Mormon church voic support for Senate bill to protect gay marriage | LGBTQ+ rights | The Guardian

mormon church gay rights

Mormon lears do not speak of a gay or lbian sexual orientatn, though they now fully acknowledge that many people 'stggle wh same-genr attractn.'

Contents:

MORMON CHURCH BACKS U.S. MEASURE TO PROTECT GAY MARRIAGE

The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats said on Tuday supports proposed feral legislatn tend to protect gay-marriage rights, as long as also protects the right of relig groups to believe such unns are agast God's word. * mormon church gay rights *

Nov 15 (Rters) - The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats said on Tuday supports proposed feral legislatn tend to protect gay-marriage rights, as long as also protects the right of relig groups to believe such unns are agast God's Utah-based church said a statement posted on s webse s doctre related to marriage - that God mand be between a man and a woman - would rema the church said would support the legislatn after a bipartisan group of senators negotiated an amendment to the versn passed by the U.

GAY RIGHTS AND THE MORMON CHURCH

* mormon church gay rights *

Supreme Court do not end gay marriage rights, which nservative Jtice Clarence Thomas med was possible when the urt June end the natnal right to abortn by overturng Roe vs. 16, 2022The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats gave s support on Tuday to a feral bill that would provi creased protectns for same-sex marriage, a limed but notable step om a church that historilly has aggrsively opposed gay move me on the same day senators announced a relig eedom amendment to the legislatn hop of securg broar support.

People, acrdg to the Public Relign Rearch church’s latt posn shows s long and slow parture om s public support of Proposn 8 California, which banned gay marriage the state and was later stck down urt. Conveng a rare prs nference on Tuday at church headquarters Salt Lake Cy, Mormon lears pledged to support anti-discrimatn laws for gays, lbians, bisexuals and transgenr people, as long the laws also protect the rights of relig groups.

Public prsure on a Mormon gymnast to step down as an Olympic liaison 2011 bee he had supported California’s Proposn 8, which banned gay marriage 2008. Officially known as the Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats, the Mormon church, like other relig groups, has tried to strike a lite balance on gay rights. Mormons have fought the legalizatn of same-sex marriage, for example, while tryg to avoid the “anti-gay” label sometim affixed to nservative fahs.

MORMON CHURCH VOIC SUPPORT FOR SENATE BILL TO PROTECT GAY MARRIAGE

But the church said would support the legislatn after a bipartisan group of senators negotiated an amendment to the versn passed by the U.S. Hoe July. The Mormon church said the amend legislatn "is the way forward." The bill is tend to ensure the U.S. Supreme Court do not end gay marriage rights, which nservative Jtice Clarence Thomas med was possible when the urt June end the natnal right to abortn by overturng Roe vs. Wa. * mormon church gay rights *

Nearly two-thirds of Mormons say homosexualy should be disuraged by society, acrdg to a 2012 survey nducted by the Pew Fom on Relign & Public Life. At the same time, Mormon lears have taken an creasgly civil tone towards gays and lbians recent years, and gay rights groups cheered the church for endorsg the Boy Suts’ cisn to allow gay suts 2013. Notably, however, Mormon lears said Tuday that they would not – and uld not – alter their opposn to gay marriage, llg such unns, “ntrary to the laws of God.

Jt two years ago, the church received much public praise for rcdg a 2015 policy, ntroversial among Mormons at the time, that clared the mor children of gay people uld not be baptized to or jo the church as members—at least not until they were 18 years old, and only then if they would nounce their parents’ marriage and nmn their sexualy. Given how ntent the qutn of gay rights has been among Mormons sce the church threw s whole weight behd California’s anti-gay-marriage Proposn 8 2008, the post-2019 perd has been one of wele relative quiet om the church.

C., Holland’s speech was the first time I tly worried that my future kids might attend public school wh peers who would be tght about the evils of beg gay, week and week out at church.

