I came across some interesting sites the other day and thought I’d share them for people to see. These stats are rather old (9 years), but they are interesting nonetheless.
The first site shows information on the various divorce rates amoung various Christian denomonations and other groups. The interesting thing is that athiests have the lowest rate at 21%. You can view this site at this link: Baptists Most Likely to Divorce.
Now, you’ll notice on that report that although Baptists are the most likely to divorce, Mormons have a 24% divorce rate, which is only 2% lower.
However, there is one exception: Mormon Temple marriages. Those Mormons that Marry in the Temple have only a 6% divorce rate. You can view this information at this site: In Era of Divorce, Mormon Temple Weddings Are Built to Last. You will notice that this article gives reasons of why the divorce rate for temple marriages is significantly lower. This list includes the following reasons:
- They Date within their Faith
- They Make Sure they’re Committed to their Faith
- They get their Lives Squared Away before Marriage (that’s why I was 30 before I was married! : )
- They Make the Wedding Ceremony Sacred
- They Marry for Eternity
- They Believe the Family that Prays together Stays together
- They Get Help when they have a Problem
- They Believe Children Create a Happy Marriage
- They have Family Home Evening every Monday Night
- The LDS church and active members discourage divorce.
I would have to agree with these statements. The Mormon marriages I’ve seen work apply all of these aspects to their marriages. Those marriages that are unhappy or that fail are not applying these to their marriage.
Do you have any experiences with these suggestions that support these claims? I’m sure the readers would love to hear!
[...] Mormon Temple Marriages have only 6% Divorce Rate Mormon Temple Marriages have only 6% Divorce Rate Grace for Grace [...]
Omitted is a rather important reason:
10. The LDS church and active members discourage divorce.
Also, haven’t LDS leaders counseled young people not to do #3?
Glad they mention Family Home Evenings!
I’m a huge FHE fan and have an FHE group on the new and safe LDS Ladies Room at http://www.ourladiesroom.com/ if you want to check it out.
Oh, and unfulfilling marriages can contribute to anxiety and depression and the consequent use of prescription medicines, and we all know that those are common in LDS society.
#2 Thanks for the addition of the last reason. I’ll add that one in.
I’m not sure what the counsel is regarding getting your lives squared away. But I do know that Jesus tells us to strengthen ourselves before we strengthen our bretheren. I feel this applies to getting married as well.
First, we need to strengthen our relationship with the Lord and truly come to know who we are. When we’ve done this then we are prepared for marriage.
These are all my personal opinions and experiences of course.
What do you think?
Hi Ann,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your blog and thoughts on Family Home Evening. I know people from other faiths that have implemented FHE into their families and they feel the same way.
Seriously, there is no source for these statistics. It sounds like a faith-promoting rumor.
#7 Natasha,
Thanks for stopping by and for bringing up the source of the statistics.
Like I said in the post I just happened to come across them on a website while I was reading a book. The book is entitled “Debt Proof Your Marriage” by a Christian author, Mary Hunt. She is the one that brings up the stats in her book that Baptists have a higher divorce rate than athiests do. As I was browsing around the site she suggested, I came across the statistic I shared about the temple Mormons only having a 6% divorce rate.
Oh, and unfulfilling marriages can contribute to anxiety and depression and the consequent use of prescription medicines, and we all know that those are common in LDS society.
Actually, the relevant area is the intermountain west. LDS use less prescription medicines/suffer less depression than those in the general area. People keep moving in, and the trend seems to be associated with the mountains, not the presence of the LDS in them, but it makes for a fast canard to toss of in passing through.
The LDS Church does not counsel it’s members to put off marriage until their lives are “squared away”, meaning education, careers, etc. Neither are they counseled to put off having children once married.
LDS members are counseled to get their educations early, stay out of debt and live morally clean lives, so that when the opportunity for marriage arrives, they will be ready. They are also taught the principle of sacrifice, living simply and within their means, so that marriage and children can come, and that hopefully those children won’t be raised in daycare.
LDS members also have their own guidance from God in governing their own lives.
I would say another reason for the low divorce rate is that many of the men are former missionaries, and nothing prepares a man for marriage better than a mission.
Also, staying active in the Church throughout one’s married life keeps the couple focused on the same goals, further strengthening the marriage.
I think that the statistics for atheists would stem from the fact that they tend to marry after a long period of living together successfully. So I don’t think those can be considered in the evaluation.
It should also be noted (on the negative side – hate to burst the bubble a bit) that members do get divorced without getting temple divorces sometimes. So, perhaps, these statistics aren’t entirely accurate from that point of view either.
I don’t mean to sound contrarian, but these rates seem much lower than what we hear nationally. I thought divorce rates nationwide were closer to 50%, and I thought I heard that temple divorce rates were closer to 25%.
Also, do children contribute to good marriages? I love my children, but it seems that they added a layer of stress and complication that wasn’t there when we were just a couple. I’ve heard that small children can increase marriage stress, but as they get older, they can keep couples together.
I don’t have any sources either, but it seems to me these statistics might have some sampling bias.
#10
I appreciate your thoughts on what it means by “getting squared away.” You are right about what the counsel is that you suggested. However, according to the article in the link posted, the author doesn’t intend “getting squared away” to mean finishing education, etc. Here is a direct quote from his article:
3. They get their lives squared away before marriage.
To be married in the temple–which Mormons believe is holy ground–you
need
to be “worthy.” In premarital sessions, a local Mormon leader sits down
with
couples and makes sure they are living by the standards of the church.
They
are tested on such things as their faith, their relationships with their
family, their sexual conduct and their use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
If
they fall short, they can repent, change the behavior and still be married
in the temple.
This serves as an early checkpoint for young adult Mormons who may have
gotten off course.
“That’s my job,” said Fuller, who specializes in counseling young adults.
“I
bring people back into the fold. It’s the lost-sheep concept. And they
understand that if they don’t get their life in order, they can’t be
married
in the temple.”
THANKS for sharing- Dave and I both thought that this was very informational and great news:) It’s always nice to hear positive things on marriages especially Temple Marriages:)