Even when my belief in God was at an all-time low, I could not deny how much good had come to my life through my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It seemed obvious that the Church was good for people. However, the more I listened to the critics of the church, the more I started to reflect. Does it just work for me? Does it cause harm to people? Was I unknowingly damaged?

The critics wanted me to believe that the Church of Jesus Christ was not true and also not good. I wondered if my positive experience in the Church was an anomaly. Maybe, in reality, the Church is bad for individuals, families, communities, and the world. Are critics shedding light on a problem I was unaware of? Is the Church a drain on society? Do members suffer because of it?

Health

The West is less religious and more secular than ever. Atheists undoubtedly celebrate the world's ever-decreasing religiosity. When I dabbled with agnosticism, I had to consider the fruits of secularism seriously. Would I be better off the less religious I become? Has society at large benefitted from the loss of belief?

(For more information on this topic, I highly recommend Daniel Peterson’s 2017 FAIR conference speech, “What Difference Does It Make?” Watch it below. The transcript is available from the FAIR Latter-day Saint website at “What Difference Does It Make?”)

Are religious people, by definition, “sick”? Mentally ill? Is atheism healthier than faith?

Our country is in the midst of a mental health crisis.² From the National Alliance on Mental Illness:³

• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
• 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
• 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
• 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% begins by age 24
• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monitors mental health and substance abuse through the Youth Mental Health Survey, a poll of high school students collected as questionnaires every two years since 2011. The most recent data from 2021 was stunning: 42% ‘experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness,’ up from 28% in 2011. And 22% ‘seriously considered attempting suicide,’ up from 16% in 2011. While the 2021 data might reflect some of the most difficult months of the pandemic, the trends were apparent before 2021.’ Historically, youth have had low rates of suicide mortality, but that began changing about a decade ago. Today, youth and young adults (ages 10-24) account for 15% of all suicides, an increase of 52.2% since 2000.”⁴

“The CDC reported 105,452 drug overdose deaths for 2022, more than a fivefold increase from 2002 and double the number from 2015. The highest death rates are in males ages 35-44.”⁵

Government officials, news outlets, academics, researchers, psychologists, psychiatrists, parents, and teachers are desperately seeking the cause of the rise in mental health-related problems and the solution to them.

Religiosity correlates with improved mental and physical health

If religion makes people sick and mentally ill, then how do critics explain the following?

⁶Harold Koenig (a psychiatrist on the faculty of Duke University) and his collaborators argue that religious involvement is correlated with better mental health in the areas of depression and substance abuse.

⁷Tyler VanderWeele, professor of epidemiology at Harvard University, identified a link between attendance at religious services and enhanced health. Regular attendance was associated, for example, with a “roughly 30 percent reduction in mortality over 16 years of follow-up; a five-fold reduction in the likelihood of suicide; and a 30 percent reduction in the incidence of depression” (emphasis added), VanderWeele writes.

• Regular participation in communal religious worship appears to be associated with a “greater likelihood of healthy social relationships and stable marriages; an increased sense of meaning in life; higher life satisfaction; an expansion of one’s social network; and more charitable giving, volunteering, and civic engagement,” (emphasis added), says VanderWeele.

⁸Dr. Andrew Sims is the former president of the United Kingdom’s Royal College of Psychiatrists and professor of psychiatry at the University of Leeds. In his book Is Faith Delusion? he contends that “churches are almost the only element in society to have offered considerate, caring, long-lasting and self-sacrificing support to the mentally ill,” which is one of the reasons why “religious involvement results in a better outcome from a range of illnesses, both mental and physical.” (emphasis added)

Sims summarizes that in the majority of scientific studies, religious involvement correlates with at least the following nineteen outcomes:

Dr. Sims continues, “An inverse relationship has been found between religious involvement and suicidal behaviour in 84 per cent of 68 studies. That is, those with religious belief and practice are less likely to kill themselves. This association is also found for attempted suicide; believers are less likely to overdose or use other methods of self-harm.” (emphasis added)

⁹In his 2004 book Who Really Cares, Dr. Arthur Brooks notes that scores of studies demonstrate that religious believers live longer and healthier lives. People who never attend religious services are at the highest risk of early death, while those who attend more than once each week have the lowest risk. Religious people heal more quickly from severe diseases and surgeries.

• Dr. Brooks concludes that religious people are happier and more satisfied than the irreligious. They cope better with crisis. They recover faster from divorce, bereavement, and being fired. They enjoy higher rates of marital stability and marital satisfaction. They are less likely to be depressed, to become alcoholics or drug addicts, to commit suicide, or to commit crimes. Elderly religious people are much less likely to be depressed, but even if they are depressed, they are less so than their unbelieving counterparts.

¹⁰The Heritage Foundation conducted a large-scale study in the mid-nineties and summarized their results in the report “Why Religion Matters: The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability.” Among their findings, they discovered the following fifteen benefits of religious practice:

The Heritage Foundation concluded, “No other dimension of life in America — with the exception of stable marriages and families, which in turn are strongly tied to religious practice — does more to promote the wellbeing and soundness of the nation’s civil society than citizens’ religious observance.” (emphasis added)

What about religious participation contributes so much to mental and emotional health?

Do the atheists have a better program than religion to promote well-being?

¹¹In America’s Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists, Rodney Stark suggests that the evidence “shows overwhelmingly that religion protects against mental illness.” (emphasis added) For example, persons with strong, conservative religious beliefs are less depressed than those with weak and loose religious beliefs. “They are happier, less neurotic, and far less likely to commit suicide.” (emphasis added)

Rodney Stark finds at least the following nine benefits that religious people enjoy over their irreligious counterparts:

Why are religious people materially better off than the irreligious?

Are the health benefits of being religious tied only to the social support common in membership in a church community?

¹²VanderWeele says that social support accounts for only about 20-30 percent of his measured results. Self-discipline and an optimistic worldview fostered by religious faith appear to contribute more to physical health and longevity.

¹³Dr. Andrew Sims writes, “When looking at the overall effects of religious belief and practice on whole populations, there is substantial evidence that religion is highly beneficial for all areas of health, and especially mental health.” (emphasis added) Indeed, correlations between religious faith and improved well-being “typically equal or exceed correlations between well-being and other psychosocial variables, such as social support.” (emphasis added) He adds, that this substantial assertion is “comprehensively attested to by a large amount of evidence.”

Religion professor at the Catholic University of America, Stephen Cranney, sums up the body of religious and mental health research when he said¹⁴:

“The relationship between happiness and religiosity is so established that many research papers take it as a given starting point.” (emphasis added)

“The happiness-faith relationship is strong enough that it shows up almost any way you slice the data or ask the question.” (emphasis added)

“Religiosity has also been found to be associated with other positive emotions that are precursors to happiness such as optimism, hope, gratitude, and self-esteem.” (emphasis added)

Is it too much to say that we could all use a little more Jesus?

Doesn’t all this suggest that religious observance significantly contributes to human wellness and flourishing?

How do critics suggest that I offset the loss of the overwhelmingly positive benefits of church and religious observance to myself and my family when they suggest I leave the Church of Jesus Christ?

Do the critics have a better program than the Church to support well-being? Where is it? How do I join? Does it work?

I suppose it is up to each person to define what “good fruits” and “bad fruits” look like. From my perspective, more depression, less reported happiness, less marital happiness, shorter and less healthy lives, less gratitude, and so many more seemingly negative consequences are bad. Yet, these appear to be the consequences of unbelief.

A big category like “happiness” has complicated inputs and outputs. With that said, to assume that declining religiosity has no effect or a positive effect on “happiness” seems farfetched to me. If the world is less religious than ever, why does it seem that people are worse, not better off?

Benefits to Society

Some critics argue that church members are good at caring for their own but blind to the issues outside their church walls.

So, do Latter-day Saints and other religious organizations only care for themselves? Are their examples of charity and self-sacrifice only beneficial to their tribe?

Arthur Brooks¹⁵ has studied patterns in charitable giving and service for many years and is widely recognized as perhaps the pre-eminent authority on the subject. In his 2006 volume, Who Really Cares, he summarizes several insightful findings made when comparing religious churchgoers to their non-religious non-churchgoer counterparts. Among these findings include these ten:

After surveying the relevant data, Rodney Stark draws several striking conclusions in America’s Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists.¹⁶ Among those conclusions are:

• Regardless of age, Stark says, religious people are much less likely to commit crimes. Accordingly, the higher a city’s church membership rate, the lower its rates of burglary, larceny, robbery, assault, rape, sexually transmitted disease, and homicide.
• In a cleverly designed test at Pepperdine University, weekly church attenders were more than three times as honest as non-attenders.
• Nearly 250 studies conducted between 1944 and 2010 showed clear evidence that religion helps to reduce delinquency, deviation, and crime. Stark states, “All Americans are safer and their property more secure because this is such a religious nation.” (emphasis added)
• Religious people are the primary source of charitable funds for religious causes and secular philanthropies that benefit all victims of distress and misfortune. They are far more likely to volunteer for programs that benefit society and to be active in civic matters.
• Religious students tend to get better grades than their non-religious counterparts and score higher on all standardized achievement tests. They are less likely to be expelled or suspended or to drop out of school and more likely to do their homework.
• Religious Americans are also, on average, more successful in their careers than are the irreligious. They obtain better jobs and are less likely to experience unemployment or be on welfare.
• Churchgoers are more likely to read, patronize the arts, and enjoy classical music than non-churchgoers.

