What scientific research reveals about latter-day saints

As a bishop and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I am used to people asking questions about my faith. Sometimes out of genuine curiosity, sometimes with a healthy dose of skepticism. I understand that well. Our church is relatively unknown in Flanders, and what people know about it often comes from American television series, documentaries, or social media posts.

Recently, I came across a video that cited nine scientific studies conducted on latter-day saints in recent decades. Studies from institutions such as Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, and the Pew Research Center. The video presented an impressive series of figures on families, youth, church attendance, prayer, and volunteering. I went back to the original sources to see what was really there. The result is encouraging.

Science cannot prove that a church is true. But it can show what fruits a faith bears. And according to the Bible, that is exactly how we recognize a tree.

Remarkably committed believers

On September 22, 2026, the renowned American Pew Research Center published a comprehensive report titled Tradition and Change Among Latter-day Saints in the U.S. The report is based on the Religious Landscape Study, a survey of nearly 37,000 American adults, supplemented by previous Pew research from 2007, 2011, and 2014.

The results are remarkable. Of American Latter-day Saints, 72 percent say religion is very important in their lives. As many as 73 percent pray daily, compared to 44 percent of the average American population. And 69 percent attend a religious meeting at least once a week. Among all American adults, this is only 25 percent. Even among evangelical Protestants, who pray as often as we do, only half go to church weekly.

Even more striking is the picture of who we become over the course of our lives. Nearly half of Latter-day Saints (48 percent) say they have become more religious over their lives and only 12 percent less religious. Among Americans in general, these two balance each other out: 28 percent say they have become more religious, 29 percent less. In addition, 58 percent of members say they have become more spiritual. Faith does not seem to fade with the years among us, but to grow.

This is an important finding in a society where faith is increasingly seen as a strictly personal matter, without much influence on the way we live. For many members of our church, religion is not a conviction they endorse on paper, but something they try to live every day.

What children remember from their parents

Another interesting study comes from Harvard University and Baylor University. Their Global Flourishing Study collects data from over 200,000 people in 22 countries. The researchers try to understand what helps people lead meaningful, healthy, and happy lives. They look not only at income or health, but also at human relationships, meaning, character, and religion.

In an analysis of the American participants, published by BYU Professor Justin Dyer, Latter-day Saints score particularly well in several areas:

• 94 percent felt loved by their mother while growing up and 90 percent by their father. That is about ten percentage points more than among people who are far from faith, and the highest of all groups in the study.
• Only 8.5 percent struggle with depression, compared to 16 to 19 percent among people without religion, agnostics, and atheists.
• 30 percent call themselves very happy, almost double that of groups further from faith.
• 89 percent draw strength and comfort from their faith.

I find the figure about fathers particularly striking. Our church places great emphasis on family. We believe that family ties have a meaning that extends beyond this earthly life. Parents are encouraged to spend time with their children, pray together, support each other, and consciously work on their mutual relationships. It is beautiful to see that these values are reflected in the memories of those who grew up in such families.

Of course, a figure does not prove that faith is the cause. But it is a strong indication that what we try to do in our families is truly felt by our children.

Do young people still believe?

Anyone who talks about religion today almost inevitably hears that young people are no longer interested in it. Churches are emptying, traditions are disappearing, and faith would gradually become something of older generations.

That's why I find the results of the National Study of Youth and Religion particularly fascinating. This American study, which started in 2001 under the leadership of sociologist Christian Smith, investigated how young people experience their faith. According to the figures cited in the video, 71 percent of young people from our church attended a church service at least weekly, and almost seven out of ten would also go if that decision were entirely up to them. Among Protestant and Catholic youth, these percentages were significantly lower.

Another figure from the same study makes it concrete: 70 percent of teenagers with Latter-day Saint parents had already completed at least one religious service project or missionary trip. Among conservative Protestants, that was 34 percent. Our young people not only go to church, they also get to work for others.

The research began at the start of this century, but more recent data confirms the picture. In a 2021 study among Americans aged 13 to 25, young Latter-day Saints attend church more often than their peers and have more trust in organized religion. And according to the 2026 BYU Studies report, 76 percent of the youngest generations attend church at least monthly, more than in any other faith community.

A church where service is central

Perhaps I found the research on volunteering the most surprising. In 2012, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania published a study on the volunteering and charity of active church members.

They surveyed 2,664 church-going Latter-day Saints and found an average of 427.9 hours of volunteer work per person per year. That's over eight hours a week. For comparison, the researchers referred to an American average of approximately 48 hours per year. Their own conclusion: Latter-day Saints are the most prosocial members of American society.

Over 150 of those hours go to social and community projects through the church, such as helping people in need. And 62 percent of respondents also volunteer outside the church. The recent Pew report confirms this picture: nearly three-quarters of members volunteered in the past year, and 48 percent believe most people are trustworthy, compared to 34 percent of all Americans.

