After reading, I'm more interested in the aftermath of the prediction. That when the new year rolls around, with the Earth and its inhabitants still in existence, what do they do then? With such an ultimatum, would they still follow their leader or separate? How could they transition back into society, of which they have had minimum contact with?
You remember that guy that was predicting the end of the earth would come in 2011, after several other failed predictions? Remember how he moved the date one last time a few months forward, and then just gave up when the world didn't end at that point either? They'll find some problem with the way they were interpreting the scriptures, or they'll come up with some new revelation. Both the fundamentalist Mormons described in the article and the mainstream Mormons that most people think of as "Mormons" can do that; for the mainstream Mormon church the book of new revelations is called "Doctrine and Covenants."
Anyways, whether they come up with new revelation or find a "flaw' in the way they've been interpreting the old scripture, their religion will go on.