Dr. Robert Putnam, in his book Bowling Alone¹⁷ concludes that churchgoers, compared to others, are much more likely to do or participate in the following:

How do critics suggest offsetting the loss of the overwhelmingly positive benefits of church and religious observance to society when they try to convince me to no longer be religious?

Do the critics have a better program than the Church for benefitting society? Where is it? How do I join? What evidence do they have that it works?

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

¹⁸Regarding the previous sections, is it fair to lump Latter-day Saints in the broad category of “religion?” Do the Latter-day Saints rank higher, lower, or average compared to other religious and non-religious groups?

Latter-day Saints are highly religious

In the 2014 Religious Landscape Survey by Pew Research,¹⁹ Latter-day Saints rank higher in religiosity than any other group. Specifically, Pew Research shows that Latter-day Saints rank at or near the top in every religiosity category listed including these four:

Pew Research concludes that nearly seven in ten (69%) Latter-day Saints exhibit strong religious commitment—more than any other religious group surveyed and substantially more than the U.S. public generally (30%).

Brent Top, Bruce Chadwick, and Richard McClendon report in their book Shield of Faith that Latter-day Saint youth and young adults rank highly religious in virtually every category of “religiosity.”²⁰

Latter-day Saints live longer lives

Christopher Layton compared four groups in Utah: a). total Utah, b). active LDS (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), c). less-active LDS, and d). non-LDS. Active LDS males live eight years longer than their less active and non-LDS counterparts, and active LDS females live six years longer than less active and non-LDS females.²¹

Ray Merrill published similar findings in 2004 regarding LDS and non-LDS people in Utah.²² LDS males lived 7.3 years longer than their non-LDS counterparts, and LDS females lived 5.8 years longer. Interestingly, reduced tobacco usage among LDS only accounted for a 1.5-year difference for males and a 1.2-year difference for females. Therefore, other factors likely account for the remaining difference in life expectancy.

In a 25-year study of the health habits and longevity of active Californian Latter-day Saints (referred to in the study as “Mormon lifestyle”), non-Latter-day Saint UCLA professors James E. Enstrom and Lester Breslow conclude: "Several healthy characteristics of the Mormon lifestyle are associated with substantially reduced death rates and increased life expectancy." (emphasis added)²³ Additionally, they conclude that the more active a member is in the Church of Jesus Christ, the longer they live.

With the media coverage that health fads receive, why aren’t we talking about the health benefits of being a member of the Church? Why are less active and non-Latter-day Saint Utahns living shorter lives than members of the Church?

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints living longer seems to be common knowledge, and the only type of rebuttal I have seen from critics goes something like this:

“I don't know if how Mormons live, really means living. Life expectancy may be longer, but we sure … have fewer life experiences.” – Reddit user in response to the question “Do Mormons really live longer?”²⁴

“I think it just FEELS longer if you are Mormon.” – Reddit user in response to the question “Do Mormons really live longer?”

What do these critics think I am missing out on by being a devote member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Latter-day Saint teenagers and young adults are better off by nearly every meaningful measure²⁵

Some former members of the Church of Jesus Christ have commented that their parents and the Church were too strict. Are the high standards of a typical Latter-day Saint home damaging our youth? As a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, am I setting up my children to fail in the future?

Psychologist Diana Baumbrind developed a highly regarded theory for parenting styles in the late 1970’s.²⁶ Of the four parenting styles, she found that children raised in authoritative homes were most likely to be socially confident, friendly, self-disciplined, cooperative, and achievement-oriented.²⁷ (emphasis added) Parents with an authoritative style are nurturing and supportive, but firm limits are set for their children.²⁸ Boundaries and rules are well-defined.

• In a 2006 manual titled “Strengthen the Family” for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, session one is dedicated to encouraging authoritative parenting.²⁹ It states:

“The parenting principles taught in this course most closely resemble those of authoritative parenting. This approach is most consistent with the scriptures and teachings from Church leaders.”

“According to this standard, parents teach and guide their children by persuasion, patience, and love (see D&C 121:41–44). They are willing to discuss their decisions with their children and explain their reasons for those decisions. They are also willing to reprove their children when guided by the Spirit and give them the guidance they need.” (emphasis added)

³⁰In a study conducted at the University of North Carolina, Christian Smith and Melina Denton reported their findings on American teenagers in 2002 and 2003. This sizeable study was conducted across 45 states with 3,400 teens. They published their findings in their book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. In short, Latter-day Saint teens ranked highly or at the top of effectively every measure of religiosity in their study.

"I'm not saying they're all perfect," says the study's lead author, UNC sociology professor Christian Smith. "I'm not trying to idealize Mormon kids," but when belief and social outcomes are measured, he says, "Mormon kids tend to be on top." (emphasis added)

In the study and subsequent book Shield of Faith, Brent Top, Bruce Chadwick, and Richard McClendon summarize their results from a 17-year study across three countries.³¹ It was one of the largest samples ever collected on Latter-day Saints, with several thousand Latter-day Saint teens and young adults participating in the study. Data was collected from Latter-day Saint youth and young adults from all over the country, including the East Coast, Washington, Oregon, Utah County, and Castle Dale, Utah. Additionally, they collected data from Great Britain and Mexico.

Here are some key findings from their study:

• “This study shows that LDS youth with a high level of religiosity are not only less likely to participate in harmful delinquent activities but also more likely to have healthy self-esteem, resist peer pressure, and excel in school.” (emphasis added)
• “The results also indicate that religiosity is a strong predictor of academic achievement, high levels of self-esteem, and low rates of depression.”
• Latter-day Saints have significantly more education than the general public. For LDS youth, more religiosity is correlated with more academic success. Interestingly, LDS adults who have more advanced education are more likely to be more religious, which is counter to the trend in other religious circles.³²
• Latter-day Saint returned missionaries have a much lower rate of divorce and more children than their peers in the United States. The socioeconomic status of LDS return missionaries is greater than the national average.³³
• Latter-day Saint men and women with higher rates of religiosity experience significantly lower levels of depression than the average American. The religious LDS lifestyle acts as a buffer against depression. Higher amounts of private religious behavior, such as private prayer, as well as public behavior, like church attendance, are negatively correlated with depression. Meaning the more religious you are in the Latter-day Saint faith, the odds are that you will be less depressed.³⁴

What organization or group would I rather raise my children in?

If my priority as a parent is better mental and physical health for my children, isn’t more active membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a viable choice?

If I had understood all this 20+ years ago as a youth, wouldn’t I likely have wanted to choose to put myself in the best possible position for better emotional and physical health?

Do the critics have a program that better promotes youth and young adults' health and well-being than the Church? Where is it? How do I join? Does it work?

Do the critics have more light and truth to offer? Latter-day Saint marriages are more stable

Multiple studies and survey datasets ranging from 1985 to 2024 consistently show that Latter-day Saints have the lowest (or among the lowest) divorce rates compared to both religious and non-religious groups.³⁵

• Rate of divorce in a 1985 study - 14.3% (LDS men) and 18.8% (LDS women) compared to 19.8% (Catholic men, next lowest average) and 44.7% (non-religious women, highest average). They also report a 6% divorce rate for temple marriages.³⁶
• In a 1993 study, LDS marriages had the lowest probability (13%) of marriage dissolution of any other religious denomination, with “no religious affiliation” having the highest probability (36%).³⁷
• As reported in 2010 in the Shield of Faith, returned missionary men had a 9% divorce rate, and returned missionary women had a 15% divorce rate. The US men's average was 38%, and the US women's average was 48%.³⁸
• In a 2023 survey of 2,625 current members and 1,183 former members of the Church – The divorce rate for temple marriages was three times lower than the national average. Further, former Latter-day Saints are twice as likely to experience divorce than active Latter-day Saints.³⁹

In the previously referenced Pew Research 2014 Religious Landscape Survey⁴⁰, they found:

• 66% of Latter-day Saints are married. By far, this is the highest of any group surveyed.
• Latter-day Saints average 3.4 children vs. 2.2 for the average Christian.
• 64% of those raised in a Latter-day Saint household still identify as Latter-day Saints as adults, better than all other Christian denominations. Reported in the study was that “Among the 350 families …, no religious group was more effective in passing on their religious identity and beliefs to their children than Mormons.” (emphasis added)
• Frequency of feeling spiritual peace and well-being among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints being “at least once a week” (the highest report). – LDS Men 80%, LDS Women 83%.

Lower divorce rates are better for couples, children, families, and society, right? Wouldn’t the Church’s track record in this regard be a massive boon to the US and the world as divorce rates and the number of single-parent households skyrocket?

