The Mormon Church to Allow Baptisms for Children of Same-Sex Parents

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has today announced a change in policy pertaining to baptism and LGBTQ+ couples.

According to a 2015 policy, Mormons previously only allowed children of same-sex parents to be baptized with First Presidency approval -- the First Presidency consists of the President of the church as well as his two counselors, and is the highest governing body of the Church. While there were a myriad of issues related to the policy, it particularly effected children of divorced parents were one was a queer ex-Mormon while the other remained in the faith. These children had to get approval to be baptised, and were many times prohibited from doing so. This controversial policy led to a widespread exodus of up to 1,500 members by some estimates.

The parents themselves were considered to be apostates, or ex-Mormons who have turned away from the principles of the Mormon gospel. When someone is "in apocacy" they can become the subject of a disciplinary court, convened by the church, and can be excommunicated spiritually as well as socially.

In a decision released today, both of those policies have been revised.

"Effective immediately, children of parents who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender may be baptized without First Presidency approval, if the custodial parents give permission for the baptism and understand both the doctrine that a baptized child will be taught and the covenants he or she will be expected to make," the church wrote on their site. The decision was initially announced in a leadership session. At that meeting, President Dallin H. Oaks also shared the new policies surrounding queer members.

Trending stories

500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis

Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times

12 batsh*t things Nancy Mace has done in her anti-transgender attention grab

K-pop star JUST B’s Bain comes out: 'Proud to be part of the LGBTQ+ community'

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

BREAKING: Trump Justice Department asks Supreme Court to reinstate trans military ban blocked by courts

Gay asylum-seeker's lawyer worries for the makeup artist's safety in Salvadoran ‘hellhole’ prison

Turn your Easter into the colors of the rainbow with these Pride-themed shortbread treats

Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes

'Drag Race All Stars' season 10 cast ru-vealed — why we're excited about the returning queens

Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

Gay man Nancy Mace cursed out in South Carolina Ulta says ‘a fire was lit’ from Republican's ‘meltdown’

French Polynesia doesn’t need Pride flags to earn its place on every LGBTQ+ bucket list

'The Boulet Brothers' Dragula' & 'Titans' are back — here's what else the diabolical duo announced

Watch Jennifer Beals flirt with Kelly Clarkson: "I heard you like your women older"

Out and About with Karan Soni

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

Pope Francis dead at 88: Looking back on his LGBTQ+ rights legacy

Beyond Wonderland's accepting & unifying rave culture is needed more than ever

Discover the power of Wellness in your life

Broadway bound: The best hotels in NYC’s Theater District for every type of traveler

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

Walton Goggins will poke your eye out in sexy new Speedo pics

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

"Previously, our Handbook characterized same-gender marriage by a member as apostasy," read the announcement covering the new policies. "While we still consider such a marriage to be a serious transgression, it will not be treated as apostasy for purposes of Church discipline. Instead, the immoral conduct in heterosexual or homosexual relationships will be treated in the same way." The statement went on to say that the announcements are aimed at decreasing the "hate and contention so common today."

The church also affirmed that the alterations "do not represent a shift in Church doctrine related to marriage or the commandments of God in regard to chastity and morality."

While the church does not maintain that same-sex attraction is wrong, acting on that attraction is condemned and still would be under this new policy. An apology for the trauma and harm the 2015 may have caused was not included in the announcement.

RELATED | Slideshow: Utah Shows Its Pride in Mormon Country