Americans Might be Lonelier than Ever, But Mormon Communities Are Thriving

How Mormons Build Meaningful Connections and Why it Matters

It’s difficult to be optimistic about the state of American public life these days. Neighborhoods are being torn apart by politics. We are suffering through a national civic decline, a friendship recession and an epidemic of loneliness. And we’re seemingly angry about everything.

And yet, if you ask Americans about life in their own community the situation doesn’t seem quite so dire. Certain communities are thriving. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, historically referred to as Mormons, stand out for their high levels of community satisfaction, strong local attachments, and civic involvement. (Note: In 2018, The Church issued a statement to avoid using nicknames and abbreviations, such as Mormon. For the sake of clarity and brevity, I’m going to use the more familiar designation.)

A new survey conducted by the Survey Center on American Life finds that Mormons are uniquely attached to their communities. Seventy-two percent of Mormons feel closely connected to th…