Wouldn’t children generally be better off being raised by their father and mother?

I have to ask myself, why do higher marriage rates, more children, and lower divorce seem to be linked to membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? What is the Church doing right?

Critics are great at pointing out the one-off examples where divorce was the best solution. That’s great. However, what about the cases (perhaps many cases) where divorce could be avoided? Isn’t a program or a church with a solid track record of lower divorce rates worth exploring?

What do critics propose? Do they have a program that creates better environments for children and families? What is that program? How does it work? Does it work? How do I join? What do they teach?

Do critics have something to offer me that will provide more light and truth in my life? In my family’s life?

Latter-day Saints are happier⁴¹

I am cautious about conflating “Utah” with “Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” but the connection does bear some merit. Utah consistently nears the top of the Gallup Happiness poll they publish yearly.⁴²

In 2013, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index found that Provo-Orem, Utah, was the happiest city in the U.S.⁴³ Around the same time, Provo-Orem was 90% Latter-day Saint and was ranked as the most highly religious metropolitan area in the US with 77% of its resident reportedly very religious.⁴⁴ This simple correlation does not prove that religion is the source of all happiness, but it certainly throws into question the inverse correlation insinuated by some critics.

In 2012, the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religious Life released a broad study titled “Mormons in America.”⁴⁵ In that study, they found:

• “The overwhelming majority [of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] are satisfied in their own lives and content with their communities.” (emphasis added)
• Nearly nine out of ten reported being satisfied with their lives and content with their communities⁴⁶, higher than the U.S. public (75%).⁴⁷ (emphasis added)
• Pew says this percentage is even more significant among younger Latter-day Saints: "Fully 92% of Mormons under age 50 are satisfied with their lives." (emphasis added)
• Within the LDS community, those with the highest levels of religious commitment are more satisfied than those with lower levels of religious commitment (91% compared to 78%).

Who wouldn’t want to be happier? More fulfilled? Have more peace? Have more purpose? If the solution wasn’t “become a Latter-day Saint,” wouldn’t every government organization and news outlet push for more membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? How do critics account for the prodigiously positive health and well-being outcomes for members of the Church of Jesus Christ?

A reader on Ex-Mormon message boards would have no idea that Latter-day Saints are statistically happier than other religious groups and especially happier than the non-religious group.

“So Mormons are 'happier' says research. Yeah right. The reasons are interesting, and I think characteristic of why so many others are NOT happy, but certainly not unique to Mormonism…” – Post on exmormon.org forum in response to a study outlining why Latter-day Saints are happier.⁴⁸

“I used to work in an insane asylum. There were a lot of happy people there, too.” – Response to above thread on exmormon.org

“Drunks self-report as ‘happier’ than sober people, too. Doesn't mean we should all go around drunk all the time.” – Response to above thread on exmormon.org

“Mormons always report that Mormons are happier, and often it's their church leaders telling them to log into surveys and say it's so.” - Response to above thread on exmormon.org

My response to comments like these is, where is the evidence? Where is the proof that Latter-day Saints are secretly unhappy when they are happier by every meaningful measure? Where is the evidence that church members are unhappy despite decades of data from sources inside and outside the Church to the contrary?

I get the impression that critics sidestep data by sharing anecdotal examples of why the Church didn’t work for them personally. You know, that’s okay. We are all on our own journey, and I’m fine with some folks feeling uncomfortable with their church membership. What is not okay is when critics attempt to use their personal experiences to suggest remedies to problems that do not exist. That way of problem-solving hurts far more people than it helps.

Conclusion: Latter-day Saints have better mental outcomes and reduced risk of mental illness

In a 2010 study, Merrill and Salazar concluded that “Active Mormons reported having the best health status and, consequently, the lowest levels of mental illness."⁴⁹

In 2023, Dyer, Judd, Gale, and Finlinson summarized the body of peer-reviewed scholarly articles on the mental health of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2005 to 2022. In all, forty-six studies were reviewed. They concluded, “When comparisons are made, Latter-day Saints are typically found to have better mental health than those of other religions or no religion.”⁵⁰ (emphasis added)

What do critics suggest for offsetting the potential negative repercussions to mental health when they convince people to resign their membership?

What do the critics say when they undermine the faith of good people and leave them in a much worse mental and physical state? Couldn’t it be said that it is irresponsible for critics to convince people to leave the Church?

Do critics offer free-of-charge counseling to people they have harmed? How much counseling is required to offset the positive benefits left behind in church membership?

None of the above findings surprise me or anyone with common sense. Growing up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the phrases “choose the right,” “keep the commandments,” and “I am a child of God” were instilled deep in my soul. I was consistently encouraged to serve others and to love God. The invitation to lean on the Savior’s atoning power to forgive myself and others and to receive forgiveness was consistently taught. Church leaders told me it was my duty to serve a mission, so I did. I was invited to live the law of chastity, not have premarital sex, and then marry in the temple. I was encouraged to have children, get an education, and live a life of devoted service to God and my fellow man.

Growing up, the Latter-day Saint kids were generally well-behaved and studious in class. In every place I’ve lived, the Latter-day Saints seemed to have, on average, well-adjusted and confident kids. Latter-day Saint adults and families, by and large, seemed stable and happy. Leaders in my wards truly cared and gave freely of their time and talents to others. I’m painfully aware that not everything is as it seems from the outside looking in. However, it is also clearly not true that the Latter-day Saints are despondent, miserable people. Though critics would have me believe otherwise, the data supports my experience with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After learning the facts, I realized I was not crazy - The Church is a good place, and members are better off for their affiliation.

Regardless of critics’ qualms about the Church of Jesus Christ, isn’t it safe to admit that the Church's “program” works? Do the critics have a program whereby I can find more light and truth?

Shouldn’t the critics agree that the Church helps people live fulfilled, abundant lives? Shouldn’t the critics agree that our children are much better off when they immerse themselves in the Church? Don’t the fruits of the Church of Jesus Christ demonstrate that the Church’s practices and teachings are working?

Although the occasional person can have a bad experience as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, can’t the critics admit that membership in the Church is much more likely to be a net positive for any particular person?

If not membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, what better alternative do the critics suggest? Is there another group, philosophy, doctrine, or teaching that produces proven results like the Church?

Is there another large group whose members live the teachings of Jesus Christ more often than the Latter-day Saints?

“I'd be curious to see research about why so [many] Mormons are Unhappy. or closeted in unhappiness. Has anybody ever seen research about this?”⁵¹ (emphasis added) – Post on Ex-Mormon Reddit

If the Reddit user mentioned above is reading this - I hate to inform you, but that research has not come out yet and very likely never will.

Social Connection

In high school, I complained to a church leader that the young men in my Priest's quorum were immature and asked if I could move up into the adult Elder’s Quorum early. I have never forgotten his gentle response. “You know, Austin, the day will come that you stop wondering what you will get out of church and start asking how you can contribute.”

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 19^th and 21^st Surgeon General of the United States (from 2014-2017 and 2021-Present in 2024), has dedicated his life and work to combating loneliness and its significant adverse health consequences.

“Social connection stands out as a largely unrecognized and underappreciated force for addressing many of the critical problems we’re dealing with, both as individuals and as a society. Overcoming loneliness and building a more connected future is an urgent mission that we can and must tackle together.”⁵² (emphasis added)

“People with strong social relationships are 50 percent less likely to die prematurely than people with weak social relationships… weak social connections can be a significant danger to our health.”⁵³ (emphasis added)

“Today it’s widely understood that one of the most important factors in preventing and addressing toxic stress in children is healthy social connection.”⁵⁴ (emphasis added)

In short, “loneliness is a public health crisis.”⁵⁵

One of the world’s longest studies of adult life, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, identifies close relationships as the variable that keeps people happy throughout their lives.⁵⁶ A strong correlation exists between better physical and mental well-being and relationships with family, friends, and community.

Stable relationships are crucial for children's development.⁵⁷ Those relationships come in the form of immediate family, extended family, and social communities like churches—all of which suffer today. All of these relationships the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints promotes, supports, and helps. Family and church communities see a child grow and provide support through the good and the bad.

There are better reasons to be a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than social connections. With that said:

Doesn’t having a local community of local church members help create a place where folks can come together? Doesn’t having a calling in the Church allow everyone to contribute to the same cause and build a sense of cohesion? Doesn’t serving fellow ward members give someone a sense of responsibility and belonging? Aren’t all of these good things for us?

What alternate proposal do the critics offer? Do they have a group or program that does more good? Do they have a community of belonging? Does their community serve their neighbors and communities? Would their alternate proposal provide me and my family more light and truth?

In a 2021 study by the Survey Center on American Life,⁵⁸ Latter-day Saints reported feeling more connected to neighbors and communities than any other religious group in America. 72% of Latter-day Saints reported feeling at least somewhat closely connected to people in their communities. The next closest group was white Catholics at 62%, and the lowest on the list were the religiously unaffiliated at 41%.

