Tag Archives: Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day-saints

Fascinating Church Statistics

 

As a missionary-minded member, I have been keeping track of the conversion rate for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  They issue a statistical report each year at their General Conference in April.

A Downward Trend

I noticed a significant downward trend in the number of converts per thousand members of the Church over the four decades, from when President Spencer W. Kimball was the Prophet up until COVID-19. The conversion decrease rate was –0.9 converts per thousand members per year. Then I did a linear regression analysis on those four decades. If that trend were to continue, there would be no converts after the year 2032.

This decrease is mainly due to the worldly encroachment on the members of the Church. Knowing that it is the Lord’s church and that a pure-in-heart, ZION, society is coming in preparation for the Lord’s Second Coming, I was confident the Lord had a solution to this encroachment problem.

An Upward Trend

I am fascinated to see this rate turn around after COVID-19. I just obtained the data from the last General Conference in 2024. In the plot, one can see there has been a major turnaround. 

The conversion rate has increased by 132% over the last four years, and it is still increasing. The rate now is 2.5 converts per year per thousand members.

Interestingly, the converts are mainly coming from outside the United States. Our current President of the Church, Russell M. Nelson, has asked that all worthy young men, who are able, to serve missions. I am guessing that the Sister Missionaries are helping the conversion rate significantly. They go because they desire to serve the Lord and bring souls unto Christ.

Both Sides Of The Vale

We are the only church doing missionary work on both sides of the veil. The number of operating temples across the globe is now 193. President Nelson announced 15 more temples during the April 2025 General Conference. One is to be built in Spanish Fork, Utah, my “own backyard,” I was born and raised in Mapleton, just next door. Undoubtedly, the blessings of the temple are increasing the ZION mentality of the members and their desires to share the good news of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

The last statistical report showed a slight decrease in the rate of the total number of members. I am guessing that the birthrate amongst the members has affected that rate. Also, fewer young people are getting married. We live in an interesting time. However, it is fascinating to see the Lord’s answer to the Babylonian encroachment on the members of the Church, as convert rates accelerate. We know the Lord has a solution to every problem, and it is fascinating to see that happening, as shown in the above chart.

Timely Warning

Our Father in heaven warned us of this time as shared by Jesus to the Nephites and to us: “And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them… But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel.” (3 Nephi 16:10, 13

The only ones who can reject “the fulness of my gospel” are those who have it—the members of the Lord’s Church. Those who “sin against my gospel”— the Bible gospel are under condemnation as well if they are guilty of the listed sins. Unfortunately, we see those sins happening, as Babylon the Great ripens in iniquity, which is a major sign of the times

He Gives Us Answers

He gives us the answer on how to be a pure in-heart people, ZION, and to be gathered out of Babylon the Great. “Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I AM, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins; Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer.” (D&C 29:1-2).

He further says:
“Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable, and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.” (D&C 38:27)

I have a chapter in my new book, My Revelations, on the importance of being ONE with the Lord and how to do that. My publisher, Boyd Tuttle, has done a superlative job describing my motivation in writing this book on the back cover. Two of the chapters make it a must buy: THE SCIENCE OF THE SHROUD OR TURIN MIRACLE is bringing atheists and agnostics to Christ, and MESSIAH BEN JOSEPH AND MESIAH BEN DAVID has the “latter day servant’s” role in preparing for the Savior’s Second Coming. Avraham Gileadi has kindly shared with me his great insights, as the world’s best expert on the Book of Isaiah.

The Lord is gathering His people, Israel. Let us not only be part of this ideal society but help as many as we can to turn to the Lord and to be ONE with Him.

David W. Allan

Photo: LDS Church

From Moses, to Joseph Smith, to Jesus

God spoke to Moses at the “burning bush.” God spoke to fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith in the burning light (JS-H 16-17). God spoke to Jason Olson, a devout Jew when he tried to burn the Book of Mormon. Thus, The Burning Book! From the Torah, to the Book of Mormon, to the New Testament was Jason’s unusual path.

From devout Jew, to Mormon, and to find true Christianity are described in this inspiring book. Receiving the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as a devout Jew, is his amazing journey. From being a Torah observant Jew to now being a military chaplain is his massive and dynamic life changing experience.

Because of the great importance of the Israeli-Arabic conflict in the world, I highly recommend you read “The Burning Book.” Jason had Israeli professors and Muslim professors. He knows the modern and historical perspective as well of the Israeli-Arabic conflict. As I did, you will learn a lot by reading the book. It is very well written. Jason Olson wrote it with his friend, James Goldberg, a journalist.

