The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, is repealing a controversial policy that treated LGBTQ members as apostates and barred their kids from being baptized. “Instead, the immoral conduct in heterosexual or homosexual relationships will be treated in the same way,” the First Presidency said in its statement. In addition, the children of parents who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender can be baptized in the church as long as the parents understand that the child will be taught to follow the church’s doctrines. The 2015 policy also labeled members in same-sex marriages as apostates, and dictated that they would be forced to go through disciplinary hearings that could lead to excommunication. The policy was widely criticized by LGBTQ people who had grown up in the church.

Source: Huffington Post April 04, 2019 17:15 UTC