MORMON CHURCH AND GAY RIGHTS

(RNS) — Mormons have broaned their support for LGBTQ rights three key areas, though they still lag the natn supportg the right of gay upl to get married — or to walk to any bakery the untry and buy themselv a weddg ke. * mormon church gay rights *

Mormonism is now facg a world which not only the majory of outsirs, but also a signifint portn of their own membership—cludg s own universy’s faculty—seem to regnize that doctre for what is: a list of proposns phrased as irrefutable tths, issued by a group of men who grew up wh homophobia suffg every stutn their liv.

The same day Holland issued his revanchist addrs to the faculty, BYU’s admistratn was openg and publicizg s new Office of Belongg, a long-sought-for refuge not only for BYU’s growg number of openly gay stunts, but also s relig and racial mori, who are reported to face wispread bias and prejudice on mp, acrdg to a report issued by an ternal Commtee on Race, Equy, and Belongg.

Still, today, the church funnels members who nfs to feelg “same-sex attractn” to support groups that enurage members to enter heterosexual marriag, wh promis that the gay feelgs will be overe after sufficient fahfulns, or at least, ath. Matt Easton has ced the wily publicized 2016 ath by suici of one of his classmat at BYU, Harry Fisher, as part of the reason for his cisn to e out as gay his valedictorian speech.

UNED METHODIST CHURCH ANNOUNC PROPOSAL TO SPL OVER GAY MARRIAGE

Due to Mormon teachgs that there is no way to have romantic relatnships wh those of the same sex and be exalted the afterlife, gay Mormons face high rat of lonels, suicidaly, and prsn. When valedictorian Matt Easton spoke to his graduatg classmat the College of Fay, Home, and Social Scienc at Brigham Young Universy April 2019 and pronounced himself “proud to be a gay son of God, ”1 was notable—not for the ank self-intifitn, nor bee llege admistratn had preapproved the speech. Prce’s new book, Gay Rights and the Mormon Church: Intend Actns, Untend Consequenc, arriv at a moment when acceptance of those who intify as lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, asexual, or tersex has reached a tippg pot among members of The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats.

Jana Ris recently reported on Latter-day Sat attus toward homosexualy, based on data om the Next Mormon Survey (NMS) and om the Pew Rearch Center that was published her book The Next Mormons: How Millennials are Changg the LDS Church. In that book, she explas, “The NMS asked whether rponnts believed ‘homosexualy should be accepted by society’ or ‘homosexualy should be disuraged by society. Holland noted that Generatn Z dividuals (currently aged seven to twenty-two) “tend to support gay marriage and transgenr rights as part of everyday life.

GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT

4 Those who anticipate that Gay Rights and the Mormon Church would brg a siar approach to this topic will be disappoted: as Prce not, “Although I have attempted to engage voic om all sis of the issu treated this book, I have been trated by two groups”—the first beg those who were active supporters of California’s Proposn 8, a ballot measure to elimate the right of same-sex upl to marry. Kimball’s chapter on homosexualy, tled “Crime agast Nature, ” his 1969 book, The Miracle of Fivens (31–37); Church pamphlets (114–18); and a 2006 terview wh Elr Dall H.

6 In the s, the Church’s posn on the e of beg homosexual evolved om a choice that n be cured through diligent work and sufficient fah to neher a choice nor a s, though actg on such feelgs is both. Prce also vers the lnch 2012 of the Church’s webse, which was remarkable several aspects: first, for g the word “gay” as an inty marker, which had been strongly opposed by Church lears the past; send, for publicly puttg wrg the ncept that homosexualy was not a choice, though dividuals reta the abily to choose their rponse to such attractns; third, for clarg that homosexualy is not a disease; fourth, for assertg that the atn of same-sex attractn is not known; and, fally, for statg that the Church no longer advis marriage to someone of the oppose sex as a helpful step for homosexual members (216–17). 7 For rears, the book will provi greater pth of unrstandg of var events, although some discsns ( particular the November 2015 policy that labeled same-sex marriage as apostasy and ferred the eligibily of the children of gay unns to receive ordanc) suffer om a lack of primary sourc; however, s most helpful ntributn, I feel, is givg voice to groups that have heretofore largely been silent—relatg the stori of lbians and transgenr and tersex dividuals a manner that nveys the pth of their stggle to rema active the Church or to pe wh the circumstanc that have forced them out of , provg aga the power of dividual stori shared wh ndor and thenticy to change hearts and mds ways that polil or theologil history likely nnot.

