the case of rape, for instance, it certainly is possible that there are more rapes per capita in Utah than in other similar places within the U.S., but it is also possible that rapes are reported more frequently in Utah than other U.S. states.  It could be, for instance, that Latter-day Saints are more likely to report rapes because of the religious emphasis on chastity, while individuals in other states may be less likely to report “date rapes” or other forms of sexual assault—especially by an acquaintance. We really don’t have enough data to conclusively interpret the causal relation of such statistics.

            There are good and bad people in all religions.  All faiths have members who, despite the moral directives of their religion, commit heinous crimes, bilk the elderly, commit fraud, lie, cheat, and steal.  Virtually all religions proscribe behavior such as theft, murder, and rape.  Even Islamic terrorists, who believe they are acting within the boundaries of their religious beliefs, engage in actions that are considered offensive by traditional Islamists and the bulk of those who profess to be Islamic.

            Critics flaunt any negative statistic culled from Utah demographics to imply that the LDS faith is somehow at fault.  As with so many other anti-Mormon arguments, this is another example of typical anti-Mormon hyper-critical fantasy; everything bad in Utah, or any wrong action committed by a Mormon, is to be blamed on the Mormon Church. When all one has is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

            Generally, all believers who actually adhere to the precepts of their religion help make the world a better place.  Mormons, who actually follow the words of the prophets, and live their religion, are generally good citizens who treat their neighbors with honesty and respect.  To blame any and all statistical ills in Utah on Mormonism is a specious argument.  There is no evidence for a causal relationship between wrongdoing in Utah and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Such a relationship is simply another weak weapon in the arsenal of the critic’s endeavor to damage a member’s testimony.

 

Good Fruits

There are a number of statistics that seem to extol the “good fruits” of Latter-day Saint religion. Utah’s “crime index,” for example, (which includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson) is 5.3% lower than the national crime index.[20]  Utah’s property crime index (burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson) is less than half of the national average. The murder rate is one-third the national average,[21] and motor vehicle theft is 71% lower than the national average.[22]  Utahans also have the lowest DUI death rate in the country[23] and the lowest birth rate to unwed mothers.[24]  Residents of Utah have the lowest mortality rate due to cancer,[25] the lowest rate of heart disease, a low rate of premature death, a low rate of infant mortality, and a low rate of total mortality.[26]  While Utah is 3rd in longest life expectancy, Mormons in Utah typically outlive non-Mormons in Utah by six to seven years.[27]

            Among LDS high school seniors who attend seminary, 10% of males and 17% of females report having premarital relations.  In comparison, 77% of male and 66% of female high school students nationwide report having premarital relations.  Non-LDS youth are also nearly four times as likely to ever have been drunk as their LDS counterparts.[28]

            Statistics also favor Utah when it comes to education.  To repeat some information that was covered in Chapter 8 (Part 1), Utah is tied for second place in “producing people listed in Leaders in Education,” first “as the birthplace of people listed in American Men of Science…,”[29] and has produced more scientists per capita than any other state.[30] Generally, LDS adults in the U.S. “are more likely to have had post-high school education” than other adults in the U.S.[31]

            Studies also suggest that, in unique contrast to most other Christian faiths, higher education among LDS seems to contribute to Latter-day Saints religiosity. According to studies conducted of several mainline Protestant groups, the religiosity of members declined as education increased. Basically, most people tend to move away from certain religious beliefs as their learning in the secular world increases.  All studies indicate the overwhelmingly “negative effect” of education on religiosity.  Such studies report that “the higher the level of education, the higher the probability that their respondents would have apostatized from the church.”  Higher “education tends both to expand one’s horizons and increase exposure to countercultural values....”  “In other words,” notes one researcher, “poorly grounded religious beliefs have simply been unable to stand in the face of challenges generated by modern science and higher education.”[32] This is generally not the case, however, with Latter‑day Saints.

            A study of college‑educated and noncollege‑educated Mormons has show that “those with post‑bachelor’s degrees are, on the average, more religious than those who never attended college.”  College‑educated Latter‑day Saints, “both as a group and by specific level of education were, on the average, more religiously involved than noncollege‑educated Latter‑day Saints.”[33]  In contrast to the negative effect associated with education and religion for other groups, studies of Latter‑day Saints have shown “a strong positive relationship between level of education and religiosity....” 