Additionally, Latter-day Saints volunteer far more than the average American and are more likely to be involved in civic and community-building leadership roles.⁵⁹

Why do Latter-day Saints feel more connected to their neighbors and communities than any other religious group in America? Is it our doctrine? Adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ? The program of the Church? A combination of these?

The 2021 study by the Survey Center on American Life shows that Latter-day Saints spend more time with people from church outside of formal services than other groups observed.⁶⁰

What does the Church do to keep us so well connected with our friends and neighbors, even outside of formal church services?

Do critics of the Church visit members in their community with the same frequency? Do they volunteer more than members of the Church? Do they feel as connected to their communities as the Latter-day Saints?

Aren’t Latter-day Saints recognized worldwide as good neighbors and community members? What reputation do critics of the Church have? Does my family and community benefit more from my association with the Church, or will they benefit more if I leave it?

It has been 20 years since my priest quorum advisor gently reminded me to think of others and be less selfish. Though I have come a long way, what I did not appreciate at the time is how much showing up to church ready to contribute would be a blessing to my life. Having a family and building a community are the hardest things I have ever had to do. Likely, my day-to-day is much more challenging than it would have been had I stayed single, with my free time spent playing video games, traveling, and watching movies. Maybe I could have gotten pretty good at golf instead of shanking it every time. My day-to-day would no doubt be easier, but the responsibilities I have accepted keep me going when life gets hard. My kids, my wife, and my callings in Church give me an intense amount of purpose and joy that I do not get on the golf course. I still have plenty of hobbies, and I count on those. Nevertheless, at the end of my life, I highly doubt that I will wish I had had less of an impact on my family and community to pursue less meaningful endeavors.

Volunteerism

Latter-day Saints volunteer far more than the average American. Helping others helps the volunteer and the person being served. We feel good when we serve others. In 2012, the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practices analyzed survey data for 2,664 church-attending Latter-day Saints throughout the country.⁶¹,⁶² They found:

While many of the above-reported Latter-day Saint volunteer hours are in church-related activities, many of them are not as reported below:

Additionally, 88.8% of the participants surveyed paid a 10% tithing. They also donated an average of $1,821 to other social and community causes outside of tithing.

The researchers commented that “Overall, we found that [the Latter-day Saints] are the most prosocial members of American society,” and “regardless of where they live, they are very generous with their time and money.”⁶³

If church members are among the most prosocial members of American society; isn’t that a good thing for the members and their communities?

Do critics of the Church volunteer more after they leave the Church? Do they donate more to charity? Are they better neighbors?

Do former members of the Church regress to the average in generosity and volunteerism?

Do former members still benefit from their religious upbringing? Do they have a leg up on virtuous, prosocial values?

If I left the Church, would I donate more to charity and volunteer more? Would my life be full of more light and truth?

Family History

Until 2021, I was rather indifferent to family history work. I figured I would get around to working on it when I was older. Family history was even less important to me when I considered leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then, I was called to be a temple and family history consultant and asked to develop a beginner's family history class. Our ward’s leaders could not have called someone less qualified and less interested. I accepted the call, and I am so glad I did.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints emphasizes turning our hearts to our ancestors largely because of our doctrines and temple practices. Researchers have only recently discovered the immense social and emotional benefits of doing family history.

• Marshall Duke and Robyn Fivush of Emory University and Jennifer Bohanek of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducted a study to learn more about adolescents who know more about their family history. They concluded, “Adolescents who report knowing more stories about their familial past show higher levels of emotional well-being, and also higher levels of identity achievement, even when controlling for general level of family functioning.”⁶⁴ (emphasis added)
• Martha Dreissneck, in the Journal of Family Nursing (2017), published a study about the importance of family stories. She concludes, “Knowing one’s family stories creates meaning that goes beyond the individual to provide a sense of self, through time, and in relation to family. This expanded sense of self is referred to as our intergenerational self, which not only grounds an individual but also provides a larger context for understanding and dealing with life’s experience(s) and challenges. This connection across generations appears to contribute to resilience at all stages of life."⁶⁵ (emphasis added)
• In 2011, Peter Fischer, Anne Saur, Claudia Vogrincic, and Silke Weisweiler from the University of Graz, the University of Berlin, and the University of Munich published a study in The European Journal of Social Psychology. Their study found that “Thinking about one's genetic origin (i.e. ancestors) provides people with a positive psychological resource that increases their intellectual performance.”⁶⁶ (emphasis added)
• Robyn Fivush and Natalie Merril of Emory University conclude in their 2016 paper that family storytelling has immense benefits for storytellers (IE parents and grandparents) and story listeners (IE children).⁶⁷
• Rakesh Maurya from the University of Wisconsin shares the importance of family narratives in parenting. He claims that a family narrative is “the way through which children and adolescents connect across generations to create self-identity.” He says that “by anchoring oneself in family history, one develops a sense of place and security that may facilitate self-confidence and self-competence. Family stories help families pass on values, experiences, traditions, and important life lessons to the next generations.”⁶⁸ (emphasis added)

When I read stories from my ancestors and write down my own stories, I have received firsthand the immense benefits discussed in the research above. In the last three years, I have emphasized family history and storytelling much more to my children. In a short period of time, I have already seen how family history gives my children and me a place in our family’s story and a stable sense of identity.

How do critics propose tapping into this well of family history benefits? Would distancing myself from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints make family history and storytelling more likely?

Does the Church strengthen or weaken family ties? Do parents and children come closer together when someone leaves the Church? Would I suddenly be closer to my family and community if I left the Church?

What is the heritage of the critics of the Church? Who are their “heroes” about whom they can proudly share stories with their children?

If family history becomes less important as I distance myself from the Church, how do critics propose that I replace this source of light and truth?

Delayed Gratification

In high school, I sometimes wondered if this whole church thing was worth it. I wanted to have sex. I was curious to try alcohol. Friends made fun of me because I had never seen a rated-R movie. Some Sundays, the water on the lake was remarkably flat, and the weather was a perfect 85 degrees. At times, the Church felt like a wall that kept me from enjoying some of the pleasures of life. I remember vividly choosing to follow the Church’s standards under the belief that my life would be better if I had self-control.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have ample opportunities to exercise delayed gratification. Tithing, fasting, dating norms, the word of wisdom, and the law of chastity are among the sacrificial practices of Latter-day Saints that reinforce this behavior. The ability to postpone immediate rewards in order to gain a future benefit is well documented to improve one’s health, wealth, and happiness.⁷⁰,⁷¹

In the oft-cited “Marshmallow Experiment,”⁷² published in 1972, Dr. Walter Mischel conducted an experiment in which 4–5-year-old children were given a marshmallow. He promised they could have a second one if they waited 15 minutes without eating the one provided. Some waited, and some did not. Researchers conducted follow-up studies and tracked each child's progression as the years passed. A number of different areas were tracked.

“The children who were willing to delay gratification and waited to receive the second marshmallow ended up having higher SAT scores, lower levels of substance abuse, lower likelihood of obesity, better responses to stress, better social skills as reported by their parents, and generally better scores in a range of other life measures. The researchers followed each child for more than 40 years and over and over again, the group who waited patiently for the second marshmallow succeeded in whatever capacity they were measuring. In other words, this series of experiments proved that the ability to delay gratification was critical for success in life.” (emphasis added) – James Clear “(40 Years of Stanford Research Found That People With This One Quality Are More Likely to Succeed”)⁷³

In a 2012 study⁷⁴, researchers found that religious people, in particular, are better at delayed gratification. Religious people tend to be less impulsive in all sorts of decisions related to money, time, and other resources. Through religious beliefs and practices, people “develop a more patient style of decision-making.”⁷⁵ (emphasis added)

One of the most pervasive narratives shared among critics is that the Church’s sexual standards hurt people. Regarding delayed sexual gratification, Nicholas Wolfinger of the University of Utah summarizes a myriad of studies with two key statements⁷⁶:

(1) “Americans reporting one-lifetime sex partner have the happiest marriages.” (emphasis added)

(2) “The difference between having one and more than one-lifetime sex partner is most consequential in predicting marital quality.”

He also reports that women with 0-1 sexual partners before marriage are the least likely to divorce.⁷⁷

If I left the Church, would I be better at delayed gratification? Have I captured enough delayed-gratification benefits from my religious upbringing that leaving the Church now would not adversely affect me?

Do nihilists with no journey and no destination produce better life outcomes?

Is pursuing every immediate pleasure the path to more light and truth?

Jeremy Runnel’s thoughts about life having no journey and no destination may work for privileged, upper-middle-class Americans. I marvel that I decided in high school to delay gratification based on the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ. My life is immeasurably better due to those decisions made on faith all those years ago.

“It is a peculiarity of man that he can only live by looking to the future... And this is his salvation in the most difficult moments of his existence…The prisoner who had lost faith in the future—his future—was doomed. With his loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay.”⁷⁸ (emphasis added) - DR. VIKTOR FRANKL, founder of Logotherapy and Nazi concentration camp survivor.

