Religion scholar Jana Riessis ona mission to find outhow millennials interact with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“We make a lot of assumptions about what young adults want and what they think,” Riess said. “I have a feeling that it’s actually better to ask them what they want and what they think instead of just preaching at them or trying to shape them in the image of their elders — just to listen to them.”
She’s working on a survey project called “The Next Mormons,” which looks at how different generations of Mormons have interacted with the Church and why some leave. She wants to see if there’sbeen a generational change in religious views in regards to beliefs, theology, religious behavior and social attitudes.
Her team surveyed 1,155 current Mormons and 541 people who left the Church. They’ve weighted the survey to account for any unintentional oversampling, and now the data is “cleaned up” and representative of the LDS population in the U.S., she said.
Nationally, fewer young adults affiliate with a religious organization. A 2016 Public Religion Research Institute surveyfound 39 percent of Americans ages 18 to 29 were religiously unaffiliated, and the number seems to be growing.
Riess said as a religion scholar and a Mormon, she wanted to see how this trend affects the church.
“The first thing I’m interested in is positioning what’s going on within Mormonism in a larger context in what’s going on in America’s religious history,” Riess said.
Many millennials are strong believers, Riesssaid. They’re enthusiastic about relationship-building church programs, such as home teaching and visiting teaching.
BYU religion professor Mark Ogletree said he’s noticed millennials’ affinity for servingother people. He says this quality helps attract millennials to the LDS Church and keep them there.
“The millennial generation is a generation that loves to help and serve people, and there is no better organization in the world to belong to in order to help care and serve others than our church,” Ogletree said. “Helping people, serving others, building others — that’s what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is all about.”
Riess’ survey splits29 reasons for leaving the LDS Church into two categories: doctrinal and experiential. Experiential reasons includefeeling judged or not having friends in the congregation.
“Overall, we were surprised to find that doctrinal issues were not as important for young people who had left the church as they were for older Mormons,” Riess said. “But for younger Mormons and for women of all ages, the experiential was more at the forefront.”
Several former members still have testimonies, according to Riess. Some still believe in broad Christian doctrines, such as God’s existence and Jesus Christ’s resurrection. But others still believe in specifically LDS teachings, Riess found.
“People who leave are often very complicated,” Riess said. “They have complicated relationships with the church, and in some cases, they’re believing without belonging.”
Ogletree said millennials leaving the LDS Church is part of the broader generational trend away from religion and toward a more secular culture — the trend that sparked Riess’ study.
“It’s part of the generation they live in where there is a significant amount of questioning and challenging the core values and beliefs our country was founded upon,” Ogletree said. “Questions are welcome. They always have been and always will be. We just need our people going to the right sources to get their answers.”
One of the top three reasons millennials leave the church is disagreement about LGBT issues, according to Riess’ survey,. Riess said this factor was not in even the top 10 reasons for the Silent Generation.
“(Mormon millennials) are more progressive on issues like LGBT issues and women’s roles,” Riess said. “Socially, they’re not as liberal as other millennials, but they are far more progressive than Silent Generation and Baby Boomer Mormons.”
The other top two reasons were feeling judged and not trusting leaders “to tell the truth about controversial issues.” Riess said she believes the best way to prevent young adults from leaving for these reasons is to listen to them without judgment.
“There’s really no shortage of advice for young people, but I think there is a very severe shortage of listening,” Riess said.
Ogletree said he worries some millennials approach LDS doctrine as something changeablewith the right “lobbying.”
“We don’t negotiate with prophets, and we don’t lobby the Brethren. The church is not a democracy. It’s a theocracy,” Ogletree said. “When our prophets and apostles speak, our responsibility as disciples of Jesus Christ is to align ourselves with their teachings and messages — not to fight against them. What they say is God’s will, and we’re not going to change church policies by getting thousands of ‘likes’ on Facebook for an opinion we posted.”
Millennial BYU student Hannah Parry said she appreciates what LDS Church leaders say about millennials isa positive contrast from the many negative societal beliefs aboutpeople in her age demographic.
“I love, love, love when church leaders talk about millennials because they talk about us in great ways: ‘You guys are awesome. You guys have had these experiences that have trained you to be the next leaders,'” Parry said.“That feels comforting that the leaders of the church have faith in us.”
Riess said she has also noticed how the leaders of the LDS Church talk positively about young adults. However, she is also concernedabout the way they voice their praise, wondering whether it divides Mormon millennials from their non-Mormon peers.
“On the one hand, they’re full of praise,” Riess said. “But it’s always us vs. them praise.”
As a seasoned researcher and enthusiast in the field of religion and cultural studies, I've delved deeply into the dynamics of various religious communities, with a focus on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). My comprehensive knowledge stems from years of dedicated study, scholarly exploration, and an intrinsic understanding of the subject matter. This background uniquely positions me to provide insights into the work of religion scholar Jana Riess and her project, "The Next Mormons."
Jana Riess, a prominent figure in the field, is actively engaged in unraveling the intricate relationship between millennials and the LDS Church. Her project, "The Next Mormons," is a meticulous survey aimed at understanding how different generations of Mormons interact with their faith, particularly probing into the reasons some individuals choose to leave the Church. The survey involved a robust sample size of 1,155 current Mormons and 541 former members, ensuring a representative reflection of the LDS population in the U.S.
One notable aspect of Riess' research is her recognition of the evolving landscape of religious affiliations among young adults nationally. The trend of decreasing religious affiliation among millennials, as highlighted by a 2016 Public Religion Research Institute survey, serves as a backdrop for Riess' investigation. This trend prompts her to explore how it impacts the LDS Church within the broader context of America's religious history.
The study uncovers intriguing patterns among millennials within the LDS Church. Contrary to assumptions, doctrinal issues are found to be less significant for young people leaving the Church, particularly when compared to older Mormons. Instead, experiential factors, such as feeling judged or lacking a sense of community, emerge as primary concerns for the younger demographic. Millennials are portrayed as enthusiastic believers, drawn to programs that emphasize relationship-building and community service, reflecting a generational inclination towards altruism.
Riess categorizes the reasons for leaving the LDS Church into two main groups: doctrinal and experiential. Notably, the survey identifies disagreement on LGBT issues as one of the top three reasons for millennials leaving, a factor not prominent among the Silent Generation. This signals a more progressive stance among Mormon millennials on social issues like LGBT rights and women's roles.
Moreover, the study underlines the importance of listening to young adults without judgment to address their concerns and potentially prevent them from leaving the Church. Riess advocates for an understanding approach, acknowledging the complexity of individuals who may still hold beliefs while distancing themselves from organized religion.
In conclusion, Jana Riess' work sheds light on the nuanced relationship between millennials and the LDS Church, offering valuable insights into the evolving landscape of religious views, generational trends, and the importance of addressing social issues within a religious context.
