This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As a non-Mormon supporter of LGBT rights, I fully agree with the LDS Church's decision not to allow the children of LGBT parents to be baptized until they have reached the age of 18 and have become fully independent. The church's logic here is quite sound. An eight-year-old child simply cannot consent to defy their parents' wishes at that age.
I'm glad that the LDS Church has recognized this clear truth. The next logical step is to disallow the baptism of all children under the age of 18, as the inability of a child to make their own choice exists regardless of whether the child's parents are a same-sex couple or not.
Using the church's own logic, it is quite clear that the vast majority of LDS Church members were baptized at a time when they had no ability to make their own choices in the matter. I look forward to the LDS Church's recognition and correction of this problem.
When the LDS Church no longer allows any children to be forced into their religion before they reach the age where they can make independent choices, the church's claims to support religious freedom will gain some legitimacy.
Lucas Clayton
Sandy