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New Mormon edict on gays is a ‘policy,’ experts note, and LDS policies ‘come and go’

First Published      Last Updated Feb 17 2016 05:46 pm

(Tribune file photo) Spencer W. Kimball, right, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, presides over a session of General Conference in October 1978.

Faith doctrines are hard to alter, but guidelines can be modified, experts say.

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Last week, LDS leaders changed Handbook 1 to say that gay couples — either married or cohabiting — are "apostates," and children whose parents are or have been in same-sex relationships cannot participate in blessing or baptism rituals. They must wait until they are 18 before they can seek approval from the faith's governing First Presidency to join the LDS Church.

Mason, the historian, cautions members to remember that this is a policy, not a doctrine.

In fact, Mormon apostle D. Todd Christofferson, in a video explaining the new rules, refers several times to the guidelines as a policy.



"I have seen and heard nothing from the church stating that this policy came by revelation," Mason writes on Facebook, "nor are we asked to sustain it as such. We are never asked to sustain the Handbooks."

Policies, he adds, "come and go."

"Most of them are good and sensible," Mason says, "some of them are lame, misguided and even hurtful. As people of conscience, we are always within our rights to disagree with anything within the church, but especially policies. We can responsibly say to ourselves, to our friends and neighbors, to our fellow church members and to our priesthood leaders, 'I sustain my church leaders as men (and women) called by God and striving to lead his church by inspiration, but I do not agree with this policy of the church.' "

Many Mormons are calling on their church leaders to modify this new policy on same-sex couples — particularly the limitations affecting the children — and soon.

If podcaster John Dehlin's source is correct, that may happen.

On Wednesday, Dehlin, the excommunicated Mormon who divulged the Handbook 1 changes to the media last week, claimed he had reports that the LDS Presidency of the Seventy sent out a memo to regional leaders, saying that "there will be additional clarification on these changes from the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve [Apostles] in the coming days."

When asked for confirmation, LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins "declined to comment."

pstack@sltrib.com

Twitter: @religiongal

 

 

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