Everything you thought you knew about Mormons is wrong...

In 2007, the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life conducted the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. The study revealed some surprising results...at least they might be considered surprising to those who have operated under popular assumptions regarding the LDS Church. Here are some of note in particular that seem to fly in the face of what is generally reported in the media or via rumor-mill about "The Mormons" *cue irrelevantly scary music*.

• 100% of Mormons say they believe in God, which is higher than among any other group.
• Mormons are significantly more likely than the population overall to have some college education. A majority of Mormons are women.
• Nearly three-quarters of Mormons are married, compared with just more than half among the general population.
• Converts are more likely than lifelong members to come from minority racial and ethnic groups.
• More than nine-in-ten Mormons say the Bible is the word of God.
• Fully 76% say they attend church at least once a week.
• Three-quarters of Mormons (76%) say they read Scripture outside of religious services at least once a week, more than double the figure among the general population.
• Like all other religious traditions, Mormonism is simultaneously losing and gaining adherents due to religious change, but the net effect of these changes is small: Whereas 1.8% of the U.S. population says they were raised Mormon, 1.7% of the population says they are currently Mormon.
• Mormons have a relatively high retention rate of childhood members compared with other major religious traditions. Seven-in-ten of those raised Mormon (70%) still identify as Mormon, a figure roughly comparable to that seen among those raised Catholic (68% are still Catholic) but somewhat lower than among those raised Protestant (80% are still Protestant and 52% are still in the same Protestant family). Jehovah's Witnesses, by contrast, have a relatively low retention rate (only 37% are still Jehovah's Witnesses).
• Mormons with more formal education are more religiously committed, whereas in the general population the opposite is true.
• Utah Mormons are much less likely than Mormons from other states to share their faith with others at least once a week.