Real or Myth? | Antidepressants and LGBTQ+ Suicide Risk

⁷⁹I genuinely feel bad for former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who see the Church’s overwhelmingly positive benefits for members but want to rationalize their leaving it. For this reason, I believe some critics cling to a couple of myths and misinterpretations. For them, these misunderstandings need to be real.

Critics commonly cite two statistics as a means to paint the Church in a negative light. The first is that Utah ranks higher on average per capita in the usage of antidepressants. In the most recent data from 2019, Utah was 16^th in the country.⁸⁰ The second statistic is Utah’s higher-than-average suicide rate; more recently, in 2021, it was 14^th in the country.⁸¹ Using the statistics in the state of Utah on anti-depressant usage and higher-than-average suicide rate, critics then make a major leap to their conclusion by suggesting that the Church and its teachings lead its members to be depressed. Usually, critics cite the above two pieces of information without additional research to support that claim.

Because suicide and depression are deeply personal topics, I am choosing not to cite specific critics of the Church. I empathize with anyone who has lost a loved one due to mental health challenges or is currently supporting a loved one (including themselves) in a mental health crisis.

Suppose the premise suggested by critics above was universally true. Why does Utah County, with the highest percentage of Latter-day Saint population in Utah, rank the lowest in antidepressant usage in Utah?⁸²

Why does Idaho, with its large Latter-day Saint population,⁸³ rank below average on antidepressant usage?⁸⁴

In a 2016 Journal of Scientific Study of Religion study, 1.3 million people in the US were surveyed, and members of the Church reported a high number of positive emotional experiences and relatively high life satisfaction.⁸⁵ If they are depressed, how is this possible?

In a Gallup Well Being Survey in 2012, Latter-day Saints and Jews had the highest well-being of any of the faith groups examined.⁸⁶ How?

Why does the evidence consistently show that Latter-day Saints are happy, well-adjusted, and fulfilled? How is it possible that the Latter-day Saint religion can both help in human flourishing and be the cause of higher-than-average anti-depressant usage and suicide risk in Utah?

The short answer is that we do not fully know, but there are several plausible theories:

• High Elevation – Several studies have identified a potential link between altitude and depression/suicide rates.⁸⁷,⁸⁸,⁸⁹,⁹⁰,⁹¹ A quick look at the location of suicide deaths will show a cluster around the Rocky Mountains and Alaska.⁹² Interestingly, Utah is consistently ranked lower on the rate of suicide than other states in the Rocky Mountain/Alaska cluster.⁹³

More recent data in 2021 from SHADAC,⁹⁴ shows the suicide rate per 100,000 people.

• Gun ownership – It is believed that states with fewer gun laws have more suicides per capita relative to states with more gun laws.⁹⁵,⁹⁶,⁹⁷
• Happiness/Suicide Paradox – Utah, along with Scandinavian countries, is often cited as having high rates of happiness and suicide.⁹⁸,⁹⁹. Scholars have suggested that the paradoxical decision to commit suicide might be driven by comparison effects. This means depressed people can feel worse if they are in a broader context of happier people.
• Rurality – According to the CDC, “In the past two decades, suicide rates have been consistently higher in rural America than in urban America.”¹⁰⁰
• Word of Wisdom – Some suggest that because Latter-day Saints do not drink alcohol, coffee, or smoke, they use antidepressants as coping mechanisms instead. There is, however, no solid evidence for this correlation.
• Larger families – Latter-day Saints have larger families, meaning our women go through postpartum more frequently than the average. This is an idea, but there is not enough evidence to support the claim yet.
• Mental Health Treatment Facilities - In 2020, Utah was ranked the 7th highest out of 56 US states and territories in terms of the number of mental health facilities.¹⁰¹ Wyoming, with 917 mental health facilities, was ranked #1. California, with a population almost 13x greater than Utah, is ranked 53^rd with only 79 facilities.
  • A shallow reading of the number of mental health facilities may lead someone to believe Utah and Wyoming have a significant mental health crisis. The reality is that it is likely more economical for mental health facilities to bring clients from out of state to Utah and Wyoming than treat them in places like California. Additionally, the barriers to starting an addiction treatment center in Utah are significantly lower than in other states.¹⁰²
  • How many people come from out of state to Utah for treatment? Are the anti-depressants from out-of-state patients in Utah’s mental health facilities counted toward the total Utah anti-depressant usage?
• Juvenile treatment facilities - Utah is the leader in the nation’s “troubled teen” industry, receiving some 20,000 kids from all over the country from 2015 to 2022.¹⁰³ Far more than any other state. It is said that this is because Utah’s juvenile treatment facilities have a good track record, and Utah has favorable parental rights laws.¹⁰⁴
  • Do these facilities use antidepressants for their clients? How much do they prescribe? Are the anti-depressants from out-of-state patients in Utah’s mental health facilities counted toward the total Utah anti-depressant usage?

The premise that the Church’s teachings and high standards lead people to be more depressed and commit suicide at higher rates is highly questionable. At a minimum, the issue is more complicated than critics portray. If anything, Utah’s high active membership rates in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may prevent a hypothetically worse outcome for Utah.

Much could be shared regarding Latter-day Saints' positive mental and emotional outcomes from previous sections.¹⁰⁵ This statement from Daniel Judd in "Religiosity, Mental Health, and the Latter-day Saints: A Preliminary Review of Literature (1923-95)” sums it up nicely:

“Analysis of the data indicates that Latter-day Saints who live their lives consistent with their religious beliefs experience greater general well-being and marital and family stability, and less delinquency, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse than those who do not. This review of research also concludes that there is very little support for the assertion made by some that religious belief, practice, or affiliation is antithetical to mental health.”¹⁰⁶ (emphasis added)

Isn’t it irresponsible for critics to universally claim that the Church of Jesus Christ is bad for mental health? Especially when the opposite is much more likely?

LGBTQ+, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Suicide

In 2019, the Utah Department of Health surveyed 86,000 Utah teens. In the group of LGBQ identifying Latter-day Saint teens, an alarming 28% reported having seriously considered suicide in the last year.¹⁰⁷ Latter-day Saint heterosexual teens had seriously considered suicide at a lower 13% rate in 2019.

The critics capitalize on this difference in suicide ideation and attempt to explain the gap with false accusations like:

“The Church’s anti-LBGTQ policies are causing harm to our LBGTQ youth.”

“LBGTQ youth do not feel safe and welcome in Latter-day Saint communities and thus commit acts of self-harm.”

Both statements above are highly suspect and borderline dangerous. Dyer and Goodman point out in the same 2019 data set that 49% of Utah’s non-religious LGBQ teens had seriously considered committing suicide compared to 22% of non-religious heterosexual teens. The national average for suicide ideation among LGB youth is 47.7%.¹⁰⁸

When compared side by side:

	Utah LGBQ Teens	Utah Heterosexual Teens
LDS	28%	13%
No religion	49%	22%
2019 Sharp Survey, Utah Department of Health & Human Services

The question we should be asking is, what is the Church doing in Utah to significantly reduce the amount of suicidal ideation among LGBQ-identifying teens? For the LGBQ teens, that reduction is over 42%.

Dr. Michael Staley, the Suicide Prevention Coordinator at the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner, admits that friction between LGBT sexuality and religion in Utah may not be the driving factor behind suicide among Utah’s youth.¹⁰⁹ Despite the common narrative that Utah’s youth suicides arise from intended and unintended intolerance toward LGBT people, Dr. Staley states, “There’s no data to show that, period.” (emphasis added) Dr. Staley attributes Utah’s higher-than-average suicide rate to reduced oxygen to the brain because of Utah’s higher elevation.¹¹⁰

“Congratulations, Mr. Staley. Your “research” is already being used by mormon apologists to ‘prove’ the church is not responsible for Utah’s dead queers… So, mission accomplished, I guess?” – Comment on an article summarizing Dr. Staley’s research.¹¹¹

When Dr. Staley pushed back on the connection between suicidality in Utah and the Church, why did so many critics get upset? Wouldn’t correctly understanding the correlation between the Church, LGBTQ+ issues, and suicide be vital information?

Why do some critics want it to be true that the Church harms our LGBTQ+-identifying members when that claim seems to be untrue or at least unclear?

Depression and suicide are serious issues, and we within the Church and those who have left have a responsibility to care for those who are struggling. We must not float overly simple, false theories that do more damage than good.

For more on this topic, please read the LGBTQ+ Concerns and Questions section.

If you or someone you know needs help, please consider some of these resources:¹¹²

Fruits of the Church Conclusion

What church are these disillusioned former members talking about? It sounds nothing like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’ve attended different wards and stakes in different states and countries for decades. These comments imply teachings that are nothing like the lessons I have heard in primary, young men’s, elder’s quorum, Sunday school, sacrament meeting, the temple, or general conference. Sure, we’ve all heard the occasional ridiculous comment from a brother or sister in the ward. That’s the risk of building a community based on geographic boundaries. But there is beauty in giving grace and forgiving one another.

Wouldn’t it be more honest for the disenchanted folks quoted above to say, “my parents” or “my specific church leader” instead of “the Church”? Wouldn’t that be more accurate?

