Unraveling Trust in the North American LDS Church

Members of the Church are fortunate to be part of a high-trust community. In communities with high levels of social trust, people can let down their guard a little. They spend less time analyzing others' motives and verifying that what others tell them is true. They offer service more freely, trusting that fellow community members will not take advantage of them. Living in a high-trust community smooths away some of the frictions that tend to come from interacting with people outside one's family. In low-trust communities and societies, life is a little harder. You keep your doors locked and never leave your kids unaccompanied. You get your guard up when someone asks you for something. You take fewer risks and spend more energy protecting what you already have. You check and recheck, ask for references, and investigate, rather than simply trusting. People in low-trust communities even tend to have fewer kids, because of the vulnerability that is involved in bringing new life into the world.