Contents

* This essay is related to Statistics for Atheists, which covers many additional statistics showing positive effects of religion, as well as studies indicating the existence of the supernatural.

As you will see, Mormons have much better, happier, healthier, more successful, and more wholesome lives than the average US population. I believe that this good fruit (Matthew 7:15-20) provides supporting evidence that the beliefs of Mormons are true.

Compared to various other religions

Among common religions, Mormons and jews are the most happy, while atheists are the least happy
Mormon teens less likely to be involved in delinquent activity than youth of any other religious affiliation (primary study, supporting study, another random study).
Teens who identified as Mormon or Jewish had the greatest odds of graduating from high school and enrolling in college, while teens not affiliated with any religion had the lowest rate of graduation and college attendance.
Mormons are the only religion in which church activity and attendance increase with education – all other religions have members who become less active as they receive more education.

Education and the Church

More educated Mormons are less likely to leave the church (source).
54% of the LDS men had some post–high school education, as compared to 37% for the general population. The number is 44% for LDS women, compared to 28% overall. Increased religiosity among Mormons is associated with further education gains.
Mormons are the only religion in which church activity and attendance increase with education – all other religions have members who become less active as they receive more education.
“In national studies, higher socioeconomic status, as measured by income and education, often has a negative relationship with fertility rates. Among Mormons, however, family income and wife’s education both have a positive relationship with fertility” (source).
Among Mormons, those with higher levels of educational attainment are more likely than those with a high school degree or less to say that being a good parent, having a successful marriage and being very religious are among their most important goals in life. Similarly, the more educated Mormons are, the more likely they are to prefer a lifestyle where the wife stays home, a relationship which is the reverse for the average US population (source).

Family values and the Church

The divorce rate among protestants is 51% and among Mormons is 7% (and this number is even lower for Mormons who get married in Mormon temples – source).
73% of U.S. Mormons believe having a successful marriage is “one of the most important things in life,” compared to 34% of the general public. Likewise, 81% of Mormons said that being a good parent is one of their most important goals in life, compared to 50% of the public (source).
When asked whether they prefer a marriage where both partners work, or one where the husband provides and the wife stays home, 58% of Mormons prefer the wife staying home option compared to 30% of the general public. Moreover, Mormon men and women express similar views on this question, and there is no difference in views across age cohorts (source).

This (source) also has good statistics on Mormon values:

In 1985, “17% of the Mormon students reported premarital sexual experience, compared with 48% of Catholics, 51% of those with no religion, and 67% of Protestants.” Moreover, this difference persists even after controlling for Church attendance.

Mormons are also more likely to agree with the following two statements than the average US population: “A preschool child is likely to suffer if his or her mother works” and “It is more important for a wife to help her husband’s career than to have one herself.”
Likewise, Mormons have less egalitarian definitions of who should take the roles of provider, housekeeper, caring for children, socializing children and home repair then do other religious groups. Similarly, Mormon moms of young children are less likely to be employed full time than national averages.

This source is also good:

“In the family survey, 74 percent of Mormon respondents disagreed with the statement that premarital sex is acceptable. Only 55 percent of conservative Protestants and 47 percent of Catholics disagreed with the statement.”
“Only 8 percent of Mormons said they had lived with a member of the opposite sex before marriage, compared with 20 percent of conservative Protestants and 45 percent of people with no religious affiliation.”