The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints repealed rules unveiled in 2015 that banned baptisms for children of gay parents and made gay marriage a sin worthy of expulsion.
The Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City.
But the policy change, the church made clear Thursday, does “not represent a shift in Church doctrine related to marriage or the commandments of God in regard to chastity and morality.”“This is a change in policy, not a change in doctrine,” said Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, an LGBTQ advocacy organization. “We’re not going to see the church blessing same-sex unions or solemnizing them in the temple soon, and it’s not something we’re asking for.
Gustav-Wrathall, who is gay and has a husband, had already been excommunicated from the church in 1986. But the policy change threw new uncertainty into his relationship with his father and brother, because it deemed him an apostate — essentially, an enemy of the faith, lost to damnation. A divorced gay Mormon, who had previously been married to a woman, told Gustav-Wrathall that “my wife is suing me for custody of my daughter, because this [policy change] means that our daughter will not be able to have standing in our church.”“I was being exposed daily to these stories of trauma and heartache and the divisive impact that this was having on families,” Gustav-Wrathall recalled.
As Mormons quit in protest, activists reached out to the church to push for a change. “And to the church’s credit, they listened,” Williams said. “They heard the pain that was being expressed by so many of their members, and they changed course.”“I’m just heartbroken,” she said, “because it’s too late for many people.”
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