“Do Not Burn My Book”

God told 14-year-old Jason, “Do not burn my book!” Doubting the voice that came into his mind, he tried to burn it again, and God spoke to him again in his mind, “Go to your room and read my book.”  The following is a synopsis. But I left out the Israeli-Arabic conflict information. That information makes the book very valuable all by itself.

“The Burning Book”

As Jason began to read the book, he was surprised to read the words of Moroni. Moroni wrote the title page, and it shares this profound message. “[The book] is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever.” The Angel Moroni delivered the gold plates to Joseph Smith to translate. Then Moroni says, “to the convincing of Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.” The Prophet Moroni saw our day more clearly than any other prophet.

The Great Promise

Before Moroni deposited the gold plates in the stone box in the Hill Cumorah in 421 A.D., he closed with this great promise (Moroni 10:3-5).

Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things.

Jason was moved by what Moroni shared encouraging us, “to think back on history, reflect on God’s relationship with humanity, and then pray to know the truth. By the power of the Holy Ghost, the scripture says, we can know the truth of all things.”

Feeling the Spirit of God

Jason knelt to pray, and after reading the book, he closed his prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. This is huge for a Jew to do, who is devout and observing the Torah. “The next moment, I was filled from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet with the spirit of God. I felt full of light. Like I was glowing with it.” Jason made the great comment, “There are moments in life that transcend the limits of our understanding. Moments that fill the heart, enlarge the soul. Moments when God writes his will on us when the flesh of our hearts becomes his tablet.”  God speaking to him clearly and the Spirit’s confirmation totally changed Jason’s life.

One needs to realize that the Book of Mormon is the only book the world has that is translated by “the gift and power of God.” Both the printing and the translation were miracles. The Prophet Moroni, who saw our day more clearly than any other, summarizes the message of the book (Moroni 10:31-33).

“And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled. Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God, ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.”

Jason’s Conversion Background

Jason was fourteen years old when his LDS friends in Scottsdale, AZ, gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon. As a devout Jew, he didn’t want to read it. Because they were his friends, he didn’t want to give it back. He felt not to throw it in the trash. His mother is a devout Jew, and he didn’t want her to see it. That was when he decided late one night “to burn the book.”

Reading the Book of Mormon as a converted Christian, he saw that he needed to be baptized. He asked his LDS friend, Shea Owens, to take him to the lake and secretly baptize him. Shea explained that it doesn’t work that way. He needed to take the missionary lessons, meet with the Bishop, and get his parent’s approval.

When Jason shared his desires with his mother, who is a devout Jew, she was totally upset. She told him, “Absolutely not!” She spent the next years having him meet with Rabbis and anyone who could dissuade him. He finally had to wait until he was eighteen to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The missionaries were excited to teach him—someone who was “genuinely excited about the gospel.” They had some great discussions. One of particular interest was the gender of the Holy Ghost. “For them [the missionaries], that must have seemed like an odd fixation, but for me seeing the Holy Ghost as female was the easiest way to map the Shechinah, a feminine term for God’s presence, from Judaism onto Mormon belief.” Shechinah means in Hebrew “dwelling” presence of God. I find it fascinating that in some apocryphal literature, the Holy Ghost is female and is Heavenly Mother. She is omniscient—all-knowing and filled with infinite love for each of us.

Jason describes his baptism: “I came out of the water feeling truly forgiven and pure. I was born again.” The next day the elders laid their hands on his head and said, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” Being both a blessing and a commandment, he said, “I felt it. It was soft and still, but the baptism of fire entered my soul. I felt like I could sing now in some unseen choir, singing Hallelujah to God and his angels. I have started a new life.”

Jason’s Missionary Experience

As the Lord would orchestrate it, he went on to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called to serve in the most Jewish-populated areas in the USA, New Jersey, and New York. One time they were teaching congregants in a Messianic Jewish congregation, who already believed that Jesus was the Messiah. The Rabbi called them in and told them to stop.

Along with having several wonderful experiences on his mission, Jason also came to a clear appreciation that the Lord was keeping Jews as Jews for them to go their “Promised Land.” He developed a deep desire to go to Israel. He had gained a new major insight from the Book of Mormon about the gathering of Israel. America was also a “Promised Land” for the descendants of Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 49:22-27; 2 Nephi 1).