 

Whether we are talking about personal value placed on religious beliefs, attendance at church, financial contributions, frequency of personal prayer, or frequency of gospel study, the impact of increased education among Latter‑day Saints is positive.....  The secularizing influence of higher education simply doesn’t seem to hold for Latter‑day Saints.[34]

 

Utah high school students rank 3rd in the nation for passing AP tests,[35] and they rank among the top in percentage of high school graduates.[36]

            When it comes to practicing their religion, Mormons rank high as well.  In a 2001 study, for instance, a higher percentage of Mormons reported praying to God over the previous week than did Protestants or Catholics.  Nearly four times as many Latter-day Saints report attending Sunday School as the typical U.S. adult, and over twice as many Saints were involved in Church-related service over the past week as the average adult American,[37] and Utahans spend more of their time doing volunteer work than residents of any other state.[38]  The Salt Lake City–Ogden area contributes more to charity (about 15%) than any other metropolis in the nation.[39]

            Despite the fact that nearly three-fourths of Utah residents are LDS, minority religions thrive well in the state.  Non-LDS sociologist, Rodney Stark, observes that Utah Mormons not only take care of their own, but also reach out to others.  As Carrie Moore reported,

 

The LDS Church helped rebuild the magnificent Catholic Cathedral of the Madeline in downtown Salt Lake. The LDS Church helped build a Baptist sanctuary in Bountiful, a Hindu Temple in South Jordan, and a Hare Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork. Brigham Young donated land for the first Jewish Synagogue in Salt Lake. The Salt Lake Organizing Committee went out of its way to make sure all religious bodies in Utah were part of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.[40]

 

All in all—and contrary to some critics—statistics tend to shed a positive light on Utah and Latter-day Saints.


[1]  See Matt Canham, “Mormon Portion of Utah Population Steadily Shrinking” Salt Lake Tribune, 28 July 2005.  Canham’s article claimed that currently, only about 62% of Utahns are LDS, but the Church disputes that figure claiming that Canham’s figures didn’t account for “in-transit members” (or “people who are moving”).  The Church claims that about 70% of Utahn’s are LDS. (See http://www.religionnewsblog.com/12126 [accessed 10 October 2005]; thanks to David Stewart for alerting me to this dispute over LDS percentages.)

 

[2]  Quoted in Ed Decker and Dave Hunt, The God Makers (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1984), 19.

 

[3]  “Linking Religion, Divorce Rate Faulty,” UtahMarriage.org at http://www.utahmarriage.org/index.cfm?id=RECENT02 (accessed 30 August 2005).

 

[4]  Ibid.

 

[5]  Ibid.

 

[6]  Glenn T. Stanton, “The Role Faith Plays in Marriage and the Likelihood of Divorce,” Focus on Social Issues: Marriage and Family—Divorce (1 July 2005), Family.org at http://www.citizenlink.org/FOSI/marriage/A000000901.cfm (accessed 15 November 2006).

 

[7]  See Gilbert Scharffs, The Truth About the God Makers (Salt Lake City: Publishers Press, 1986), 45; see also Tim B. Heaton, “Dealing with Demographics,” FAIRLDS.org at http://www.fairlds.org/pubs/conf/2002HeaT.html (accessed 30 August 2005); and William Lobdell, “Holy Matrimony: In Era of Divorce, Mormon Temple Weddings are Built to Last,” Los Angeles Times (8 April 2000), available on-line at http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_marriage.html (accessed 30 August 2005).

 

[8]  See http://www.exmormon.org/whylft56.htm (accessed 30 August 2005).

 

[9]  See D.P. Sorenson, “Melancholy Baby,” Salt Lake City Weekly (5 May 2005), available on-line at http://www.slweekly.com/editorial/2005/deep_2005-05-05.cfm (accessed 30 August 2005).  Sorenson claims that “Salt Lake City is the Prozac capital of the country. We’re number one in anti-depressant prescriptions.”  See also, Julie Cart, “Study Finds Utah Leads Nation in Antidepressant Use,” Los Angeles Times (20 February 2002); available on-line at http://www.rickross.com/reference/mormon/mormon64.html (accessed 30 August 2005).

 

[10]  Heaton.

