2023 National Current and Former Latter-day Saint Survey

Abstract

A 2023 national survey of current and former Latter-day Saints conducted by the B. H. Roberts Foundation. Recruitment used 80,000 postcards mailed to a national LDS sample frame — a probability-based design that contrasts with convenience-recruited online surveys of disaffiliated members. The survey covers cross-generational faith patterns and applies Moral Foundations Theory to current and former Latter-day Saints. Detailed methodology and findings are published in the foundation's summary and methodology PDFs.

Findings for Latter-day Saints

• Approximately 80,000 postcards distributed to a national LDS sample frame.
• Probability-based recruitment design, weighted using U.S. Religious Census proportions.
• Covers cross-generational faith patterns among current and former Latter-day Saints.
• Applies Moral Foundations Theory (Haidt) to current vs. former members.
• Belief-level findings (e.g. ~85%+ affirming the First Vision, ~90% affirming the Book of Mormon among current members) reported in Deseret News coverage.

Limitations in methodology

Mail-recruited surveys still face response-rate bias; weighting can correct demographic but not psychological self-selection. Single national wave — trend claims require pairing with the 2022 NLDSS or later waves.

Related studies

• 2026DisaffiliationSurvey

  Torn: Why People We Love Are Leaving the Church and What We Can Learn from Them

  Jeff Strong

• 2023BeliefChristology

  Danforth Center on Religion and Politics — Latter-day Saint Belief Analysis

  Ryan Burge

Cite this study

Foundation, B. H. R. (2023). 2023 National Current and Former Latter-day Saint Survey. B. H. Roberts Foundation. https://bhroberts.org/projects/survey2023

B. H. Roberts Foundation. "2023 National Current and Former Latter-day Saint Survey." B. H. Roberts Foundation, 2023. https://bhroberts.org/projects/survey2023.

@article{bh_roberts_current_former_lds_survey_2023,
  title = {2023 National Current and Former Latter-day Saint Survey},
  author = {B. H. Roberts Foundation},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {B. H. Roberts Foundation},
  url = {https://bhroberts.org/projects/survey2023},
}