The president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reaffirmed the church’s opposition to gay marriage and explained why the church changed a controversial policy that prohibited children of same-sex parents from being baptized.
“The truth is, however, that in the beginning — in the beginning — marriage was ordained by God! And to this day it is defined by Him as being between a man and a woman,” President Russell Nelson told students Tuesday at Brigham Young University, a predominantly Mormon university based in Utah.
Nelson, who is also a renowned heart surgeon, then turned to a policy instituted by the church in 2015, before being revoked earlier this year. The policy forbid children of same-sex parents from being blessed as infants and baptized at age 8, when most Mormon youth are baptized. Teenagers could not be ordained to the priesthood and young adults could not serve missions unless they publicly disavowed their parents’ same-sex relationship after turning 18. Adult members of the church in a same-sex relationship were declared to be in “apostasy” and in need of a church disciplinary council.
“Though we of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles cannot change the laws of God, we do have the charge to ‘build up the church, and regulate all the affairs of the same in all nations,'” said Russell. “Thus, we can adjust policy when the Lord directs us to do so. You have recently seen such examples. Because the Restoration is ongoing, policy changes will surely continue.”
The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are the central leadership bodies of the Mormon church. The former consists of the president and his two counselors, while the latter consists of 12 men ordained as apostles.
Nelson said the church wanted to “find a way to reduce friction between gay or lesbian parents and their children.” He said the church “did not want to put young children in the position of having to choose between beliefs and behavior they learned at home and what they were taught at Church.”
Nelson acknowledged, however, that the 2015 policy “created concern and confusion for some and heartache for others.” Church leaders’ concern over the consequences of the policy ultimately led them to change course earlier this year.
Whereas under the policy same-sex parents needed permission from the First Presidency for their children to baptized, parents now only need permission from their local bishop. In the Mormon church, bishops function similarly to a parish priest, overseeing a congregation, which is called a ward.
Around two-thirds of Mormons oppose same-sex marriage, and a majority think homosexuality should be discouraged. A survey taken a year after the 2015 policy’s announcement found a majority of Mormons supported it, although some may have left the church in the aftermath of the policy’s implementation.
