The leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints LDS, or Mormon have reversed a Church policy that was implemented just three and a half years earlier. The original policy made on November 3, 2015, stated how a natural or adopted child of a parent living in a same gender relationship, whether the couple is married or cohabiting, may not receive a name and a blessing. In addition, the baptism of a child of a parent who has lived or is living in a same gender relationship was allowed only if the child was legally an adult 18 and committed to the teaching of the Church while not living with a parent who has lived or currently lives in a same gender cohabitation relationship or marriage.That decision resulted in loud protests by some members, including more than a thousand who claimed that they resigned their membership following that decision because they felt children were pawns in the Churchs stance against homosexuality. Reversing that policy, Dallin H. Oaks, the first counselor in the Churchs top leadership called the First Presidency, explained on an LDS Church website on April 4, 2019, that, 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. In addition, babies of non member parents or parents including LGBTQ parents can request their baby to receive an official blessing. This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author author Eric Johnson about his Christian Research Journal online exclusive feature article Gods Directive or Political Adjustment? Change Made to Controversial LDS Policy for LGBTQ Members.https://www.equip.org/article/gods-directive-or-political-adjustment-change-made-to-controversial-lds-policy-for-lgbtq-members/ We would also like to invite you to subscribe to the JOURNAL . To subscribe to the JOURNAL, please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/crj-subscription/ When you to subscribe to the JOURNAL ,you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our free online exclusive articles, such as this review, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.

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Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts featuring this author

Episode 121 Pearl Before Swine and Evangelism

Episode 105 Mormon Evangelism in the Twenty First Century

Converting Them Softly with Their Words

Moving Mormons toward a Personal Awareness of Sin

The Mormon View of Salvation: A Gospel That Is Truly Impossible

The Bridge or the Beehive? Mormon Apologetics in a Postmodern Age

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