Total Stake Membership Reconciliation

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
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garthropod-p40
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Total Stake Membership Reconciliation

#1

Post by garthropod-p40 »

I am trying to reconcile the difference between the Total Membership number on my Stake Quarterly Report and the Total Members shown at the bottom when I search for individual records. The Total Members shown at the bottom of the individual records search always seems about 150+ members greater than my Stake Quarterly report. I understand there is a lag between the time all the unit quarterly reports are submitted and by Stake Quarterly report being compiled, but we never seem to reach the number shown at the bottom of the individual records search. What individual membership records could we have that are not part of the Stake Quarterly Report?

Thanks,

Garth Walker
Stake Clerk
McMinnville, Oregon
lajackson
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#2

Post by lajackson »

One reason is that your search for individual records will include spouses who are not members, and children over nine who are not baptized. These names will have MLS records, but will not show up in the totals on the quarterly report.
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aebrown
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Location: Draper, Utah

#3

Post by aebrown »

garthropod wrote:I am trying to reconcile the difference between the Total Membership number on my Stake Quarterly Report and the Total Members shown at the bottom when I search for individual records. The Total Members shown at the bottom of the individual records search always seems about 150+ members greater than my Stake Quarterly report. I understand there is a lag between the time all the unit quarterly reports are submitted and by Stake Quarterly report being compiled, but we never seem to reach the number shown at the bottom of the individual records search. What individual membership records could we have that are not part of the Stake Quarterly Report?

A great tool for researching such issues is the Unit Statistics feature of MLS (available on the Reports/Forms screen under Reports). Not only does it list the number of members in various categories (Members, Young Men, Children, Recent Converts, etc.), but it has links for each category that will take you to a list of exactly what members make up the numbers.

I did this for my stake, and compared the list with the list of membership records, and was able to confirm what I suspected. At least for the first several records I sampled that have membership records, but are not counted as Members, the individuals are 9 years of age or older but have not been baptized. Such individuals do have membership records, but are not counted in the quarterly report. I'm guessing you will find the same to be the case in your stake.

From the MLS Help screen on the Quarterly Report:
Individuals who are 9 years of age or older and not baptized and confirmed are not included in any Quarterly Report categories.
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aebrown
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#4

Post by aebrown »

lajackson wrote:One reason is that your search for individual records will include spouses who are not members, and children over nine who are not baptized. These names will have MLS records, but will not show up in the totals on the quarterly report.

This is only half true -- nonmembers (even spouses of members) do not have membership records (even though they may have record numbers assigned to them), and will not show up on the list of Indivdual Member Records.

Children of record, 9 years of age and older, do have records, even if they are not included in the quarterly report.
garthropod-p40
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Thanks

#5

Post by garthropod-p40 »

Thanks for the help. Unbaptized members age 9 and over is exactly what the difference is. When looking at total church records you can be a "member" of that list without being a "member" of the church. Thanks!
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