Praise for the Summer Issue 

Thank you for the great summer issue of Dialogue. I enjoyed the variety of articles and the fiction. David C. Knowlton’s article “How Many Members Are There Really? Two Censuses and the Meaning of LDS Membership in Chile and Mexico,” (38, no. 2 [Summer 2005]: 53-78), on census records and Church membership numbers for LDS members in Chile and Mexico answered many questions for me. Since I have many friends and family members who haven’t considered themselves church members for many years, I have wondered how many of the reported 12 million members really are affiliated with the church. I’ve also questioned the honesty of including people who have joined other churches on the membership rolls. Knowlton presented valid reasons for the large differences in numbers and was fair to the Church position for not wanting to drop baptized members from the rolls. 

Kristen Carson’s story, ‘”Atta Boy” (36, no. 2 [Summer 2005]: 122-50) delighted me. Most active Mormons have probably coveted a leadership position to showcase our talents and prove to surprised friends and relatives that we really are approved by God—one of the elect, to use a Calvinist term. Probably more than a few of us have secretly wondered if the less-active members we’re assigned to home teach or visit teach aren’t really enjoying life more than we are. Latham Runyon is a character I identify with in my imperfect attempts to gain God’s approval. 

Ann M. Johnson 
Cedar City, Utah