Religious Health-O-Meter: Mormons Are the Exception

Hmmmm. . . That’s interesting, but I can’t help but wonder about it. Maybe it’s because I study statistics and always question causal or correlational results! Why do you think this would be the case for Mormons? Obviously education and wealth would go together, but why do these things not deter Mormons from religiosity, as it seems to happen in other religions? Or is it that for Mormons their religion encourages education, which leads to wealth, but the blessing of that gets reinforced back to believing in the religion? It would be interesting to see if the wealthier or those with more education are as orthodox as other members. I don’t know that I like the idea of God blessing Mormons with more wealth than other religious people, so what this means remains a bit confusing to me.

The LDS Church doesn’t work for everyone, but when it works, it tends to work really well. It’s easy to forget that in the midst of a faith crisis / transition, but it’s important to remember not to destroy what works so well for others just so one’s misery can have company.

I try to keep this in mind all the time but some times the blessings people think they are getting because they are Mormon, they get because they are practicing good common sense and it has nothing to do with their religion.

I’m not in full agreement with the author’s conclusion. Just look at the data objectively and critically.

Mormon’s are first in terms of marriage rates — granted. But they are 8 out of 11 on wealth and 9 out of 11 in terms of having “some college” in this sample of religions. So, I don’t see Mormons as the happy, wealthy, educated exception — they are far less wealthy than average, have less education than average, but stay married more than the average religious person. To me, the data confirms the idea that low income and education rates correlate with high commitment. Mormons are not an exception.

So, although I agree with Ray that Mormonism works for many people, I’m not sure it succeeds with the wealthy, well-educated type where other religions are not successful. In fact, the tendency for the church to see intellectuals as a threat (BKP said this once, and even the BoM is negative on the learned) confirms this for me.

At first, I felt like the problem with my own commitment is my personality. While this is partly true (I am creative, don’t like structure, achiever, intellectual type), I think there are unecessary cultural pressures that damage family and damage commitment that the church doesn’t address.

I stand corrected. I got them mixed up with Evangelicals. Now all the Evangelicals are all going to be ticked off at me.

You are right, it appears that wealth and education do not correlate with lower commitment levels as with other churches. So, it appears that Mormonism works better for the wealth and educated than in other churches. Why would this be so? What are the possible reasons?

Like most things, there is a central paradox – and I believe many members navigate it wonderfully, while others don’t.

Yes, I am in the latter category. I did navigate it wonderfully for about 20 years, though. I think there is a subgroup of people who take things at face value, that overcommitment can lead to burnout, disillusionment, and a feeling that its not worth it anymore.

I am a self-made educated person…none of my parents had much education. So, in my case, I joined the church, and stayed committed for 20+ years, and have an OK lifestyle…am married, have advanced education.

I don’t credit the church for any of that. The reason I stayed active was a) spiritual experiences b) a feature of my personality that follows through on commitments when I make them and now c) the family and social pressure.

Also, I found that GBH sort of ruined the whole education thing for me — he commented that the church leaders like education because it improves people’s ability to serve in the church. Not because education improves their character, ability to succeed, family prosperity — it improves their ability to serve in the church.

However, we don’t know the causes of this — why the well educated and wealthy Mormons tend to be more active than other religions. I think there is a possiblity it has to do with teaching that we should go to university/college/school, but I think there are a lot more rites of passage in our church than others that keep you “responding” with commitment throughout your life. And the relentless pressure to get TR’s has a lifelong impact.

In this part of the world, most of us are not well educated or well off. I’m better educated than most local members, sometimes so much so I have to dumb things down for them… We have issues with literacy, historical knowledge, political savvy, and independent thinking.

I’ve got issues with my personal wealth right now, as it’s going down the tubes.

When our members here get educated, they often disappear.

On the other hand, Americans coming into the ward are usually well educated and

often well off.