*EN.BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* MORMON CHURCH GAY RIGHTS

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wpds-c-PJLV-jYXVnY-lor-black wpds-c-PJLV-mlvxn-size-lg"></div></div><div class="PJLV PJLV-iklXUFA-css"><h1 class="PJLV PJLV-iirWFJy-css overriStyl" data-ttid="headle" data-qa="headle" id="ma-ntent"><span data-qa="headle-text" class="PJLV">The LDS Church’s support for the LGBTQ marriage bill isn’t shockg</span></h1></div><h2 class="font--subhead font-light offblack mb-sm pb-xxs-ns subheadle" data-qa="subheadle" style="max-width:1000px">The church has creasgly supported LGBTQ rights — so long as ’s ee to police boundari for s members</h2><div class="flex prt-byle prt-mt-none"><div class="byle-wrapper flex-lumn flex"><div class="PJLV PJLV-ihSmMVC-css"><div class="PJLV PJLV-iPJLV-css mb-xxs overriStyl" style="gap:0.5rem" data-qa="thor-byle"><span class="wpds-c-PJLV"><div class="flex" data-qa="thor-byle"><div class="mr-sm flex lh-0"><div class="wpds-c-iTcer"><img src=" alt="" class="wpds-c-dgBqAZ"/></div></div><span class="left"><div class="flex"><div class="dib font-xxs mb-xxs" data-qa="name-wh-optnal-lk" data-cy="name-wh-optnal-lk"><span data-qa="attributn-text" class="wpds-c-cNdzuP">Perspective by <!-- --> </span><span data-qa="thor-name" rel="thor" class="wpds-c-cNdzuP wpds-c-cNdzuP-cIdiJW-isLk-false">Benjam E. Park</span></div></div><span class="wpds-c-ewNrgJ thor-scriptn" data-qa="thor-scriptn">Benjam E. Park is the edor of "A Compann to Amerin Relig History" (Blackwell), -edor of Mormon Studi Review and assistant profsor of history at Sam Hoton State Universy. His award-wng book, "Kgdom of Nvoo: The Rise and Fall of a Relig Empire on the Amerin Frontier," is now out paperback. </span></span></div></span></div></div><div data-ttid="timtamp" class="wpds-c-kgabfe wpds-c-kgabfe-ieEDlgV-css"><span data-ttid="display-date" class="wpds-c-iKQyrV">November 17, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EST</span></div></div></div></hear></div><article class="grid-article mb-xxl-ns" data-qa="ma"><div data-ttid="le-art" data-qa="le-art" class=""><figure class="overflow-hidn relative hi-for-prt center center mb-sm mb-md-ns ml-to-ns mr-to-ns grid-mobile-full-bleed"><div style="filter:blur(10px);transn:filter .1s;le-height:0" class="w-100 mw-100 h-to" width="600" height="324"><img style="background-size:ver;max-width:1600px;background-image:url('data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http%3A//; xmlns%3Axlk='http%3A//; viewBox='0 0 1280 853'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' lor-terpolatn-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGssianBlur stdDeviatn='.5'%3E%3C/feGssianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA type='discrete' tableValu='1 1'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage filter='url(%23b)' x='0' y='0' height='100%25' width='100%25' xlk%3Ahref='data%3Aimage/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAkAAAAGCAIAAACepSOSAAAACXBIWXMAAC4jAAAuIwF4pT92AAAAs0lEQVQI1wGoAFf/AImSoJSer5yjs52ktp2luJuluKOpuJefsoCNowB+kKaOm66grL+krsCnsMGrt8m1u8mzt8OVoLIAhJqzjZ2tnLLLnLHJp7fNmpyjqbPCqLrRjqO7AIeUn5ultaWtt56msaSnroZyY4mBgLq7wY6TmwCRfk2Pf1uzm2WulV+xmV6rmGyQfFm3nWSBcEIAfm46jX1FkH5Djn5AmodGo49MopBLlIRBfG8yj/dfjF5TUAAAAASUVORK5CYII='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E')" alt="" class="w-100 mw-100 h-to" width="600" height="324" srcSet=" 400w, 540w, 691w, 767w, 916w, 1200w" siz="(max-width: 440px) 440px,(max-width: 600px) 691px,(max-width: 768px) 691px,(m-width: 769px) and (max-width: 1023px) 960px,(m-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1299px) 530px,(m-width: 1300px) and (max-width: 1439px) 691px,(m-width: 1440px) 916px,440px" dg="async"/></div><figptn class="ml-gutter mr-gutter mr-to-ns ml-to-ns font--subhead font-xxxs mt-xs left gray-dark">The Salt Lake Temple Utah 2015. 