Section 10: The Modern Church — Global Reach and Current Stress

The contemporary LDS church is a sophisticated global institution. Its estimated assets exceed $100 billion, making it one of the wealthiest religious organizations in the world. It operates a global missionary system deploying tens of thousands of young people annually. Its genealogical database is the largest in the world, maintained in service of its doctrine of baptism for the dead. It runs universities, media companies, a global welfare and humanitarian operation, and one of the most extensive social media presences in American religion.

The church is also experiencing significant internal stress. Studies show high rates of activity decline, particularly among younger members who have access to historical information — the seer stone translation methodology, the Book of Abraham papyri problem, the multiple First Vision accounts, the history of polygamy — that was not readily available to previous generations. The church's own Gospel Topics Essays, published from 2013 onward, acknowledge many of these historical difficulties, a significant departure from the confident narrative of previous generations.

The July 2026 national fast for religious liberty — timed to America's 250th anniversary — is consistent with the deep LDS theology of American exceptionalism. It is also a reminder that religious liberty protects the right to propagate any message, including one that Paul explicitly condemned. The freedom to preach a different gospel is constitutionally protected. It is not theologically endorsed.