Editor's Note: The following article not only introduces a study but also includes an invitation for members of The Church to participate in that study. Please note the link at the end of the article.

Compared to the ever-growing body of literature examining other dominant religions in the U.S. (i.e., Catholic and Protestant faiths), the amount of published research on Latter-day Saints is sparse, particularly with regard to the impact of Latter-day Saint beliefs and practices on parenting and family (Hart et al., 2000).  Some large studies examining parental religiosity and its impact on parenting styles report inclusion of Mormon families in their samples; however, such inclusion tends to be quite small (e.g., 6% of the participants in a study by Gunnoe et al. [1999] study were identified as LDS compared to 64% identified as Protestant, 20% as Catholic, 8% as atheist/agnostic, and 1% as Jewish).  Some of the available published studies with a specific focus on Latter-day Saint families are briefly summarized below.

In a study of family role definitions and responsibilities, Bahr (1982) explored some of the differences between Mormons, Catholics, Protestants, and those with no religious affiliation.  Compared to the other participants, Mormons in his study placed a greater emphasis on the importance of family-centered recreational activities and sharing personal problems with other family members.  Mormon participants were also more likely to identify fathers as primarily responsible for providing income and mothers for housekeeping and child care.  However, the preference for traditional gender roles appeared to have little impact on the implementation of tasks across mothers and fathers, who reportedly engaged in a more egalitarian distribution of labor.  In fact, Mormons in his sample were as egalitarian (if not more so) as the rest of the religious sample with regard to whether fathers or mothers were responsible for earning income, providing child care, housekeeping, and making final decisions about family matters.

Latter-day Saint emphasis on family prompted Wilkinson and Tanner (1980) to examine the influence of religiosity, family size, and interactions between family members on the level of affection in LDS families.  The inclusion of family size as a variable was prompted by Wilkinson and Tanner's finding that Latter-day Saint families tended to be larger than the “average” family in terms of number of children.  Their results revealed a weak but significant positive relationship between family size, interaction, and affection.  Further analyses demonstrated that religiosity, as measured by attendance at LDS temple services, had a direct (and the strongest) positive impact on the level of affection between family members.  These findings suggest that a higher level of spiritual worthiness and participation in religious services may promote more affectionate relationships between parents and children in LDS families.

With regard to disciplinary practices in LDS families, an examination of the impact of parental control on juvenile delinquency and adolescent depression by Barber (1996) found that compared to non-Mormons, Mormon adolescents reported feeling less controlled by their parent(s).  Also, Barber found a small but significant connection between church membership and juvenile delinquency.  Barber's (1996) findings were replicated in a larger, nationwide study of juvenile delinquency in Latter-day Saint youth (Top, Chadwick, & Garrett, 1999).  Participants in the Top et al. study were assessed on various dimensions of delinquency, peer pressure, and family relationships, as well as the religiosity level of both the youth and his/her family.  Results showed significantly lower rates of delinquency in LDS youth as compared to the general population.  Contributing to these lower rates were the family-level variables of living and teaching religious principles, parental provision of adolescent autonomy, and a sense of connectedness between family members.  Individual-level variables predicting lower rates of delinquency included the internalization of values taught in the Church, engaging in private religious behaviors such as prayer and scripture study, and other spiritual experiences.

A qualitative study of LDS parents of varying family sizes and with children of various ages examined the role of religious beliefs and practices on LDS family life (Loser, Klein, Hill, & Dollahite, 2008).  According to those interviewed, LDS religious beliefs played a central role in several domains, including individual, familial, social, and structural.  On the individual level, participants stated that their religion influenced their interest in obtaining and maintaining a relationship with God, style of clothing worn (e.g., modest, respectful dress), daily conversations with others, and views about everyday activities (e.g., reading a book or watching a movie).  At the familial level, common themes included the overall importance of the family in this lifetime and in the eternities (i.e., after family members have died, such relationships continue in other ways), passing religious beliefs and values on to children, decoration of the home (e.g., placement of art depicting religious figures, locations, and principles), organization of the home (e.g., special room[s] allocated for spiritual worship), and overall perception of the home (e.g., the home is a peaceful, loving place which deserves to be respected and well-cared for).

According to Loser and colleagues (2008), social areas in which LDS parents report feeling influenced by their religious beliefs and attitudes included involvement in the community (e.g., choice of friends and locations in which to socialize) and provision of volunteer service.  Structurally, religion reportedly influenced respondents in a variety of ways, such as how mealtimes were used (e.g., for family prayer and scripture study or discussion of religious issues), timing of and content of recreational activities (e.g., no television on Sundays), and overall use of time spent as a family (e.g., having Family Home Evening).   Based on Loser et al.'s analysis, it seems LDS religious beliefs and attitudes can have a wide-reaching influence on daily decisions and behaviors at not only an individual level, but on family and societal levels as well.

In summary, the handful of studies above suggest that the values, beliefs, and practices of the Church appear to have the potential for a strong (and generally positive) impact on child and adolescent development, as well as on the family unit as a whole.  However, few studies have included this rapidly growing population of individuals, making it difficult to understand the role of religion in parenting among LDS families.  In particular, there is a dearth of studies assessing the effects membership and activity in the Church have on parent-child relationships.  The need for additional research on the parenting component of Latter-day Saint families seems especially strong given the faith's emphasis on specific parenting practices and the importance of family not just in this lifetime, but in the eternities.

An Invitation to Participate in a Research Study of Latter-day Saint Parents

The author of this article is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at DePaul University in Chicago , Illinois .  He is also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Throughout his education, he has noticed that Latter-day Saints are largely missing from published research on parenting.  Although he is not yet a parent, he believes his membership and activity level in the Church will impact how he parents his children.  The purpose of this research study is to help those outside the LDS faith better understand how Latter-day Saint religious beliefs and behaviors influence parenting.

In order to participate in the study, you must meet the following criteria:

If you meet both of the criteria listed above, please follow the link at the end of this article to begin the study.  If you do not meet both of the criteria listed above, you are invited to send the link on to anyone you know who is a Latter-day Saint parent of a preschool or school-age child.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS

In appreciation for your time and assistance, you will have the option of providing your e-mail address to be placed in a drawing for a $50 Target gift card.  Once a sufficient number of participants have completed the study, a drawing will be held and a total of 10 gift card winners will be notified via e-mail.  Participants who provide an e-mail address will also have the option of receiving a brief summary of the study's findings once the study is complete.

Please fill out the questionnaire only once.  Parents living in the same home are eligible to participate, provided they complete the questionnaires on their own, without the other parent present.  Biological, adoptive, and stepparents are invited to participate.

If you have questions about the questionnaire, please do not hesitate to contact the researcher at sbehling@depaul.edu.  Please follow the link here to begin.