One truth and many religions

According to David B. Barrett, the researcher who compiles religious
population estimates for the Encyclopedia Britannica and World
Almanac, there are about 10,000 distinct religions in the world today.

See this article:
"Researcher tabulates world's believers" by Richard N. Ostling, Associated Press,
http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html

'The 2001 edition, successor to his 1983 first edition, which took a
decade to compile, identifies 10,000 distinct religions, of which 150
have 1 million or more followers. Within Christianity, he counts
33,830 denominations. Barrett also calculates religious populations for the Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year, standard estimates that are used in turn by the World Almanac and innumerable journalists.
Such numbers are always debatable, but they're the best available.
"We don't really have any rivals," Barrett says..."
On the web site of adherents.com:
http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html

Barrett's book, "World Christian Encyclopedia : A Comparative Survey
of Churches and Religions in the Modern World" is available for online
browsing using the "search inside" feature on Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0195079639/


All religious beliefs, groups or churches seem to fall into one of these following categories or distinctions:

Christianity
Catholicism
Anglicanism
Eastern Orthodox Church
Oriental Orthodox Church
Assyrian Church of the East
Lutheranism
Presbyterianism
Congregationalist
Anabaptists
Methodists
Baptists
Pietists
Brethren
Apostolics
Pentecostalism
Charismatics
United
Swedenborgianism
African Initiated Church
Episcopals
Quakers
Messianic Judaism
Restorationism
Mormonism
Adventists
Anglo-Israelism
Unitarianism
Nontrinitarian
New Thought
Christian mystery
Miscellaneous/Other

Other
Bábism
Bahá'í Faith
Gnosticism
Quranic religions
Judaism
Rastafarianism
Sabians
Samaritanism
Dharmic/Indian religions
Ajivika
Ayyavazhi
Buddhism
Hinduism
Jainism
Panth Religions
Sikhism
Iranic religions
Manichaeism
Mazdakism
Yazdânism
Zoroastrianism
Taoic religions
Caodaism
Chondogyo
Confucianism
Falun Gong
Shinto
Taoism
Yiguandao
Chinese folk religion
African diasporic religions
Indigenous religions
Esotericism
Ecumenism
Mysticism
Magic

If you don’t see a well reconized religion on the list, it is because they fall under one of the listings. i.e. Jehovah’s Witnesses are under nontrinitarian, Coumunity of Christ is under restorationism, Islam under Quranic religions.


The Baha’i faith is actually the fastest growing (by percentage) religion in the world.

Top ten major types of Religions

1.Christianity, 1900 million adherents. Has the most followers and most widespread presence of all well-recognized religions. Predominant religion in Europe, the Americas, Southern Africa, Oceania, and the Philippines.

2.Islam, 1100 million adherents. A widespread religion with many countries majority Muslim, particularly in the Middle East, South Asia, Maritime Southeast Asia, Central Asia, North Africa, West Africa and some parts of Eastern Europe.

3.Hinduism, 781 million adherents. Umbrella term for various Hindu denominations forming the majority in India, Nepal, North Eastern province of Sri Lanka, and the Bali & java sub-province of Indonesia,parts of latin america , eastern africa, Australia, USA and UK.

4.Buddhism, 324 million adherents. Largely in East Asia and the Mainland Southeast Asia, and small parts of South Asia and Russia.

5.Sikhism, 19 million adherents. Mostly in the Indian Punjab; also large numbers in other parts of India and the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, Malaysia and Southeast Asia, Germany and East Africa.

6.Judaism, 14 million adherents. A widespread religion with Israel majority Jewish, and with the USA having the largest Jewish population worldwide.

7.Bahá'í Faith, 6.1 million adherents. Youngest of the group of 10, second most widely dispersed religion after Christianity; fastest growing (percentage) of top 10.

8.Confucianism, 5.3 million adherents. Mostly in China proper; and in Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam.

9.Jainism, 4.9 million adherents. Mostly in India.

10.Shinto, 2.8 million adherents. Mostly in (and formerly the state religion of) Japan.


With such a list of religions and denominations, it’s no wonder the world is in confusion about God.


Many of these claim truth or the only truth to be found. These convictions are held with sincerity and honest belief by many. Many claim God has spoken to them or have received revelation or a response by the holy spirit of the truth of their belief. They really believe they have the truth just as the Latter Day Saints claim to have it.

The LDS believe we have the truth and we claim authority. We say we know this by the Holy Spirit who testifies of this truth. This is how we can be sure.

How then are we any different from those who make the same claims that we do, through a similar process of searching for truth?

Is there another way to help us find truth amongst the confusion?

Can the truth be proved? Or should it or should it not?

“Mine elect will hear my voice”- what does this mean to you?

Is Satan confusing and deceiving other religions and people by trying to appear as an angel of light and truth?

Satan cannot imitate the spirit but is he using other forms of emotions and manifestations to deceive?

How can we really know the real truth?

Do we really know, or do we only have faith and hope in our beliefs?

The process of Alma 32 and the seed gives us many clues and insights on how to find truth. How do we apply it directly?