For Erika Olson (BS ’25), one of the benefits of being a sociology student was learning how to understand and connect with others.
“A big part of building Zion is all about relationships,” says Olson. “Everyone is part of a larger system and understanding where we are in that system can be incredibly impactful.”
She saw these ideas at play as she undertook a research project with classmates in a sociology capstone course led by department chair Curtis Child in fall 2023. The team investigated factors that helped BYU students with faith questions choose to remain active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The unpublished study found that many students’ concerns dealt with exclusion—whether in the culture, language, or policies of the Church—and that many helpful factors in choosing to stay were also relationship based.
“Part of the reason people have concerns in the first place is because they care so much about their relationships with other people,” says Olson.
The student researchers reported that interviewees “found it helpful when they felt supported and accepted by people in their social networks and the university regardless of their faith status. Likewise, they found it harmful when they felt isolated and unsupported in their concerns, both from their social networks and from [BYU] culture .”
Child explains, “People are never in a vacuum. They are always embedded in social networks—and these networks are critical to individuals in both beneficial and negative ways.”
To foster beneficial relationships, the student researchers recommended creating safe spaces on campus where conversations on faith can take place.
“It’s important for students to be able to have honest conversations, and many students have found safe relationships to be really valuable,” says Child. “We’re preparing students to live in a world where these things are everyday issues. And if we do it right, I think we can help them approach problems faithfully and with compassion and understanding.”
About the Study
Capstone students conducted one-on-one, in-depth interviews with 20 current or recent BYU students between the ages of 18 and 28. Each of the interviewees had experienced a significant faith challenge and self-identified as an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Interviewers asked 10 primary questions and answers were analyzed with 19 unique codes. The average interview was 57 minutes.
The research found that many study participants had relied on relationships with BYU professors, fellow Church members, family, and friends to work through their questions, resulting in 25 percent of students finding closure and deeper faith and another 55 percent continuing to face concerns but accepting uncertainty and expressing hope.
