Mormon Church Reaffirms Opposition to Marriage Equality

In case anybody forgot, the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints made clear in a speech the institution remains opposed to marriage equality. But at least it stopped punishing children for the supposed sins of their parents, he said

Church president Russell Nelson told students at Brigham Young University that God's law said marriage must be between a man and a woman.

"God has not changed His definition of marriage," he said in remarks published by BYU.

That said, the church highlighted a decision to rescind a 2015 policy banning the baptism of children of parents in gay or lesbian relationships. In his BYU speech, Nelson noted the "heartache" caused by so-called "policy of exclusion."

"That grieved us," he said.

The Mormon Church rescinded that policy in April. For the four years prior, all members of the church in same-sex marriages were labeled apostates, and their children were barred from being blessed in the faith until at least age 18.

"Our concern then, and one we discussed at length and prayed about fervently over a long period of time, was to find a way to reduce friction between gay or lesbian parents and their children," Nelson said. "We wanted to facilitate harmony in the home and avoid pitting children and parents against each other."

The church still labels the parents in such situations as "serious transgressors" but will no longer deny baptism in the church to children.

But Nelson, who became church president in January 2018, said the church needs to carve out a compassionate space for LGBTQ members.

The church views church presidents as modern-day prophets.