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Summarized by Kent Larsen
English-Speakers Now Less than 50% of LDS Church Members
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- The LDS Church News reported Saturday that the
proportion of Church members that speak English fell below 50% for the first
time last month. The change came as the Church passed the 11 million mark
and growth outside the US continues at twice the growth rate in the US.
The growth rate is particularly strong in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking
countries according to the article. Spanish speakers now make up well more
than one-third of Church members and are expected to eventually pass English
to become the largest language in the Church.
But even when that happens, it will take much longer for the Church to
change the principal language it uses. Currently the majority of Church
materials are written in English and then translated to other languages.
English is the original language for most general church meetings, including
General Conference, and for most Church communications. Additionally, most
General Authorities speak English as their native language.
However, if current trends continue, it seems likely that even those
assumptions will eventually change, as Church leadership and procedures
change in a process that is likely to take decades.
Source:
English-Speakers Now Less than 50% of LDS Church Members
Kent Larsen 7Sep00 N1
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