Aprašymas
The Latter-day Saints (LDS/'Mormons') will become a global religion with hundreds of millions, or even billions, of followers--within a century. In this book, written for the general public, award-winning social scientist Mark Koltko-Rivera, Ph.D., explains:
- how the Mormons grew from a tiny group in 1830s New York to being the fourth-largest church in America as of 2012;
- why Mormon growth slowed after 1990--and why it will soon explode, both in the United States and throughout the world;
- why Mormon beliefs resonate with society's hopes, fears, aspirations--even obsessions--in ways that can make the LDS faith especially attractive to many people in today's world;
- how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will become the second-largest--or even the largest--church in the United States by 2120;
- how this church could become the second-largest religious body in the entire world, with over two billion members, by 2120.
Dr. Koltko-Rivera describes what a 'more Mormon' world would look like, and how this faith could fuel a global Renaissance of cultural creativity. He also explains the implications of Mormon growth for the great majority of people who walk other paths.
Includes references, index. 5 illustrations, 29 figures, 22 tables, 2 charts.
Chapters - Intro.: Who the Mormons Are.
- Mormon Growth & Why It Happened, 1830-2011:
- Why the dramatic rise in LDS converts after 1973?
- Why the slowing of growth after 1990?
- The Matrix of Future Mormon Growth: The Mormon World in 2012.
- Future Mormon Growth Worldwide through 2120.
- Future Mormon Growth in the U.S. through 2120.
- Objections & Responses:
- "How valid can projections be, so far into the future?"
- "All sorts of things could upset your projections!"
- "The pitfalls of straight-line projections" and the effects of organized opposition to Mormonism.
- "How could the LDS grow so large so quickly?"
- Modernization & Secularization.
- "An American church like the LDS will be less appealing in a post-American world."
- "The Mormons will run out of money first."
- "The Pentecostals will outgrow the Mormons."
- "There won't be enough people on the Earth to accommodate these projections."
- "There won't be enough people in America."
- "So many Mormons--in Protestant America?"
- "But more Mormons than Catholics?
- "The Mormons are falling away in droves."
- "But the LDS scriptures say the future Church will be 'few' and its dominions 'small'!"
- Why Religions Grow: A Model.
- Exterior Forces "Pulling" for Mormon Growth:
- Central & South America and sub-Saharan Africa
- The United States
- Europe
- Mainland China
- India
- The lands of Islam
- Interior Forces "Pushing" for Mormon Growth:
- The power of science and technology.
- The struggle to survive the end of civilization.
- The ambition to transform beyond the human.
- The discovery of extraterrestrial (intelligent) life.
- Knowledge Forces and Mormon Growth.
- The Potential Impact of High Mormon Growth: A 'More Mormon' World:
- more physically and mentally healthy
- better educated
- foundation for a new Renaissance
- and much more!
- Afterword: The Meaning of Mormon Growth.
- Appendix A: Sources of Statistical Data & Methods of Projections.
- Appendix B: The Slowing of Mormon Growth Post-1990: A Statistical Analysis.
- Appendix C: Why Do People Convert to Mormonism?
- Appendix D: Tracking Charts: Projected vs. Actual Mormon Growth, 2012-2040.
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