Mormon Divorce Statistics

Daniel K. Judd, a professor in Brigham Young University, calculated in the year 2000, that out of the total Mormons who get married in a temple ceremony, just 6 percent have to experience a temple divorce. As compared to the total population of the United States, this is a very small number. However, the preciseness of these statistics cannot be relied upon due to the following reasons –

Special cases affecting Mormon Divorce Statistics

• In a large number of cases, Mormons seal their marriage in a temple ceremony and further divorce in a civil ceremony. They prefer to do so as the ‘cancellation of sealing’ divorce procedure, that is rather complex can be avoided. Consequently, this divorce is not counted while arriving at the figure of 6 percent above
• In some number of cases, Mormons get married in a temple ceremony and divorce in a civil procedure. Further, they remarry in a second temple ceremony. This trend is counted as 2 temple marriages and 0 temple divorces. Again, this divorce is not included while computing the 6 percent value above

Mormon Divorce Statistics comparable to American divorce rate

Barna Research conducted a study of four thousand American adults in 1999. From this survey, it was concluded that 24 percent of Mormon marriages culminate in a divorce. Thus, this number was almost identical to the divorce rate of all Americans.

The authenticity of this number is endorsed by another survey conducted by the National Survey of Families and Households. As per this survey, it was found that in case of both non-Mormons and Mormons, 26 percent of all individuals go through minimum 1 divorce during the lifetime.

Difference in Statistics if Mormons marry outside their group

The magazine named Demography published a study in 1993 that revealed that when Mormons marry fellow believers, they have a very low divorce rate. As a matter of fact, the divorce rate of such marriages within the Mormon denomination is the least amongst all denominations in the United States.

In case of the marriages mentioned in the above paragraph, only 13 percent of the couples divorce after 5 years of marriage. This number is considerably less than the 20 percent number of religiously homogamist unions amongst Protestants and Catholics and the 27 percent number of Jews.

The scenario described in the above paragraph changes totally, when a Mormon marries outside the group of Mormons. In such a case, the divorce rate is 40 percent. This number is exceeded only by mixed-faith marriages that involve a Jewish spouse and this divorce rate is 42 percent.

From the above discussion, it may be contemplated that the cultural and religious differences amongst Mormons and non-Mormons are so vast, that the possibility of a harmonious and successful marriage is very scarce.

Some other studies show that the possibility that Mormons might cohabitate outside of marriage is also very less. This value is only 8.2 percent, while in case of Protestants it is 20 to 24 percent, for Catholics it is 23.1 percent, in case of Jews it is 32.5 percent and for nonreligious Americans it is 44.8 percent.

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