Shields up! Evasive maneuvers! How the LDS Church responds to perceived criticism

Get RNS’ thoughtful, essential religion reporting every morning. Sign up for free!

(RNS) — As I reported last month , the Pew Research Center recently released a detailed report about Latter-day Saints in America, chock-full of data showing various changes over time.

Sociologists rejoiced. Pew’s standards are excellent, and their researchers always make the data publicly available at no cost.

The church did not rejoice. Instead, it released a public statement that same day, not naming Pew in particular but clearly pushing back against some of the study’s main findings. It seemed to take special issue with the conclusion that the church in the U.S. is retaining fewer of its childhood members — and that the religiosity of remaining members, while high, is not what it used to be.

Called “ Measuring What Matters: The People Behind the Numbers ,” the statement reads:

“We appreciate whenever reputable organizations seek to truly understand our faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. Across the globe, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is experiencing a season of spiritual vitality and growth.

Official Church records show consistent worldwide increases in both…