A stable identity is one of the greatest gifts the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has given me. I know who I am, where I fit in the story, and where I am going.

“My dear friends, you are literally spirit children of God. You have sung this truth since you learned the words to [the primary song] ‘I Am a Child of God.’ But is that eternal truth imprinted upon your heart? Has this truth rescued you when confronted with temptation? I fear that you may have heard this truth so often that it sounds more like a slogan than divine truth. And yet, the way you think about who you really are affects almost every decision you will ever make.

… So who are you? First and foremost, you are a child of God, a child of the covenant, and a disciple of Jesus Christ. As you embrace these truths, our Heavenly Father will help you reach your ultimate goal of living eternally in His holy presence.

… I promise that you will experience spiritual growth, freedom from fear, and a confidence that you can scarcely imagine now. You will have the strength to have a positive influence far beyond your natural capacity. And I promise that your future will be more exhilarating than anything you can presently believe.” – Russell M. Nelson (“Choices for Eternity,” Worldview Devotional for Young Adults, May 15, 2022, emphasis added)

Ultimately, I have to teach my children something. Why not a stable identity? Eternal self-worth and hope? Self-reliance and hard work? Faith in Jesus Christ? That their future will be exhilarating?

We will all experience hardship in this life. Why not experience it with hope, gratitude, community, forgiveness, and purpose?

Footnotes

1. Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, 1844-1900, author. “The Gay Science : with a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs.” New York, Vintage Books, 1974. ↩

2. Insel, Thomas. “America’s Mental Health Crisis”, Pew Charitable Trusts, December 8, 2023 from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/trend/archive/fall-2023/americas-mental-health-crisis ↩

3. “Mental Health by the Numbers”, National Alliance on Mental Illness, April 2023, https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-by-the-numbers/ ↩

4. Insel, Thomas. “America’s Mental Health Crisis”, Pew Charitable Trusts, December 8, 2023 from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/trend/archive/fall-2023/americas-mental-health-crisis ↩

5. Insel, Thomas. “America’s Mental Health Crisis”, Pew Charitable Trusts, December 8, 2023 from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/trend/archive/fall-2023/americas-mental-health-crisis ↩

6. Koenig HG, Berk LS, Daher NS, Pearce MJ, Bellinger DL, Robins CJ, Nelson B, Shaw SF, Cohen HJ, King MB. “Religious involvement is associated with greater purpose, optimism, generosity and gratitude in persons with major depression and chronic medical illness.” J Psychosom Res. 2014 Aug;77(2):135-43. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2014.05.002. Epub 2014 May 15. PMID: 25077855. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25077855/ ↩

7. VanderWeele, Tyler in “The Effects of Religion on Physical and Mental Health” (1997), “Handbook of Religion and Mental Health” (1998), and his editorship of the “Oxford Handbook of Religion and Health” (2012).

   See also VanderWeele, Tyler. “Does Religious Participation Contribute to Human Flourishing?” BigQuestionsOnline.com, January 14, 2017, https://bigquestionsonline.com/2017/01/14/does-religious-participation-contribute-human-flourishing/ ↩

8. Sims, Andrew. “Is Faith Delusion? Why Religion is Good for Your Health.” Continuum Books. 2009. ISBN: 9781847063403. British Journal of Psychiatry. 2011;198(5):412-412. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.110.078311 ↩

9. The updated edition - Brooks, Arthur. “Who Really Cares America’s Charity Divide Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters.” Basic Books, 2006, ISBN: 9780465008216 ↩

10. Fagan, Patrick, “Why Religion Matters: The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability.” The Heritage Foundation, 1996, https://www.heritage.org/civil-society/report/why-religion-matters-the-impact-religious-practice-social-stability ↩

11. Stark, Rodney. “America's Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists.” Templeton Press; First Edition, 1 (September 1, 2013),ISBN: 978-1599474458 ↩

12. VanderWeele, Tyler in “The Effects of Religion on Physical and Mental Health” (1997), “Handbook of Religion and Mental Health” (1998), and his editorship of the “Oxford Handbook of Religion and Health” (2012). ↩

13. Sims, Andrew. “Is Faith Delusion? Why Religion is Good for Your Health.” Continuum Books. 2009. ISBN: 9781847063403. British Journal of Psychiatry. 2011;198(5):412-412. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.110.078311 ↩

14. Cranney, Stephen. “In Pursuit of Happiness.” Deseret News, May 5, 2024, https://www.deseret.com/magazine/2024/05/05/research-does-religion-make-you-happier/ ↩

15. The updated edition - Brooks, Arthur. “Who Really Cares America’s Charity Divide Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters.” Basic Books, 2006, ISBN: 9780465008216 ↩

16. Stark, Rodney. “America's Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists.” Templeton Press; First Edition, 1 (September 1, 2013),ISBN: 978-1599474458 ↩

17. Putnam, Robert. “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.” Touchstone Books by Simon & Schuster; First Edition (August 7, 2001), ISBN-10: 0743203046 ↩

18. Much of this section and sources came from Roundy, Jeff, “Stunning Stats on Saints – Evidences.” Latter-day Saint Q & A, May 6^th 2020, https://latterdaysaintsqa.com/stunning-stats-on-saints-evidences/ ↩

19. “Mormons in America: Certain in Their Beliefs but Uncertain of Their Place in Society.“ Pew Research Center, January 12, 2012, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/01/12/mormons-in-america-executive-summary/#:~:text=A%20major%20new%20survey%20finds%20a%20mixed%20picture%3A,Mormons%20think%20that%20acceptance%20of%20Mormonism%20is%20rising. ↩

20. Chadwick, Bruce, Top, Brent, and McClendon, Richard. “Shield of Faith: The Power of Religion in the Lives of LDS Youth and Young Adults.” (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), ISBN 978-0-8425-2761-3, available online at https://rsc.byu.edu/book/shield-faith, 23-64. ↩

21. Layton, Christopher R., "LDS Life Tables: A Comparison of Long-Lived Populations.” Theses and Dissertations 4868, 2000. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4868 ↩

22. Merrill, Ray. “Life Expectancy among LDS and Non-LDS in Utah.” Demographic Research, Vol 10, Article 3, 2004, pages 61-82. https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol10/3/10-3.pdf ↩

23. Enstrom JE, Breslow L. “Lifestyle and reduced mortality among active California Mormons, 1980-2004.” Prev Med. 2008 Feb;46(2):133-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.07.030. Epub 2007 Aug 3. PMID: 17920112. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17920112/ ↩

24. 120kthrownaway. “Do Mormons really live longer?” Reddit, January 3, 2018, accessed on May 13, 2024 from https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/7nxch9/do_mormons_really_live_longer/ ↩

25. Much of this section and sources came from Roundy, Jeff, “Stunning Stats on Saints – Evidences.” Latter-day Saint Q & A, May 6^th 2020, https://latterdaysaintsqa.com/stunning-stats-on-saints-evidences/ ↩

26. Baumrind, Diana. “Parental Disciplinary Patterns and Social Competence in Children.” Sage Journals, March 1978, Vol 9, Iss 3, https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X7800900302 ↩

27. Dewar, Gwen. “The authoritative parenting style: An evidence-based guide.” Parenting Science, accessed on May 4, 2024 from https://parentingscience.com/authoritative-parenting-style/ ↩

28. “Parenting Styles,” A Parenting Program by the American Psychological Association, accessed on June 10, 2024 from https://www.apa.org/act/resources/fact-sheets/parenting-styles#:~:text=Authoritative,don't%20always%20accept%20it. ↩

29. “Strengthening the Family.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2006, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/strengthening-the-family-instructors-guide/session-one-parenting-principles-and-practices?lang=eng ↩

30. Smith, Christian and Denton, Melina. “Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers.” Reprint Edition, Oxford University Press, 4/13/2009, ISBN-10: 0195384776 ↩

31. Bruce A. Chadwick, Brent L. Top, and Richard J. McClendon, Shield of Faith: The Power of Religion in the Lives of LDS Youth and Young Adults (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), ISBN 978-0-8425-2761-3, available online at https://rsc.byu.edu/book/shield-faith ↩

32. Bruce A. Chadwick, Brent L. Top, and Richard J. McClendon, Shield of Faith: The Power of Religion in the Lives of LDS Youth and Young Adults (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), pg 120-60 ISBN 978-0-8425-2761-3, available online at https://rsc.byu.edu/book/shield-faith ↩

33. Bruce A. Chadwick, Brent L. Top, and Richard J. McClendon, Shield of Faith: The Power of Religion in the Lives of LDS Youth and Young Adults (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), pg 265-94, ISBN 978-0-8425-2761-3, available online at https://rsc.byu.edu/book/shield-faith ↩

34. Bruce A. Chadwick, Brent L. Top, and Richard J. McClendon, Shield of Faith: The Power of Religion in the Lives of LDS Youth and Young Adults (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), 295-320, ISBN 978-0-8425-2761-3, available online at https://rsc.byu.edu/book/shield-faith ↩