After his mission, he felt prompted to go to Israel to study. He took out Israeli citizenship there. He went to a meeting where Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu spoke of the threat of Iranian rockets attacking Israel. Jason felt to do something about it. He found a company working on a missile defense system. He decided to go back to the States to get a degree in Aerospace Engineering and come back and work with them.

Education and Marriage

As fate would have it, he went to BYU, and there he met Sara Ann Terry, who became his wife. He dedicated this book to her, with the citation, “To Sara, my Forever and a Day.” They were sealed in the San Antonio Temple closer to Sara’s family. Jason was deeply touched by the experience and shared: All my life, I’d been looking for something. For the grounding of a covenant, for the authority of a prophet, for the presence of God. In the temple that day, it all came together. This was what I wanted. This is what I was looking for. She was what I was looking for.

During his senior year, he took a class on “the Arab-Israeli conflict.” The professor asked the class, “Are rocket attacks by Hamas against Israel Justified?” The class responded with, “Yes.” After some discussion, Jason could not stand it anymore and stood up and said, “This disgusts me and offends me.” After class, students thanked him for standing up.

Jason then writes, “The clarity that emerged out of that day for me was this: I had given up on my plan to defend Israel from rocket attacks. But maybe learning how to persuasively object to such attacks was as important as learning how to shoot missiles down.” Jason and Sara prayed and headed off to the Brandeis Jewish University in Boston, where he got his Ph.D.

He was doing some of his research in San Antonio, and in December 2013 he got a flight to Boston, where he was to give a paper. He sat by an Airman. They had a great conversation during their four-hour flight to Boston. The Airman said, “After talking to you, I think you would make an outstanding chaplain.” The Airman’s bold statement changed Jason’s heart. He had never thought of chaplaincy before. He called Sara. They prayed. She called back and said, “Let’s go for it.” And so they moved to that path and are having great success.

Podcast Interview

Steven Pynakker has a podcast interviewing Jason Olson, where he tells his remarkable story. Steven is evangelical but loves the Book of Mormon. He says the Book of Mormon saved his life.  He was an atheist. This interview nearly went viral!

God in the Details of Our Lives

Jason’s story in the “Burning Book” is a great example of how our infinitely loving God is in the details of our lives. It is up to each of us to reach out to Him in prayer. He will force no one to heaven; to do so would make it not heaven. Prayer is our shield against the enemy of all Righteousness (D&C 10:5). And prayer is our path to Light and Truth (Matt. 7:7-8). Jesus is the way, the light, and the truth (John 14:6; 8:12).

David W. Allan

Photo of Book by the Author: Amazon

Another Missing Christian Teaching

A Vital Missing Christian Teaching was Removed During the Dark Ages.

The greatest of all the gifts of God is eternal life (D&C 14:7), and Jesus said in his last great High Priest’s prayer, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” Hence, the most important Missing Christian Teaching is to help you and me come to know the Father and the Son. (John 17:3)  The Creeds have destroyed that knowing.  We need to know the true nature of God – His character and attributes and emulate them.  Did you know that Heavenly Father in His infinite love and ability to do so gave each of us a mission for our mortal journey during that pre-mortal epoch?  Then following the Spirit and exercising true faith will take us back home to receive all the glorious promises offered in Eternal Life — life with God, life like God, which promises are not known in most Christian religions.

In 1990, I participated in a comparative religion debate at the University of Colorado.  Each person was given seven minutes to share their religious beliefs.  We had a Jewish Rabbi, a Catholic Priest, two different Protestant ministers, a leader from the Baháʼí Faith – headquartered in Haifa, Israel, and we had an atheist.  I was then serving in the Denver Mission Presidency and was asked to represent our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I was able to share our beliefs including the Fatherhood of God.  It was a most interesting evening, and went on for three and a half hours!  I made friends and had good visits with the Rabbi and the Priest afterward — wonderful gentlemen.

The Priest said to me, “May I ask you a question?”  I, of course, said, “Please.”

“Do I understand you correctly, that you believe you can become a god?” He quarried.

I responded with a question, “Did Jesus say to be perfect like our Heavenly Father is perfect?”

He responded, with an enlightened emphasis, “I never thought of that scripture in that way!”

Most of us are our own worst enemies regarding our true potential.  We need to believe as the scriptures tell us that we are “children of God,” (Romans 8:16) and Their “offspring.” (Acts 17:26-29)

Knowing that the students would not be able to remember what I shared in a seven-minute summary of our religious beliefs, I prepared a handout for them. There are some fascinating information and statistics in the handout.  Since then, I have updated the information, and it is available in the link listed at the end of this article.
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