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This bill, the church <a href=">stated</a>, “clus appropriate relig eedom protectns while rpectg the law and prervg the rights of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters,” and is therefore “the way forward” for the natn to addrs the topic.</p></div></div><div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="db dn-ns mr-neg-gutter ml-neg-gutter mb-md hi-for-prt" data-qa="subscribe-promo"><div data-orientatn="horizontal" role="separator" class="wpds-c-dbVHzF wpds-c-dbVHzF-hDkAcj-variant-flt"></div><a class="pt-sm pb-sm flex ems-center bold font-xxxs font-xxs-ns jtify-center" href=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="lor:#166dfc;borr:none"><svg class="ntent-box" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" xmlns=" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img"><tle>Wp</tle><path d="M11.055 8.728l-1.018-1.019-.782.782v6.292l1.782 1.564.018-.019v-7.6zm-4.11.236L5.674 7.71l-.836.855v6.237l1.545 1.327.564-.636V8.964zm2.656 9.074l-2.528-2.182-1.927 2.182-2.619-2.255v-3.564h-.509c-.454 0-.672.273-.745.636H1.09a2.89 2.89 0 0 1-.091-.69c0-.473.2-1.71 1.527-1.71V7.691c0-1.073-.709-1.127-.709-2.054 0-1.037.982-2 2.782-2.637l.164.145c-.6.291-1.09.655-1.09 1.437 0 1.2 1.163.89 1.163 2.782v.727l2.127-2.236 2.237 2.2 2.109-2.2 2.036 2v6.728l-3.745 3.455zm11.108-9.625l-1.073-.982-.964 1.018v6.6c.855.11 1.491.4 2.019.964l.018-.018V8.413zm-2.382.418l-.528.545v10.237l.528.492V8.83zm1.49 9.055c-.308-.382-.69-.709-1.145-.836v3.782l-.036.018-1-.927-2.11 1.945-.036-.018V16.96c-.636.145-1.327.545-1.854 1.2l-.146-.091c.127-1.4.818-2.436 2-2.837v-3.545h-.382c-.527 0-.89.363-.963.763h-.219c-.054-.145-.127-.381-.127-.836 0-.891.6-1.564 1.582-1.564h.11V8.085l-.655-.582-.51.51-.254-.237 2.018-2.073 1.71 1.564V9.05l.527-.564v-2.09h.345v1.727l2.273-2.419L23 7.576v7.91l-3.182 2.4z" fill-le="evenodd"></path></svg><span class="mr-xs ml-xs gray-darkt flex ems-center">Get the full experience.<span class="ml-xs subs-theme blue">Choose your plan</span></span><svg class="ntent-box" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 16 16" xmlns=" style="fill:#166dfc" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img"><tle>ArrowRight</tle><path d="M7.664 1.25l6 6a1 1 0 010 1.414l-6 6L6.25 13.25 10.499 9H2V7h8.585L6.25 2.664 7.664 1.25z" fill-le="nonzero"></path></svg></a><div data-orientatn="horizontal" role="separator" class="wpds-c-dbVHzF wpds-c-dbVHzF-hDkAcj-variant-flt"></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Observers rrectly <a href=">noted</a> the seismic parture om the Mormon Church’s tradnal stnch opposn to same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights. From the 1990s through the Supreme Court’s 2015 <i>Obergefell</i> cisn legalizg LGBTQ marriage across Ameri, Latter-day Sats were at the foreont of the fight to mata the “tradnal” fn of marriage as between a man and a woman.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">But this new statement is ls surprisg when viewed the ntext of evolvg LDS thkg over the past . Even as has tried to acknowledge the changg broar cultural circumstanc, the church has also battled to protect the right to vigoroly police boundari around genr and sexualy for s members.