35. Much of this section and sources came from “Latter-day Saint Marriage & Divorce Statistics.” on Mormonr.org at https://mormonr.org/qnas/0uQ4aB/latter_day_saint_marriage_and_divorce_statistics ↩

36. Heaton, Tim and Goodman, Kristen. "Religion and Family Formation," Review of Religious Research 26, no. 4 (1985): 354 ↩

37. Lehrer, Evelyn and Chiswick, Carmel. "Religion as a Determinant of Marital Stability," Demography 30, no. 3 (1993): 395 ↩

38. Bruce A. Chadwick, Brent L. Top, and Richard J. McClendon, Shield of Faith: The Power of Religion in the Lives of LDS Youth and Young Adults (Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010). ↩

39. Coates, Josh and Cranney, Stephen. "We sent out 80,000 postcards to Latter-day Saints in the U.S. Here’s what we learned." Deseret News, January 31, 2024, https://www.deseret.com/2024/1/31/24055869/we-sent-out-80000-postcards-to-latter-day-saints-in-the-u-s-heres-what-we-learned/ ↩

40. “Gender composition among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”, Pew Research Center, 2014, https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-denomination/church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints/gender-composition/ ↩

41. Much of this section taken from an article written by Wilson, Larry. “Why Mormons Make Good Neighbors”, Patheos, July 9, 2012, https://www.patheos.com/latter-day-saint/why-mormons-good-neighbors-larry-wilson-07-02-2012 ↩

42. Witters, Dan. “Hawaii Tops U.S. in Wellbeing for Record 7^th Time.” Gallup News, February 27, 2019 https://news.gallup.com/poll/247034/hawaii-tops-wellbeing-record-7th-time.aspx ↩

43. Dahl, Melissa. “Provo, Utah, is the happiest city in the U.S.” Today Health, March 25, 2014, https://www.today.com/health/provo-utah-happiest-city-u-s-2d79434885 ↩

44. Lowry, Rachel. “Gallup poll: Provo named most religious metropolitan area in the U.S.” Deseret News, March 29, 2013, https://www.deseret.com/2013/3/29/20517109/gallup-poll-provo-named-most-religious-metropolitan-area-in-the-u-s/ ↩

45. “Mormons in America: Certain in Their Beliefs but Uncertain of Their Place in Society.“ Pew Research Center, January 12, 2012, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/01/12/mormons-in-america-executive-summary/#:~:text=A%20major%20new%20survey%20finds%20a%20mixed%20picture%3A,Mormons%20think%20that%20acceptance%20of%20Mormonism%20is%20rising. ↩

46. “Mormons in America: Certain in Their Beliefs but Uncertain of Their Place in Society.“ Pew Research Center, pg 12, January 12, 2012, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/01/12/mormons-in-america-executive-summary/#:~:text=A%20major%20new%20survey%20finds%20a%20mixed%20picture%3A,Mormons%20think%20that%20acceptance%20of%20Mormonism%20is%20rising. ↩

47. “Mormons in America: Certain in Their Beliefs but Uncertain of Their Place in Society.“ Pew Research Center, pg 32, January 12, 2012, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/01/12/mormons-in-america-executive-summary/#:~:text=A%20major%20new%20survey%20finds%20a%20mixed%20picture%3A,Mormons%20think%20that%20acceptance%20of%20Mormonism%20is%20rising. ↩

48. Post on exmormon.org titled “So Mormons are 'happier' says research. Yeah right.” ↩

49. Merrill, R. M., & Salazar, R. D. “Relationship between church attendance and mental health among Mormons and non-Mormons in Utah.” Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 2002, 5(1), 17–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674670110059569 ↩

50. Dyer, W., Judd, D., Gale, M., and Finlinson, H. “Religion, Mental Health, and the Latter-Day Saints: A Review of Literature 2005–2022.” Religions and Health/Psychology/Social Sciences, 2023, 14 (6), 701, https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14060701 ↩

51. Post on exmormon.org titled “So Mormons are 'happier' says research. Yeah right.” ↩

52. Murthy, Vivek Hallegere. “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.” First edition, Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2020. p. xxvi ↩

53. Murthy, Vivek Hallegere. “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.” First edition, Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2020. p. 13. ↩

54. Murthy, Vivek Hallegere. “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.” First edition, Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2020. ↩

55. Murthy, Vivek. “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, 2023. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf ↩

56. Link to the Harvard Study for Adult Development at https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.org/

    Results shared from Mineo, Liz. “Harvard study, almost 80 years old, has proved that embracing community helps us live longer, and be happier.” The Harvard Gazette, April 11, 2017, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/ ↩

57. Shrier, Abigail. “Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up.” Sentinel, February 27, 2024, chapter 11 ↩

58. Cox, D., Streeter, R., Abrams, S., Lee, B., Popky, D. “Public Places and Commercial Spaces: How Neighborhood Amenities Foster Trust and Connection in American Communities.” Survey from the American Community Life Survey, October 20, 2021, https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/public-places-and-commercial-spaces-how-neighborhood-amenities-foster-trust-and-connection-in-american-communities/ ↩

59. Walch, Tad. “National poll: Latter-day Saints maintained social connections better than others during pandemic.” Deseret News, October 26, 2021, https://www.deseret.com/faith/2021/10/26/22737577/latter-day-saints-maintained-social-connection-friends-during-pandemic-poll-aei-mormon/ ↩

60. Cox, D., Streeter, R., Abrams, S., Lee, B., Popky, D. “Public Places and Commercial Spaces: How Neighborhood Amenities Foster Trust and Connection in American Communities.” Survey from the American Community Life Survey, October 20, 2021, https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/public-places-and-commercial-spaces-how-neighborhood-amenities-foster-trust-and-connection-in-american-communities/ ↩

61. DiSanto, Jill. “Penn Research Shows That Mormons Are Generous and Active in Helping Others.” Penn Today, April 17, 2012, https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-research-shows-mormons-are-generous-and-active-helping-others ↩

62. “Volunteerism Highlight in New Study”, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Newsroom, March 16, 2012, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormon-volunteerism-report ↩

63. DiSanto, Jill. “Penn Research Shows That Mormons Are Generous and Active in Helping Others.” Penn Today, April 17, 2012, https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-research-shows-mormons-are-generous-and-active-helping-others ↩

64. Fivush, R., Duke, M., Bohanek, J. “’Do You Know…’ The power of family history in adolescent identity and well-being”, Marial Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 2008, https://ncph.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/The-power-of-family-history-in-adolescent-identity.pdf ↩

65. Driessnack M. “Who Are You From?”: The Importance of Family Stories.” Journal of Family Nursing. 2017;23(4):434-449. doi:10.1177/1074840717735510, accessed on April 23, 2024 from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1074840717735510 ↩

66. Fischer, P., Sauer, A., Vogrincic, C., Weisweiler, S. “The ancestor effect: Thinking about our genetic origin enhances intellectual performance”, European Journal of Social Psychology, February 2011, 41(1):11 - 16

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67. Fivush, R., & Merrill, N. “An ecological systems approach to family narratives.” Memory Studies, 9(3), 2016, 305-314. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750698016645264 ↩

68. Maurya, Rakesh. “Use of Family Narratives as a Tool of Effective Parenting.” The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 2016, 3. 2348-5396. 10.25215/0302.090. Accessed on April 23, 2024 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/294089556_Use_of_Family_Narratives_as_a_Tool_of_Effective_Parenting ↩

69. Runnels, Jeremy. “The Examined Life.” YouTube, uploaded by CES Letter, uploaded April 8, 2018, https://youtu.be/mftxzPnadJg?si=o0PjnleKRgIXljWC ↩

70. Cheng, Ying-Yao, Shien, P., Chiou, W., “Escaping the impulse to immediate gratification: The prospect concept promotes a future-oriented mindset, prompting an inclination towards delayed gratification”, British Journal of Psychology, Vol 103, Issue 1, p. 129-141, accessed from https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02067.x ↩

71. Conti, Regina. “delay of gratification”, Britannica, April 16 2024, https://www.britannica.com/science/delay-of-gratification ↩

72. Mischel W, Ebbesen EB, Zeiss AR. “Cognitive and attentional mechanisms in delay of gratification.” J Pers Soc Psychol. 1972 Feb;21(2):204-18. doi: 10.1037/h0032198. PMID: 5010404. ↩

73. Clear, James. “40 Years of Stanford Research Found That People With This One Quality Are More Likely to Succeed.” Jamesclear.com, accessed on April 30, 2024 from https://jamesclear.com/delayed-gratification ↩

74. Carter, E., McCullough, M., Kim-Spoon, J., Corrales, C., Blake, A. “Religious people discount the future less.” Evolution and Human Behavior, Volume 33, Issue 3, 2012, Pages 224-231, ISSN 1090-5138, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2011.09.006 or https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090513811001061 ↩

75. “Study shows that religious people are better at understanding that small sacrifices lead to big rewards”, University of Miami, April 4, 2012, https://phys.org/news/2012-04-religious-people-small-sacrifices-big.html ↩

