Hundreds quit Mormon faith over gay marriage stance

Submitting the letter through an attorney allows these individuals to circumvent lower levels of church leadership and speeds up the process of resigning significantly.

“This policy originates out of that compassion and a desire to protect children in their innocence”, said LDS Elder D. Todd Christofferson. As for the children who have already been baptized or ordained to the priesthood and are active, their privileges in the church will not be rescinded. It also bars the children of gay members from joining the church until they’re 18 and pass a series of church requirements.

Church officials said in a news release Friday that the rules issued last week are meant to prevent children from being caught in a tug-of-war between teachings at home and church.

A Church spokesman said: “We don’t want to see anyone leave the Church, especially people who have been struggling with any aspect of their life”. Same-sex marriage may be legal, but it’s still a serious sin in the eyes of the church. However, they remain free to attend church meetings and activities. But to formally sever ties with the church is to say that a person is rejecting the Mormon vision of the afterlife, and potentially devastating family members who live their lives so close to a few of the faith’s holiest sites.

Utah Mormons have organized the effort in response to the church’s recently leaked policy on same-sex couples, which makes them candidates for excommunication and prohibits their children from being baptised or blessed, except if they renounce same-sex relationships and are older than 18.

“I stopped going to church religiously about a year ago because just the attitude towards minorities and homosexuals and women was the main three reasons that I just decided that it wasn’t real, ” he explained.

“We had an incredible turnout”, Naugle said, according to CNN. He will deliver the letters to the church headquarters in Salt Lake City on Monday.

During the event, the mailbox used to deposit the letters was overflowing, Parry said.

Because the rules were made in the church handbook, and not considered doctrinal change, Mormon leaders have wiggle room if they choose to revise them.

The blowback has caused speculation that Mormon leaders will tweak the policy.

“The church’s decision about families was the final straw for me”, said Connie Walker, who carried a bright pink sign that read “I’m Resigning Today Because Jesus Says Love Everyone”. Wilcox is part of a growing group that has been working within the church to try to build acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, but this announcement brings all that into question. This is a category known as apostasy, which until now has been reserved primarily for people who practice polygamy, teach inaccurate doctrine or publicly defy guidance to church leaders.