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The Mormon Church’s anized opposn to legalizg same-sex marriage <a href=">origated</a> the wake of s succsful ntributn to the mpaign agast the Equal Rights Amendment the 1970s. This activism earned Mormons a place the ascendant relig right. It also proved the church’s abily to mobilize over “moral” issu a way that flexed s cultural fluence whout explicly aligng wh a polil party. The mpaign laid the groundwork for future cursns to legal battl over what the LDS Church emed “tradnal” genr rol, which had bee creasgly central to the fah’s inty sce World War II. Latter-day Sats lears had bought to the nservative myth — cultivated the culture wars — that fendg the prcipl was ccial to society’s future, and they were also terted entrenchg patriarchal power.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Wh the lsons hly enshred, the church appoted Dall H. Oaks, a nservative Utah Supreme Court jtice who many expected would be Ronald Reagan’s next pick for the U.S. high urt, as a new apostle 1984. Oaks almost immediately drafted a memo argug that “the terts at stake the proposed legalizatn of so-lled homosexual marriag” were “sufficient to jtify a formal Church posn and signifint efforts opposn.” Forfeg heterosexual unns as the heart of their culture would rult societal y and rampant impropriety, while stroyg the foundatn of nservative valu, he argued.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Over the next three s, the Mormon Church dited substantial rourc, time and words to opposg same-sex marriage throughout the Uned Stat. For example, 1995, the church was engaged the legal fight Hawaii over the issue when s lears released <a href=">“The Fay: A Proclamatn to the World,”</a> a quasi-nonil manifto clarifyg their belief that “marriage between a man and a woman is ordaed of God.”</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The apex of this battle me 2008 when the church vted heavily supportg California’s Proposn 8, a proposed state nstutnal amendment to ban LGBTQ unns. Though the church had already been volved over a dozen state iativ by then, the California episo was a dramatic latn: Observers timated that while Latter-day Sats acunted for only 2 percent of the state’s populatn, they ntributed around half of the $40 ln spent on the mpaign and 80 to 90 percent of the volunteer work. The fah’s anizatnal skills helped secure the amendment’s passage.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div id="gift-share-le" data-ttid="gift-share-le" class="PJLV PJLV-ilotWTr-css hi-for-prt"><button aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expand="false" aria-ntrols="gift-share-drawer" role="button" tabx="0" aria-label="Share this article" id="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-le" data-ttid="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-le" class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-gsmDXe wpds-c-gsmDXe-goNocI-placement-Inle foc-highlight"><div data-ttid="gift-share-terstial-trigger" class="wpds-c-kPqOkS wpds-c-kPqOkS-jtSXsT-hasSubsText-false"><span class="wpds-c-hBJqc"><span class="wpds-c-dzSncg">Share this article</span></span><span class="wpds-c-eCvK"><span class="wpds-c-enedHQ wpds-c-enedHQ-cCdK-isShown-false">Share</span><svg xmlns=" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fBqPWp wpds-c-fDHGth"><path fill="currentColor" d="M8 .6v3.8h.1c-4.4 0-7.3 4.5-6.9 8.8.1.8.2 1.2.2 1.2l.2 1 .4-1.3c.8-2 2-4 6.2-3.9H8v4l7-6.9L8 .6Zm1 11.3V9.3h-.9c-3 0-4.8.5-6.2 2.9.5-3.3 2.7-6.8 6.2-6.8H9V3l4.5 4.4L9 11.9Z"></path></svg></span></div></button></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">But Proposn 8 proved to be the church’s fal victory agast LGBTQ marriage. The polil wds shifted quickly, and by 2015, <i>Obergefell </i>legalized LGBTQ unns everywhere.