455: How & Why the LDS Church is BOTH Booming & Bleeding out Members

In this episode Valerie tackles a seemingly contradictory pair of claims: 

The LDS church is experiencing record-breaking growth! 

The LDS church is experiencing record-breaking defection! 

Is one narrative simply not true? 

Interestingly, the answer is no, both narratives are true. Join Val as she unpacks these seemingly contradictory claims & breaks down how these claims reflect specific kinds of data collection.  She also explores how these narratives are tracking two different demographics of people in different stages of faith and consciousness development.

Valerie’s hope in episodes like this is to shine a light on normative human growth & development in the context of faith and to illustrate how the churches that do not understand or believe in stages of faith development only serve populations in [important but] earlier stages of growth & pathologize those in later stages, causing ever increasing levels of family fractures and institutional defection. 

PS: to read more & see the data, pick up a copy of download the book Torn: Why People We Love are Leaving the Church and What We Can Learn from Them by Jeff Strong, linked HERE.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome and Series Setup

02:45 Two Conflicting Narratives

04:16 Record Baptisms Data

06:17 Disaffiliation Statistics

12:01 Both And Explanation

14:03 Three LDS Demographics

14:21 Active Core Strengths

17:58 Disaffiliated Core Growth

22:30 Never Fully Affiliated

26:11 Stages of Faith Framework

29:26 Attachment Stage Church Fit

31:02 Differentiation and Homelessness

41:44 Integration and Compassion

44:20 Closing Reflections