The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes “in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law” (Articles of Faith 1:12). For many governments around the world, one of these laws is the recurring taking of a census. Church leaders recently encouraged Latter-day Saints in the United States and Mexico to participate in their 2020 censuses.
The United States Constitution requires that this tabulation take place every 10 years. Mexico also requires a census once each decade. These censuses have important implications for the fair distribution of political power and government funding. Accurate census data also help the Church more effectively plan its activities around the world.
The Mexico census was done in March. The Mexico Area Presidency sent a letter (read it here in Spanish) to Latter-day Saints in that country regarding a new question that asks for the religion of each citizen. The Area Presidency encouraged each Latter-day Saint in the country to answer with the official name of the Church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church’s leaders also noted that cooperation with the Mexico census will give an accurate representation of the Church in that country.
The First Presidency statement on the 2020 United States Census is below in English and Spanish:
English
The United States Constitution mandates that a census be counted every 10 years. This census is used to determine the makeup of state legislatures, local school boards, and other government bodies and to determine how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Church also uses census data for planning and family history purposes. The Census Bureau is delivering census questionnaires to every household in the U.S. and its territories. We urge all members to respond to them in an accurate and timely manner. It is an important obligation for all people living in the United States and its territories to be counted in the census.
Español
La Constitución de los Estados Unidos requiere que se lleve a cabo un censo cada diez años. Este censo se utiliza para determinar la composición de las legislaturas estatales, consejos escolares locales y otros organismos gubernamentales y para determinar cuántos escaños tendrá cada estado en la Cámara de Representantes de los Estados Unidos. La Iglesia también utiliza datos del censo con fines de planificación e historia familiar. La Oficina del Censo está entregando cuestionarios del censo en cada hogar en los EE. UU. y sus territorios. Instamos a todos los miembros a completarlos de manera precisa y oportuna. El ser contado en el censo, es una obligación importante para todas las personas que viven en los Estados Unidos y sus territorios.
Press Release from Church Newsroom