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">By that pot, Latter-day Sats lears regnized the changg landspe and stopped supportg the legislative measur they had phed for s. The church’s hierarchy regnized that changg public opn extend to their own members: <a href=">One recent study</a> found that 58 percent of active Sats now believe same-sex unns should be legal and accepted.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">But that didn’t mean the church began supportg LGBTQ marriage. Instead, cid to ce the broar legal terra to cement s ntrol over those wh s fold. It began pursug two distct, yet closely related, iativ: first, a ph to rve out legal exemptns to equaly laws unr the umbrella of “relig liberty” and send, to reaffirm ternal boundari regardg their members’ sexualy. In 2015, the Church supported a bill herald as the <a href=">“Utah promise”</a> that LDS lears claimed protected LGBTQ dividuals while safeguardg the rights of relig stutns. The rights clud exemptg stutns like Brigham Young Universy om implementg polici enforcg LGBTQ equaly, as well as assurg the church’s tax-exempt stat. In the followg years, the church also supported an LGBTQ -nclive hate crim law as well as a ban on nversn therapy.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Leadg this new emphasis was Oaks, who was elevated to the First Princy 2018. He <a href=">adopted the language</a> of “relig liberty,” which nservative relig lears had begun g to reaffirm the privileg of tradnal, and often powerful, stutns.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In this ntext, support for the Rpect for Marriage Act is ls surprisg. The bill ntas plenty of exemptns for relig groups, makg the type of morate promise that Oaks has prrized. And the church’s support has been a PR boon. <a href=">Equaly Utah</a>, which has worked tirelsly for LGBTQ rights the state, <a href=">lled</a> the church’s cisn an attempt to “disver mon ground on laws that support the strengtheng of all fai.”</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">But the church’s newfound willgns to accept polil promise over the last half has remaed njoed wh a sire to reaffirm the fah’s cultural boundari on sexualy. If the “world” was gog to embrace the queer muny, was even more important for the church to draw a clear ntrast. Only months after <i>Obergefell</i>, the church troduced an extreme policy that tegorized “same-genr marriage” as an act of “apostasy” that necsated disciplary uncil, as well as a prohibn on children of LGBTQ parents om receivg salvific ordanc like baptism. The polici were wily panned and rulted a flood of rignatns om the church. <a href=">One study</a> found that as many as 60 percent of Mormon lennials opposed the new l. Church lears eventually <a href=" target="_blank">rcd the polici 2019</a>. In a rare admissn of cultural fluenc, Oaks nfsed that the retractn was part “to rce the hate and ntentn so mon today.”</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Even so, the church has remaed mted to haltg s members om embracg non-heterosexualy. Its anxiety has only heightened as support for LGBTQ rights has grown among the fah’s younger generatn. In 2021, after several high-profile cints at BYU — cludg a valedictorian g his <a href=">graduatn speech</a> to pronounce that he was “proud to be a gay son of God” and dozens of stunts <a href=">lightg the school’s famo mountasi Y</a> wh rabow lors — popular apostle Jefey Holland <a href=">chastised BYU faculty members</a> for “supportg ias that many of feel are ntradictory to gospel prcipl.” He hoped to hear “a ltle more mket fire” om profsors promotg “the doctre of the fay and fendg marriage as the unn of a man and a woman.” Although Holland ed the phrase metaphorilly, was a dangero charge an era of risg right-wg vlence.