A recent Gallup survey of religious attitudes in Great Britain indicates that most people in the United Kingdom still believe in God, but that such beliefs are waning in importance.

Seven out of every 10 people interviewed in the survey are certain God exists, although many confess that such a belief does not influence the way they live or behave.While these findings are of concern to those in positions of responsibility in British religious organizations, many are convinced that a strong religious inclination exists among the English people even though traditional institutions may not be responding to them very well.

John Habgood, Archbishop of York in the Church of England, says much needs to be done: "Figures like this do emphasize that churches have a major educational and evangelistic task to translate some of this latent feeling into a more articulate and conscious belief and practice."

And there are encouraging signs in the survey. Fewer in the survey now consider themselves as committed atheists (only one in 25 regarded themselves as such) than a similar survey showed 10 years ago. Furthermore one out of every six persons polled said God and religion were "very important" in their lives. Indeed, those managing the poll and assessing the data feel that the rather steady post-World War II decline in religion may be "bottoming out."

Some experts blamed the pace of modern life for undermining religion. Also open to criticism was the stale message too many of those polled felt they received when attending church.

All of this suggests there may be a new look for renewed faith by the British people, but what will be the institutional response?

The Rev. Don Cupitt, dean of Emmanuel College at Cambridge and a lecturer in the philosophy of religion, said the traditional church response in England needed to be radically different. "We need a major religious upheaval because traditional belief systems are gradually fading away, and we haven't a satisfactory new vocabulary."

Of course, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints knows something of the British quest for truth.

Great Britain was the first overseas mission established by the Church more than 150 years ago. The work has been prospering there ever since, answering questions for the honest in heart and responding to the vacuum that is often left by "traditional belief systems" that are "gradually fading away."

Eight missions and 40 stakes of Zion are eagerly and enthusiastically at work in meeting the day-to-day needs of the Latter-day Saints in the United Kingdom and Ireland, proclaiming the gospel to all who will listen to the message of the Restoration.

"A major education and evangelistic task?" "A more articulate and conscious belief?" "A major religious upheaval" with a "satisfactory new vocabulary?" Peter prophesied such solution to universal problems long ago. He promised that to the parched and withered religious landscape would come "times of refreshing" from the presence of the Lord, even "times of restitution." (Acts 3:19, 21.)

In Great Britain and throughout the world there is available to all who will respond a new day and a new covenant as well as a "new vocabulary." There is indeed "a major religious upheaval" going on in quiet and convincing ways. An "upheaval" prophesied long ago by Isaiah to be " a marvelous work and a wonder." (Isaiah 29:14.)

In the words of President John Taylor: "Go, ye messengers of glory;

Run, ye legates of the skies;

Go and tell the pleasing story

That a glorious angel flies;

Go, to all the gospel carry;

Let the joyful news abound;

Go till every nation hear you,

Jew and Gentile greet the sound.

Let the gospel echo all the earth around."