Anyone who knows our church a little knows why. It largely runs on volunteers. Local leaders, teachers, youth leaders, and countless other members contribute their unpaid efforts, alongside their work and family. Not only for religious gatherings, but also for practical help, guidance, and support for others.

Behind those hundreds of hours lies a principle I like to emphasize: faith is not solely about what we receive, but also about what we are willing to give. Christ taught His followers to love and serve one another. For us, that is not a beautiful idea, but daily practice.

Why faith is passed down from generation to generation

One of the most difficult questions for any faith community is how it can pass on its beliefs to future generations. Sociologist Vern Bengtson from the University of Southern California researched for years how religious beliefs are passed down within families. His research followed more than 350 families and 3,500 people over four generations and formed the basis for the book Families and Faith.

An important finding was that family ties play a lasting role in the religious development of children. Not only parents, but also grandparents can be meaningful in this. According to the figures from the video, approximately six out of ten children in the studied families adopted their parents' religious beliefs as adults.

The most striking insight I find is that warmth outweighs piety. Children most often adopt faith from parents who combine affection and security with a consistent example. The bond with the father, in particular, proves crucial. This remarkably fits the figure mentioned earlier: 90 percent of Latter-day Saints felt loved by their father as children.

This aligns with something I strongly believe: we can tell our children a lot about God, but ultimately our example speaks loudest. A faith that is lived out lovingly is most often passed on.

A church that endures

No faith community escapes the changes of our time, including ours. The Pew report shows that percentages have decreased somewhat since 2007. Then 83 percent said religion was very important in their lives, now 72 percent. Those who pray daily decreased from 82 to 73 percent. And of those raised in the church, 54 percent still identify as members as adults, compared to 70 percent in 2007.

I don't see that as a reason for concern, but as an invitation. Because the context is significant. Our church remains one of the most engaged faith communities in the country. Retention is higher than with most Protestant church families, and according to BYU professor Justin Dyer, no group has so many adults who retain their childhood religion and still go to church. Moreover, the church is also growing through converts: about a quarter of the members joined as adults, and that proportion is higher than among Protestants,Catholics, Jews and Hindus.

The freedom to believe also includes the freedom to choose your own path. That is not a weakness of faith, but its core: faith must be a personal choice. And whoever leaves the church often carries with them the love, service, and care they learned. That is never lost.

How do I see that in Flanders?

All studies in this piece are American. In the United States, Latter-day Saints make up about two percent of the population. In Belgium, with approximately seven thousand members, we are much smaller. To my knowledge, these kinds of figures do not exist for Flanders. But I recognize a lot of what I read in what I see myself.

With us, young people are a small group, but those who are there are particularly active. And they are active in a different way than before. Where young people used to be mainly active within the church, they are now also very active outside of it. At the same time, they remain very loyal to the church and certainly come every Sunday. What we see less of is their presence at activities during the week.

For me, that is a good sign. Our young people live their faith not in a circle that isolates itself from the world, but in the midst of society. And they choose it again every Sunday. In one of the most secularized regions of Europe, where few peers make the same choice, that says a lot.

What do these figures actually prove?

These studies show that members of our church pray more often, do more volunteer work, and feel happier and more loved. They do not show that our church is the true church. That cannot be answered by an opinion poll. That conviction comes to me from personal experience and testimony.

But the figures are a powerful invitation. They help to look beyond the caricatures that sometimes exist about religion. Believing is sometimes presented as something that limits people, diminishes their independence, or prevents them from thinking critically. But when we look at the actual lives of believers, we see people who live healthier, happier, and more generously.

Faith must become visible in our lives

What ultimately touches me most in these studies are not the percentages themselves. It is what lies behind them. Children who feel loved. Young people for whom faith has meaning. Adults who make time to help others. Families trying to pass on values to the next generation.

These are not exclusive characteristics of Latter-day Saints. Fortunately. Throughout the world, there are believing and non-believing people who live with equal love and dedication. But the figures do show that a faith community in which people are actively involved can play a meaningful role in their lives. Not merely by what they believe, but also by what they do together.

In the New Testament, James writes that faith without works is dead. That is a statement that particularly appeals to me. Faith should not be limited to a conviction in our minds or a feeling in our hearts. It must also mean something for the way we live and interact with others.

That is ultimately the most important lesson I draw from all these studies. Not that our church is at the top of a scientific ranking. Rather, that faith, when truly lived, is more than a collection of religious ideas. It connects people. It prompts them to take responsibility. It helps them to love others and find meaning in their existence.

If you wonder what faith can mean, I cordially invite you to come and see. For the value of faith may not be proven with numbers. But its fruits can certainly be measured.