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">While this mand might seem to ntradict support for the Rpect for Marriage Act, the two iativ are actually terpennt: The fah is willg to make legal ncsns only sofar as is granted relig exemptns that enable cultural retrenchment. Agreeg not to oppose LGBTQ civil rights secur the space required for policg ternal boundari. Even the church’s statement supportg the new bill reaffirms that s doctre “related to marriage between a man and a woman … will rema unchanged”; what <i>has </i>changed is that church lears are no longer dited to imposg those same prri on non-Mormons.</p></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The qutn remas whether the church’s lculated promise will be enough to mata the loyalty and ditn of s members. <a href=">Younger believers</a> have proved to be more flexible stutnal allegianc, more liberal on social issu and more pliable on key doctr. This dit that LGBTQ rights may yet bee a drivg wedge for the church’s future long after the legaly of same-sex marriage has been cid.</p></div><div class="wpds-c-ipATMk wpds-c-ipATMk-hCiGAB-removeMobileStyl-te"><div class="wpds-c-dhzjXW wpds-c-dhzjXW-iPJLV-css overriStyl mt-md tt"><div id="gift-share-end" data-ttid="gift-share-end" class="PJLV PJLV-idiqKOk-css hi-for-prt"><button aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expand="false" aria-ntrols="gift-share-drawer" role="button" tabx="0" aria-label="Share this article" id="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" data-ttid="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-gsmDXe wpds-c-gsmDXe-iIVoLq-placement-Shortcut foc-highlight"><div class="wpds-c-UazGY" id="gift-share-shortcut" data-ttid="gift-share-shortcut"><svg xmlns=" fill="var(--wpds-lors-primary)" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fVfumU "><path fill="currentColor" d="M8 .6v3.8h.1c-4.4 0-7.3 4.5-6.9 8.8.1.8.2 1.2.2 1.2l.2 1 .4-1.3c.8-2 2-4 6.2-3.9H8v4l7-6.9L8 .6Zm1 11.3V9.3h-.9c-3 0-4.8.5-6.2 2.9.5-3.3 2.7-6.8 6.2-6.8H9V3l4.5 4.4L9 11.9Z"></path></svg><div class="PJLV wpds-c-kwcHlj">Share</div></div></button></div><div class="wpds-c-hcekgi"><div class="mb-lg-mod" data-qa="ments-btn-div"><button aria-label="Scroll to the ments sectn" data-qa="ments-btn" class="wpds-c-kSOqLF wpds-c-kSOqLF-SQjOY-variant-sendary wpds-c-kSOqLF-eHdizY-nsy-flt wpds-c-kSOqLF-ejCoEP-in-left wpds-c-kSOqLF-igqYgPb-css ments hi-for-prt"><svg xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="currentColor" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fBqPWp "><path d="M14 14V2H2v9.47h8.18L12.43 13ZM3 10.52V3h10v9.23l-2.5-1.66Z"></path></svg><span></span> Comments</button></div></div></div><div class="PJLV PJLV-iipsdti-css"><div></div></div><div class="PJLV PJLV-iipsdti-css"><div></div></div><sectn class="PJLV PJLV-iipsdti-css dn-ns hi-for-prt" data-ttid="mostRead" subscriptns-sectn="ntent"><div data-ttid="lazy-most-read-parent" class=""><div style="m-height:800px"></div></div></sectn><div class="PJLV PJLV-ickXkbz-css"><div data-qa="newsletter" class="hi-for-prt relative"><div class="dib w-100"><div><div class="flex jtify-center align self-center center transn-all duratn-400 ease--out" data-qa="sc-newsletter-signup" aria-label=""><svg aria-labelledby="react-aria-1-aria" role="img" viewBox="0 0 100 80"><tle id="react-aria-1-aria">Loadg... .

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