76. Wolfinger, Nicholas. “Does Sexual History Affect Marital Happiness?”, Institute for Family Studies, October 22, 2018. Accessed from https://ifstudies.org/blog/does-sexual-history-affect-marital-happiness#:~:text=Psychologists%20Galena%20K.,for%20women%2C%20but%20not%20men. ↩

77. Wolfinger, Nicholas. “Counterintuitive Trends in the Link Between Premarital Sex and Marital Stability”, Institute for Family Studies, June 6, 2016. Accessed from https://ifstudies.org/blog/counterintuitive-trends-in-the-link-between-premarital-sex-and-marital-stability ↩

78. Frankl, Viktor E. (Viktor Emil), 1905-1997, author. “Man's Search for Meaning : an Introduction to Logotherapy.” Boston :Beacon Press, 1962, pages 73-75 ↩

79. Section on antidepressant usage in Utah is largely derived from an article with sources titled “Antidepressants in Utah.” From Mormonr.org, Accessed on March 1, 2024 from https://mormonr.org/qnas/kxclp/antidepressants_in_utah ↩

80. John Elflein. "Share of patients in the U.S. taking antidepressants in 2019, by state" Statista. July 17, 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1133632/antidepressant-use-by-state-us/ ↩

81. “Suicide Mortality by State”, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), February 15, 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/suicide-mortality/suicide.htm ↩

82. Utah Department of Health, "Antidepressants in Utah," Public Health Reviews 1, no. 1 (Sep 2010), 7 ↩

83. "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints States." Association of Religion Data Archives, accessed April 20^th 2024 from https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/group-profiles/groups?D=211 ↩

84. Idaho was ranked 31^st. See John Elflein. "Share of patients in the U.S. taking antidepressants in 2019, by state" Statista. July 17, 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1133632/antidepressant-use-by-state-us/ ↩

85. Lim, Chaeyoon. “Religion and Subjective Well-Being Across Religious Traditions: Evidence from 1.3 Million Americans.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol. 54, no. 4, 2015, pp. 696. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26651391. Accessed 21 Apr. 2024. ↩

86. Newport, F., Witters, D., and Agrawal, S., “In U.S., Very Religious Have Higher Well-Being Across All Faiths”, Gallup News Wellbeing, 2/16/2012, accessed on 4/20/2024 on https://news.gallup.com/poll/152732/religious-higher-wellbeing-across-faiths.aspx ↩

87. Haws, Charlotte et al., "The possible effect of altitude on regional variation in suicide rates, "Medical Hypotheses 73, no. 4 (2009): 587-590 ↩

88. Rebekah S. Huber, Hilary Coon, Namkug Kim, Perry F. Renshaw, and Douglas G. Kondo. "Altitude is a risk factor for completed suicide in bipolar disorder, "Medical Hypotheses 82, no. 3 (2014): 377-381 ↩

89. Kious, B., Bakian, A., Zhao, J., Mickey, B., Guille, C., Renshaw, P., and Sen, S. "Altitude and risk of depression and anxiety: findings from the intern health study." International Review of Psychiatry 31, no. 7-8 (2019): 637-645 ↩

90. Love, Shayla. "The Chilling Mystery of High-Altitude Suicides." Vice, June 25, 2019, https://www.vice.com/en/article/xwnpxj/the-chilling-mystery-of-high-altitude-suicides ↩

91. Chandni Sheth et al., "Increased anxiety and anhedonia in female rats following exposure to altitude,"High Altitude Medicine & Biology 19, no. 1 (2018): 81-90 ↩

92. “Gun prevalence and suicide rank by state”, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, accessed on April 21, 2024 on https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/spr08gunprevalence/ ↩

93. SHADAC analysis of “2021 Total Suicide Rates per 100,000,” State Health Compare, SHADAC, University of Minnesota, statehealthcompare.shadac.org, Accessed June 24, 2024.

    Note – If you review the time-lapse of suicide rates on SHADAC, the rates by state fluctuate from year to year but consistently cluster around the Rocky Mountains and Alaska. Utah consistently ranks better than average for the Rocky Mountain and Alaska cluster. ↩

94. SHADAC analysis of “2021 Total Suicide Rates per 100,000,” State Health Compare, SHADAC, University of Minnesota, statehealthcompare.shadac.org, Accessed June 24, 2024. ↩

95. Saunders, Heather. “Do States with Easier Access to Guns have More Suicide Deaths by Firearm?”, KFF, July 18, 2022, https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/do-states-with-easier-access-to-guns-have-more-suicide-deaths-by-firearm/ ↩

96. Anestis, Michael D et al. “The Association Between State Laws Regulating Handgun Ownership and Statewide Suicide Rates.” American journal of public health vol. 105,10 (2015): 2059-67. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302465, accessed 4/21/2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4566551/ ↩

97. “Gun prevalence and suicide rank by state.” Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, accessed on April 21, 2024 on https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/spr08gunprevalence/ ↩

98. Martela, Frank, Bent Greve, Bo Rothstein, and Juho Saari, "The Nordic exceptionalism: what explains why the Nordic Countries are constantly among the happiest in the world," JF Helliwell et. al., R. Layard, JD Sachs, & JE De Neve (Eds.), World Happiness Report (2020): 128-145 ↩

99. Mary C. Daly, Andrew J. Oswald, Daniel Wilson, and Stephen Wu. "Dark contrasts: The paradox of high rates of suicide in happy places," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 80, no. 3 (2011): 435-442. ↩

100. “Suicide”, Rural Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 21, 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/ruralhealth/Suicide.html#:~:text=In%20the%20past%20two%20decades,to%2027.3%25%20in%20metro%20areas. ↩

101. “Behavioral Health Services Information System Series: National Directory of MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FACILITIES 2020”, Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2020.", April 14, 2020, https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2020-national-directory-mental-health-treatment-facilities ↩

102. “Considering Licensing an Addiction Treatment Center in Utah? You’re in for a Treat.” Behave Health. February 25, 2022 from https://behavehealth.com/blog/2022/2/25/considering-licensing-an-addiction-treatment-center-in-utah-youre-in-for-a-treat ↩

103. Miller, Jessica, How Utah became the leading place to send the nation’s troubled teens, Salt Lake Tribune, April 5, 2022, https://www.sltrib.com/news/2022/04/05/how-utah-became-leading/ ↩

104. Miller, Jessica, How Utah became the leading place to send the nation’s troubled teens, Salt Lake Tribune, April 5, 2022, https://www.sltrib.com/news/2022/04/05/how-utah-became-leading/ ↩

105. See also “Is the rate of antidepressant use in Utah much higher among Mormons than the general population?” FAIR Latter-day Saints, accessed on May 4, 2024 from https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Question:\_Is_the_rate_of_antidepressant_use_in_Utah_much_higher_among_Mormons_than_the_general_population%3Fhttps://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Question:\_Is_the_rate_of_antidepressant_use_in_Utah_much_higher_among_Mormons_than_the_general_population%3F ↩

106. Daniel K. Judd, "Religiosity, Mental Health, and the Latter-day Saints: A Preliminary Review of Literature (1923-95)," in Latter Day Saint Social Life: Social Research on the LDS Church and its Members (Religious Studies Center Specialized Monograph Series, Vol. 12), edited by James T. Duke, (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University & Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1998), 486–487. ISBN 1570083967. ISBN 978-1570083969, https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/rsc/id/1464 ↩

107. Sharp Survey, “Survey Reports.” Utah Department of Health & Human Services, accessed on 4/21/2024 at https://sumh.utah.gov/data-reports/sharp-survey/survey-reports/ ↩

108. Goodman, Michael and Dyer, Justin. “Guest opinion: The church and LGBT youth suicide: Inaccurate claims may do more harm than good.” Deseret News, May 7, 2019, https://www.deseret.com/2019/5/7/20672662/guest-opinion-the-church-and-lgbt-youth-suicide-inaccurate-claims-may-do-more-harm-than-good/ ↩

109. Hales, John. “Utah researcher: theory of religious influences in Utah LGBT suicides may be overblown”, Q Salt Lake Magazine, December 6, 2018, https://www.qsaltlake.com/news/2018/12/06/utah-research-on-faith-related-suicide/ ↩

110. Ramseth, Luke. “University of Utah research shows high altitude linked to depression and suicidal thoughts.” The Salt Lake Tribune, July 1, 2018, https://www.sltrib.com/news/health/2018/07/01/university-utah-research/ ↩

111. Comment from user Todd B. (January 23, 2019) on the article from Hales, John. “Utah researcher: theory of religious influences in Utah LGBT suicides may be overblown”, Q Salt Lake Magazine, December 6, 2018, https://www.qsaltlake.com/news/2018/12/06/utah-research-on-faith-related-suicide/ ↩

112. Resources provided in Goodman, Michael and Dyer, Justin. “Guest opinion: The church and LGBT youth suicide: Inaccurate claims may do more harm than good.” Deseret News, May 7, 2019, https://www.deseret.com/2019/5/7/20672662/guest-opinion-the-church-and-lgbt-youth-suicide-inaccurate-claims-may-do-more-harm-than-good/ ↩