Does the Church of Latter-Day Saints really have 11.7 million members?
Keep in mind that the church practice 'quick-baptisms'. The missionary's job is to baptize people in 2 weeks from the time of the first conversation. To get baptize, all you need is to attend the first meetings, give your word that you accept the teachings, and if you smoke and drink, that you will stop. Some people get pressured to get baptize and/or to please the missionary. The missionary expects the interested person to get baptize in a specific date (in 2 weeks). If the person is not willing yet to take that step they move on. After baptism, its the congregation's job, not the missionary's, to keep 'encouraging' that person. It's no surprise that after baptism most become inactive and many don't return again. Of the 11.7 million baptized Mormons, only 1/3 are active! And in Southern American countries the percentage is smaller. All of these people are "on the rolls". But who else is part of that statistic?
Those who were baptized but who never turned in a resignation letter. Again all those people who never went back to church again. And also all those who they lost contact with, but who will forever be part of the membership statistic ("on the rolls") until the age of 110 or until proof of death. (It is estimated that in some countries, like Poland, these missing people is high as 10% of the membership figure).
The Jehovah's Witnesses easily outnumber the Mormons in active members. And if you were to compare the 6 million+ JW's with the 11 million+ M‘s, the Witnesses would still outnumber them in more 150 countries! That is because 85% of the Mormons live in the western hemisphere, and almost half in the United States. Now, if you were to count the 15.6 million people who attended the Memorial in 2002 with the 11.7 million Mormons, who by the way, a considerable percent, as we see, don't attend church, the Witnesses and it's 'adherents' outnumber the Mormons in well over 200 lands!
Jehovah's Witnesses, in 2002, were up 2.8% from the previous year.
Latter-Day Saints, in 2002, were up 2.9% from the previous year. Please take note that the percentage of increase of Mormon active members may differ. In 2001, a ward of branch was created every 2 days, average. By 2002 it fell even more; barely one congregation each week! Its rate of increase has drastically fallen since 1989.
I have created this chart for all to compare
Jehovah's Witnesses | Mormons | ||||
Country | Active (Peak Publishers) | Attendance | Active Members (Approx.) | "On the Rolls"(Active and Inactive) | |
Albania | 2,708 | 12,795 | 300 | 1,001 | |
American Samoa | 203 | 657 | 5,899 | 13,109 | |
Andorra | 138 | 244 | 21 | 70 | |
Angola | 48,333 | 186,799 | 191 | 548 | |
Anguilla | 34 | 130 | 0 | ||
Antigua and Barbuda | 372 | 1,086 | 33 | 134 | |
Argentina | 126,709 | 277,307 | 77,091 | 308,365 | |
