Editing Mormons (section)

=== Latter-day Saints ("LDS") ===
{{Anchor|LDS}}

Members of the LDS Church, also known as Latter-day Saints, constitute over 95 percent of Mormons.<ref>As of the end of 2015, the LDS Church reported a membership of over 15 million ({{cite web |url = https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/2015-statistical-report-april-2016-general-conference |title = 2015 Statistical Report for 2016 April General Conference |date = April 2, 2016 |access-date = July 18, 2019 |archive-date = June 29, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190629065405/https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/2015-statistical-report-april-2016-general-conference |url-status = live }}). Most other [[Brighamite|Brigham Young–lineage sects]] number in the tens of thousands. Historically, the [[Latter Day Saint  movement]] has been dominated by the LDS Church, with over 95 percent of adherents. One denomination dominates the [[Prairie Saints|non-LDS Church section of the movement]]: the [[Community of Christ]], which has about 250,000 members.)<br />Also note the use of the lower case ''d'' and hyphen in "Latter-day Saints", as opposed to the larger "Latter Day Saint movement".</ref> The beliefs and practices of LDS Mormons are generally guided by the teachings of [[general authority|LDS Church leaders]]. However, several smaller groups substantially differ from "mainstream" Mormonism in various ways.

LDS Church members who do not actively participate in worship services or church callings are often called "[[Less-active Mormon|less-active]]" or "inactive" (akin to the qualifying expressions ''non-observant'' or ''non-practicing'' used in relation to members of other religious groups).<ref name="Stack 2011-09-23">{{cite news |last = Stack |first = Peggy Fletcher |author-link = Peggy Fletcher Stack |date = September 23, 2011 |title = Active, inactive – do Mormon labels work or wound? |url = http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifestyle/52631643-80/mormon-church-lds-says.html.csp |newspaper = [[The Salt Lake Tribune]] |access-date = September 20, 2013 |archive-date = September 21, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054458/http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifestyle/52631643-80/mormon-church-lds-says.html.csp |url-status = live }}.</ref> The LDS Church does not release statistics on church activity, but it is likely that about 40 percent of Mormons in the United States and 30 percent worldwide regularly attend worship services.<ref>Member activity rates are estimated from missionary reports, seminary and institute enrollment, and ratio of members per congregation – {{cite web |url = http://ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com/2011/07/countries-of-world-by-estimated-member.html |title = Countries of the World by Estimated Member Activity Rate |date = July 11, 2011 |website = LDS Church Growth |access-date = November 11, 2011 |archive-date = March 22, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120322135322/http://ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com/2011/07/countries-of-world-by-estimated-member.html |url-status = live }}; See also: {{cite web |url = http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/latter-day-saint-social-life-social-research-lds-church-and-its-members/8-consequential-dim |title = The Consequential Dimension of Mormon Religiosity |author = Stan L. Albrecht |year = 1998 |access-date = November 11, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111006013004/http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/latter-day-saint-social-life-social-research-lds-church-and-its-members/8-consequential-dim |archive-date = October 6, 2011 |url-status = dead }}; {{cite news |first = Peggy Fletcher |last = Stack |author-link = Peggy Fletcher Stack |date = July 26, 2005 |title = Keeping members a challenge for LDS church |url = http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2890645 |newspaper = [[The Salt Lake Tribune]] |access-date = September 20, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054322/http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2890645 |archive-date = September 21, 2013 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref> Reasons for inactivity can include rejection of the fundamental beliefs, history of the church, lifestyle incongruities with doctrinal teachings or problems with social integration.<ref>{{citation |contribution-url = https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/EoM/id/5447 |contribution = Activity in the Church |last = Cunningham |first = Perry H. |pages = 13–15 |editor-last = Ludlow |editor-first = Daniel H |editor-link = Daniel H. Ludlow |year = 1992 |title = Encyclopedia of Mormonism |location = New York |publisher = [[Macmillan Publishing]] |isbn = 978-0-02-879602-4 |oclc = 24502140 |title-link = Encyclopedia of Mormonism |access-date = September 18, 2020 |archive-date = August 5, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210805154721/https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/EoM/id/5447 |url-status = live }}</ref> Activity rates tend to vary with age, and disengagement occurs most frequently between age 16 and 25. In 1998, the church reported that most less active members returned to church activity later in life.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/latter-day-saint-social-life-social-research-lds-church-and-its-members/8-consequential-dim |title = The Consequential Dimension of Mormon Religiosity |author = Stan L. Albrecht |year = 1998 |access-date = November 11, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111006013004/http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/latter-day-saint-social-life-social-research-lds-church-and-its-members/8-consequential-dim |archive-date = October 6, 2011 |url-status = dead }}</ref> As of 2017, the LDS Church was losing [[millennials|millennial]]-age members,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://kutv.com/news/local/losing-their-religion-millennials-including-utahns-leaving-church|title=KUTV|last=Hatch|first=Heidi|date=May 10, 2017|access-date=December 7, 2019|archive-date=November 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122155455/https://kutv.com/news/local/losing-their-religion-millennials-including-utahns-leaving-church|url-status=live}}</ref> a phenomenon not unique to the LDS Church.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/12/millennials-increasingly-are-driving-growth-of-nones/|title=Millennials increasingly are driving growth of 'nones'|last=Lipka|first=Michael|date=May 12, 2015|website=Pew Research Center|access-date=December 7, 2019|archive-date=December 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209050406/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/12/millennials-increasingly-are-driving-growth-of-nones/|url-status=live}}</ref> Former Latter-day Saints who seek to disassociate themselves from the religion are often referred to as [[ex-Mormon]]s.