If LDS growth is a sign of God’s favor, what does it mean when retention falls?

For decades, the church’s growth was viewed as another proof of its truth claims. Leaders and members are now grappling with the meaning of the current slowdown.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Attendees stand at the start of a General Conference session in 2025. Latter-day Saint retention has emerged as an issue in the global faith in the wake of recent research.