 

[11]  Dr. Andrea G. Radke, “The Place of Mormon Women: Perceptions, Prozac, Polygamy, Priesthood, Patriarchy, and Peace,” at http://www.fairlds.org/pubs/conf/2004RadA.html (accessed 30 August 2005).

 

[12]  Janet Jensen and Larry Jensen, “Are Utah Women More Depressed?” BYU’s Family Studies Center; available on-line at http://familycenter.byu.edu/columns.aspx?id=63 (accessed 30 August 2005).

 

[13]  “Expert: Mormon Women Less Depressed,” (AP, 2005) on USAToday.com at http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-04-02-mormon-depression_x.htm (accessed 30 August 2005).

 

[14]  Quoted by Carrie A. Moore, “Study Elevates LDS Women,” Deseret News (2 April 2004); available on-line at http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595053226,00.html (accessed 30 August 2005).

 

[15]  “Utah’s Dark Reality,” Life After Ministries at http://www.lifeafter.org/mormonsuicide.asp (accessed 30 August 2005).

 

[16]  Heaton.

 

[17]  Gilbert W. Fellingham, Kyle McBride, H. Dennis Tolley, and Joseph L. Lyon, “Statistics on Suicide and LDS Church Involvement in Males Age 15-34,” BYU Studies (2000) 39:2, 177.

 

[18]  Ibid., 179.

 

[21]  Ibid.

 

[22]  See http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_dem.html (accessed 16 November 2006).

 

[23]  Lucinda Dill, “DUI Death Toll in Utah Jumps 4%,” Deseret News (21 October 2001); available on-line at http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,335007042,00.html  (accessed 12 March 2006).

 

[24]  U.S. Census Bureau (2002-2003 report); available on-line at http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/fertility/005807.html (accessed 12 March 2006).

 

[25]  See http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_dem.html (accessed 11 November 2006).

 

[26]  Cited in David Stewart, “The Word of Wisdom: A Principal with Promise” (2003), 3; available on-line at http://limhi.com/wordofwisdom.doc (accessed 11 October 2005).

 

[27]  See http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/sep2006/db20060913_099763.htm and Ray M. Merrill, “Life Expectancy among LDS and non-LDS in Utah,” Demographic Research, 10:1, 61; available on-line at http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol10/3/10-3.pdf (accessed 16 November 2006)..

 

[28]  David Stewart, “By Their Fruits,” 3.

 

[29]  Gerald Scott, “Effects of College Education on the Religious Involvement of Latter‑day Saints,” BYU Studies (Winter 1984) 24:1, 44.

 

[30]  Mark W. Cannon, “Latter-day Saints and Science,” at http://www.meridianmagazine.com/sci_rel/020314lds.html (accessed 17 November 2006).

 

[31]  Howard M. Bahr and Renata Tonks Forste, “Toward a Social Science of Contemporary Mormondom,” BYU Studies (Winter 1986) 26:1, 92.

 

[32]  Stan L. Albrecht, “The Consequential Dimension of Mormon Religiosity,” BYU Studies (Spring 1989) 29:2, 100.

 

[33]  Scott, 51; italics added.

 

[34] Albrecht, 103.

 

[35]  Tiffany Erickson, “Utah pupils 3rd in U.S. in earning AP credit,” Deseret News (8 February 2006); available on-line at http://deseretnews.com/dn/view2/1,4382,635182655,00.html?textfield=school (accessed 15 November 2006).

 

[36]  Jay P. Greene, “High School Graduation Rates in the United States” (November 2001), 11; available on-line at http://www.torres4bpt.com/pdf/cr_baeo.pdf (accessed 17 November 2006).

 

[37]  David Stewart, “By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them” (2003), 3; available on-line at http://limhi.com/fruits.doc (accessed 10 October 2005).

 

[38]  Angie Welling, “Utah ranks No. 1 in U.S. in voluntarism,” Deseret News (13 June 2006); available on-line at http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,640186501,00.html (accessed 17 November 2006).

 

[39]  The Great North Alliance New: AP Story (28 April 2003); available on-line at http://www.thegreatnorth.com/news/03/030428.asp (accessed 15 November 2006).

 

[40]  Carrie Moore, Deseret News (2 November 2002); available on-line at http://proutah.com/viewdocument.php?docDocId=387

 (accessed 11 October 2005).