Armenia | 7,644 | 19,508 | 255 | 850 | |
Aruba | 685 | 2,223 | 57 | 230 | |
Australia | 60,902 | 111,184 | 41,109 | 102,773 | |
Austria | 20,380 | 33,687 | |||
Azerbaijan | 346 | 878 | 0 | ||
Azores | 543 | 1,220 | 0 | ||
Bahamas | 1,462 | 3,565 | 148 | 595 | |
Bangladesh | 101 | 241 | 12 | 50 | |
Barbados | 2,390 | 5,592 | 145 | 583 | |
Belarus | 3,381 | 7,863 | 118 | 394 | |
Belau (Palau) | 98 | 408 | 0 | 388 | |
Belgium | 24,961 | 45,179 | 1,759 | 5,866 | |
Belize | 1,411 | 4,876 | 742 | 2,970 | |
Benin | 6,901 | 28,351 | 0 | ||
Bermuda | 488 | 1,062 | 25 | 103 | |
Bolivia | 17,724 | 61,866 | 31,375 | 125,503 | |
Bonaire | 54 | 216 | 0 | 73 | |
Bosnia & Herzegovina | 1,080 | 2,137 | 0 | ||
Botswana | 1,285 | 3,534 | 311 | 890 | |
Brazil | 591,154 | 1,467,844 | 202,235 | 808,940 | |
Bulgaria | 1,289 | 3,423 | 882 | 1,765 | |
Burkina Faso | 1,036 | 3,243 | 0 | ||
Burundi | 4,542 | 14,619 | 14 | 26 | |
Cambodia | 125 | 598 | 872 | 3,491 | |
Cameroon | 28,747 | 86,002 | 85 | 155 | |
Canada | 110,814 | 183,676 | 64,297 | 160,743 | |
Canary Islands | 875 | 3,500 | |||
Cape Verde | 1,551 | 6,411 | 1,737 | 4,964 | |
Cayman islands | 164 | 422 | 23 | 94 | |
Central Africa Republic | 2,392 | 13,743 | 69 | 126 | |
Chad | 646 | 4,659 | 0 | ||
Chile | 67,909 | 156,704 | 104,040 | 520,202 | |
China | 125 | 500 | |||
Chuuk | 66 | 748 | 0 | ||
Colombia | 123,770 | 420,009 | 33,872 | 135,490 | |
Comoros | 12 | 46 | 0 | ||
Congo, Dem. Rep. of | 121,188 | 644,674 | |||
Congo, Rep. of | 4,372 | 20,930 | |||
Cook Islands (Rarotonga) | 171 | 381 | 494 | 1,236 | |
Costa Rica | 20,028 | 49,578 | 8,003 | 32,013 | |
Cote d'Ivoire | 6,701 | 25,491 | 3,722 | 6,893 | |
Croatia | 5,499 | 9,903 | 103 | 345 | |
Cuba | 86,946 | 186,213 | 15 | 50 | |
Curacao | 1,364 | 3,547 | 0 | ||
Cyprus | 1,847 | 3,420 | 32 | 128 | |
Czech Republic | 15,901 | 29,703 | 433 | 1,732 | |
Denmark | 14,721 | 22,613 | 1,339 | 4,465 | |
Dominica | 353 | 1,083 | 0 | ||
Dominican Republic. | 24,688 | 83,201 | 15,699 | 78,498 | |
East Timor | 31 | 103 | 0 | ||
Ecuador | 46,660 | 181,524 | 38,264 | 153,056 | |
Egypt | 30 | 100 | |||
El Salvador | 29,269 | 78,696 | 22,345 | 89,383 | |
Equatorial Guinea | 871 | 4,114 | 0 | ||
Estonia | 3,978 | 8,146 | 186 | 621 | |
Ethiopia | 6,685 | 18,595 | 147 | 421 | |
Faeroe Islands | 88 | 144 | |||
Falkland | 5 | 13 | 0 | 11 | |
Fiji | 2,008 | 7,506 | 5,068 | 12,672 | |
Finland Ialands | 19,660 | 27,572 | 1,342 | 4,476 | |
France | 115,414 | 200,602 | 9,367 | 31,226 | |
French Guiana | 1,528 | 6,013 | 64 | 257 | |
French Polynesia (Tahiti) | 1,753 | 5,438 | 10,019 | 20,039 | |
Gabon | 2,278 | 8,549 | 54 | 100 | |
Gambia | 151 | 429 | 0 | ||
Georgia | 15,137 | 31,986 | 15 | 50 | |
Germany | 164,806 | 273,692 | 10,890 | 36,303 | |
Ghana | 70,174 | 237,309 | 10,208 | 20,416 | |
Gibraltar | 110 | 143 | 0 | 24 | |
