Religion has been through the wringer over the last couple of decades. When I returned home from my Latter-day Saint mission toward the end of 2007, the so-called “New Atheism” was in full swing. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, this more militant form of atheism gained even more cultural traction.
Religion was no longer seen as quaint or harmless. It was portrayed as both irrational and dangerous. Bestselling books like “The God Delusion” and “God Is Not Great” gained widespread attention. Their authors were featured prominently in mainstream media and public debates, and their disdain for religion was loud and unapologetic.
The New Atheism became something of a cultural phenomenon that played a role in shaping the religious sentiments of a generation. More specifically, it provided the kind of cultural capital and intellectual justification for a trend that was beginning to manifest: a decline in religious affiliation and distrust in institutions more broadly.
Since 2007, the share of Americans identifying as religiously unaffiliated (or “nones”) has grown from 16 percent to 29 percent. Trust in organized religion along with religious attendance also declined over the 2000s and 2010s.
Given these trends (along with other political and cultural developments), I can imagine that many believers haven’t had the strongest confidence in their faith, let alone the confidence to share it. Social media has amplified stories of people walking away from faith, making these exits feel more visible and potent. At times, keeping your head down may have felt like the only option.
But perhaps there are reasons for hope — and even for a little more boldness. In a recent talk to new mission leaders, Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve shared that, in 2024, the Church had its highest number of converts in a quarter century.
Between June 2024 and 2025, the apostle reported that “convert baptisms were the highest of any 12-month period in church history. Every region of the world saw at least a 20% increase in convert baptisms in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today has more members, missionaries, congregations, missions and temples than it has at any point in its history.
What’s more, the 2023-2024 school year saw all-time high enrollments for both seminary and institute. The church’s institutions of higher education also saw record enrollment rates in the fall of 2024, with BYU-Idaho having its largest enrolled class in the university’s history.
These signs of resurgent faith within the Church of Jesus Christ may be reflected more broadly. Case in point, Catholic dioceses all over the country have been experiencing a high number of adult baptisms this year. But it’s not just in the United States: France and England have seen a major surge in baptisms as well.
Recent research from the Pew Research Center also found that the decline in church attendance and the rise of the “nones” may be plateauing. Since 2021, there has been a 12-percentage-point increase in American adults who say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important in their life today.
Across the pond in the United Kingdom, recent data indicate a rise in church attendance over the last few years, driven mainly by Gen Z. While it is far too early to tell if this is a trend — let alone a revival — it nonetheless offers a glimmer of hope. As political scientist Ryan Burge put it, “There’s been no discernible change in the nones in the United States in the last five years. If anything, there’s a hint that things are actually moving very slowly in the other direction.”
Internal shifts are happening within religious institutions as well. Among Catholic clergy, for example, there has been a turn towards orthodoxy: younger priests are more theologically conservative than previous generations. One study by The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America found that theologically liberal priests have “now all but vanished.” This could suggest a renewed seriousness among religious practitioners about their core teachings.
For orthodox Latter-day Saints, that trend may be comforting, especially amidst louder, more critical voices online. And there’s good reason to take comfort: survey data show that 81% of Latter-day Saints hold traditional beliefs and attend services regularly, whereas only 19% hold unorthodox views and attend less frequently.
There is strength in numbers. Speaking of which, religiosity appears to be growing in the world as a whole, not shrinking — largely because people of faith have more children than those who don’t.
Even in elite circles, the tone around religion has shifted. Public intellectuals and cultural commentators — once the loudest voices in opposition to religion — have grown less hostile and, in some cases, have even embraced religion.
Take journalist and Brookings Institute fellow Jonathan Rauch. A man of the left, a gay atheist, and one of the leading voices in the debate over same-sex marriage, Rauch is by no means a religious believer. In fact, he cheered on the demise of religion back in 2003.
But over 20 years later, Rauch now sees that critique as “the dumbest thing I ever wrote.” And, as he explains in his new book "Cross Purposes“, he now sees Christianity as playing a vital role in democratic societies and civic virtues. He even highlights the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a model for other Christians to follow.
What does all of this mean? It means that we’re at a potential turning point. And people of faith, including Latter-day Saints, can play a crucial role in it.
People are hungry for meaning, for something more. The promises of the New Atheism, expressive individualism (following ‘my truth’ as the pathway to happiness), and partisan politics are coming up short. They don’t satisfy that yearning in the soul.
So take heart, believers out there. Don’t flinch. Stand tall. Be confident. And don’t be afraid to open your mouth.