Mormons in America: Beliefs and Practices

Abstract

Pew's 2012 portrait of Latter-day Saints in the United States — beliefs, religious practices, family life, and demographics. A frequently cited baseline for later comparisons.

Findings for Latter-day Saints

• 91% of Latter-day Saints believed the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets and translated by Joseph Smith.
• 94% believed the Church president is a prophet of God.
• Baseline portrait of U.S. Latter-day Saints across belief, practice, family life, and demographics.
• Frequently cited as the comparison baseline for later Pew waves.

Limitations in methodology

Survey now over a decade old; some measures have shifted in later Pew waves.

Related studies

• 2025pewdemographics

  Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off

• 2025pewdemographics

  Pew Religious Landscape Study: Religious Identity

• 2025

Cite this study

Unknown (2012). Mormons in America: Beliefs and Practices. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/01/12/mormons-in-america-executive-summary/

Unknown. "Mormons in America: Beliefs and Practices." Pew Research Center, 2012. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/01/12/mormons-in-america-executive-summary/.

@article{pew_2012_mormons_beliefs_practices,
  title = {Mormons in America: Beliefs and Practices},
  author = {Unknown},
  year = {2012},
  journal = {Pew Research Center},
  url = {https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/01/12/mormons-in-america-executive-summary/},
}