Great Britain | 125,398 | 213,558 | 51,888 | 172,961 | |
Greece | 28,115 | 46,211 | 143 | 479 | |
Greenland | 137 | 271 | 0 | ||
Grenada | 625 | 1,468 | 34 | 136 | |
Guadalupe | 7,719 | 17,819 | 58 | 232 | |
Guam | 629 | 2,286 | 369 | 1,476 | |
Guatemala | 21,890 | 63,676 | 46,074 | 184,297 | |
Guinea | 839 | 2,852 | |||
Guinea-Bissau | 90 | 1,187 | 0 | ||
Guyana | 2,174 | 9,263 | 287 | 1,148 | |
Haiti | 12,270 | 53,257 | 2,031 | 10,157 | |
Honduras | 13,888 | 46,258 | 26,126 | 104,505 | |
Hong Kong | 4,698 | 8,421 | 5,271 | 21,084 | |
Hungary | 22,034 | 41,546 | 1,009 | 3,605 | |
Iceland | 302 | 536 | 86 | 289 | |
India | 24,160 | 54,630 | 857 | 3,428 | |
Indonesia | 16,937 | 38,060 | 1,377 | 5,510 | |
Ireland | 4,782 | 8,623 | 712 | 2,375 | |
Israel | 1,288 | 2,773 | 0 | 165 | |
Italy | 231,226 | 405,927 | 4,963 | 19,855 | |
Jamaica | 11,233 | 33,636 | 0 | 4,560 | |
Japan | 218,731 | 343,852 | 23,465 | 117,329 | |
Jordan | 30 | 100 | |||
Kazakhstan | 13,428 | 30,740 | 18 | 30 | |
Kenya | 17,138 | 46,996 | 1,652 | 5,508 | |
Korea, Rep. | 89,006 | 135,970 | 18,407 | 73,629 | |
Kiribati | 84 | 253 | 3,783 | 9,459 | |
Kosroe | 23 | 106 | 0 | ||
Kyrgyzstan | 3,596 | 8,913 | 0 | ||
Latvia | 2,256 | 4,414 | 217 | 544 | |
Lebanon | 3,598 | 6,775 | 41 | 139 | |
Lesotho | 2,891 | 7,607 | 138 | 461 | |
Liberia | 3,565 | 24,468 | 1,697 | 3,394 | |
Liechtenstein | 53 | 90 | 0 | ||
Lithuania | 2,697 | 5,875 | 256 | 640 | |
Luxembourg | 1,792 | 3,375 | 46 | 155 | |
Macao | 111 | 241 | 232 | 928 | |
Macedonia | 1,058 | 2,887 | 0 | ||
Madagascar | 12,955 | 58,714 | 728 | 2,428 | |
Madeira | 1,119 | 1,922 | 0 | ||
Malawi | 54,331 | 162,212 | 97 | 326 | |
Malaysia | 2,325 | 6,119 | 404 | 1,618 | |
Mali | 201 | 707 | 0 | ||
Malta | 564 | 923 | 39 | 133 | |
Marshall Islands | 213 | 1,187 | 1,450 | 3,625 | |
Martinique | 4,023 | 8,957 | 39 | 131 | |
Mauritius | 1,436 | 3,290 | 99 | 333 | |
Mayotte | 60 | 122 | 0 | ||
Mexico | 557,126 | 1,704,459 | 220,554 | 918,975 | |
Micronesia | 1,288 | 3,222 | |||
Moldova | 18,425 | 42,653 | 41 | 137 | |
Mongolia | 62 | 346 | 1,408 | 3,521 | |
Montserrat | 9 | 45 | 0 | ||
Mozambique | 37,563 | 158,895 | 254 | 848 | |
Myanmar | 3,039 | 7,251 | 0 | ||
Namibia | 1,210 | 3,361 | 93 | 312 | |
Nauru | 8 | 81 | 46 | 116 | |
Nepal | 561 | 1,666 | 0 | ||
Netherlands | 31,070 | 52,550 | 2,342 | 7,809 | |
Netherlands Antilles | 0 | 190 | |||
Nevis | 56 | 152 | |||
New Caledonian | 1,660 | 4,648 | 628 | 1,571 | |
New Zealand | 13,343 | 25,566 | 41,117 | 91,373 | |
Nicaragua | 16,676 | 66,751 | 7,496 | 37,483 | |
Niger | 224 | 1,260 | 0 | ||
Nigeria | 255,835 | 592,039 | 30,359 | 55,199 | |
Niue | 27 | 38 | 92 | 230 | |
Norfolk Island | 16 | 20 | 0 | ||
Norway | 9,965 | 16,607 | 1,212 | 4,041 | |
Pakistan | 663 | 3,027 | 60 | 200 | |
Panama | 10,501 | 35,601 | 9,589 | 38,359 | |
Papua New Guinea | 3,472 | 15,843 | 2,664 | 10,656 | |
Paraguay | 8,037 | 17,491 | 12,564 | 50,256 | |
Peru | 83,862 | 281,153 | 88,389 | 353,559 | |
Philippines | 142,124 | 430,010 | 124,015 | 496,062 | |
Pohnpei | 79 | 374 | 0 | ||
Poland | 126,538 | 232,766 | 251 | 1,255 | |
Portugal | 48,401 | 94,479 | 7,139 | 35,695 | |
Puerto Rico | 25,522 | 61,199 | 5,851 | 23,404 | |
Reunion | 2,617 | 5,481 | 220 | 734 | |
Rodrigues | 33 | 68 | 0 | ||
Romania | 39,122 | 85,695 | 595 | 1,985 | |
Rota | 9 | 36 | 0 | ||
Russia | 131,130 | 275,259 | 4,538 | 15,128 | |
Rwanda | 10,679 | 42,520 | 0 | ||
Saba | 3 | 19 | 0 | ||
Saint Eustaius | 13 | 26 | 0 | ||
Saint Helena | 126 | 272 | 0 | ||
Saint Kittis | 168 | 510 | 0 | ||
Saint Lucia | 696 | 1,676 | 0 | ||
Saint Maarten | 273 | 295 | 0 | 159 | |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 18 | 25 | 0 | ||
Saint Vincent | 298 | 877 | 0 | ||
Saipan | 173 | 538 | 0 | ||
Samoa | 357 | 1,210 | 27,030 | 60,068 | |
San Marino | 187 | 303 | |||
São Tomé and Príncipe | 388 | 1,830 | 0 | ||
Senegal | 979 | 2,420 | 0 | ||
Seychelles | 224 | 598 | 0 | ||
Sierra Leone | 1,072 | 4,375 | 2,345 | 4,265 | |
Singapore | 557 | 2,228 | |||
Slovakia | 12,422 | 23,458 | 31 | 105 | |
Slovenia | 1,846 | 3,150 | 75 | 250 | |
Salomon Islands | 1,730 | 6,247 | 93 | 186 | |
Somalia | 0 | 100 | |||
South Africa | 72,707 | 173,108 | 13,700 | 34,352 | |
Spain | 103,883 | 167,277 | 8,274 | 33,096 | |
Sri Lanka | 3,608 | 9,687 | 78 | 313 | |
Suriname | 2,037 | 6,627 | 123 | 495 | |
Swaziland | 2,211 | 6,306 | 252 | 841 | |
Sweden | 22,965 | 36,539 | 2,154 | 8,616 | |
Switzerland | 17,823 | 29,766 | 1,841 | 7,366 | |
Taiwan | 4,600 | 11,250 | 8,376 | 33,506 | |
Tajikistan | 332 | 1,169 | 0 | ||
Tanzania | 11,338 | 41,230 | 154 | 514 | |
Thailand | 2,033 | 4,906 | 3,084 | 12,338 | |
Tinian | 14 | 43 | 0 | ||
Togo | 12,249 | 47,545 | 64 | 117 | |
Tonga | 168 | 564 | 21,945 | 48,767 | |
Trinidad and Tobago | 8,151 | 21,590 | 433 | 1,733 | |
Turkey | 1,655 | 2,997 | 0 | ||
Turks and Caicos | 141 | 415 | 0 | ||
Tuvalu | 52 | 200 | 0 | 88 | |
Uganda | 3,080 | 10,875 | 892 | 2,975 | |
Ukraine | 125,030 | 272,621 | 2,397 | 7,990 | |
United States | 1,022,397 | 2,240,095 | 2,124,239 | 5,310,598 | |
Uruguay | 10,591 | 24,028 | 19,286 | 77,147 | |
Vanuatu | 317 | 1,650 | 652 | 1,631 | |
Venezuela | 92,568 | 302,314 | 26,451 | 105,804 | |
Vietnam | 25 | 100 | |||
British Virgin Islands | 195 | 612 | 6 | 25 | |
Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 637 | 1,830 | |||
Willis and Futuna | 68 | 253 | 0 | ||
Yap | 30 | 151 | 0 | ||
Yugoslavia | 4,014 | 8,611 | 60 | 203 | |
Zambia | 118,919 | 504,798 | 233 | 779 | |
Zimbabwe | 32,900 | 70,016 | 2,936 | 9,787 | |
All Lands with no Data | 10,672 | 26,415 | 19482 | ||
Grand Total | 6304645 | 15597746 | 3731270 | 11394522 | |
in 2002, 11721548 |
Who do you all think?