The LDS Church’s Salt Lake City Temple

In what the Salt Lake Tribune has called “stunning news,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced its official support to passage of the federal bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act.

The measure — already passed in the U.S. House and now being considered in the Senate —would codify protections for same-sex and interracial marriages in the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges declared that laws banning same-sex marriage were unconstitutional, but the court’s recent hard-right swerve and Justice Clarence Thomas’ comments in the recent Dobbs decision suggest the court could overturn Obergefell and even Loving v. Virginia if given the opportunity.

The LDS church in 2008 campaigned vigorously in favor of California’s proposed Constitutional amendment, Proposition 8, which prohibited legal recognition of same-sex marriage in that state. But in a statement issued Tuesday, Nov. 15, church officials said that the church’s doctrine “related to marriage between a man and a woman is well known and will remain unchanged. We are grateful for the continuing efforts of those who work to ensure the Respect for Marriage Act includes appropriate religious freedom protections while respecting the law and preserving the rights of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.”

The church’s statement supporting the bill came after Senate sponsors for the Respect for Marriage Act added an amendment to the version approved in the House that exempts religious organizations, including faith-based universities, from providing “services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods or privileges for the solemnization or celebration of a marriage,” and prevents the act from being used to alter the tax-exempt status of any organization. The amendment also specified that the measure did not extend to polygamous marriages.

LDS officials said in their statement, “We believe this approach is the way forward. As we work together to preserve the principles and practices of religious freedom together with the rights of LGBTQ individuals, much can be accomplished to heal relationships and foster greater understanding.”

Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, on Tuesday sent out an email statement applauding the church for its change of heart on marriage. “Despite differences we may have, we can always discover common ground on policies and laws that support the strengthening of all families,” Williams said. “We are thrilled to see that a broad coalition of parties and faiths recognize that every American has a fundamental right to marry, regardless of race or sex.

“While this version of the Respect for Marriage Act clearly acknowledges and protects the diversity of American religious and other beliefs, it does not do so at the expense of the central tenant of the act, which is to safeguard marriage equality,” he said.

Williams added that the move by LDS officials “as well as the support from other faith groups and political figures, makes clear that equality is and always has been an American value. No American should face discrimination simply because of who they love. We are heartened to see the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints publicly take this stance today, and are certain it portends a successful vote in the Senate later this week.”

Williams also quoted a recent poll by Deseret News showing that “72 percent of Utahns now support the freedom to marry. That’s incredible progress in just a short time.”

The Senate is expected to vote as early as today on the Respect for Marriage Act, with 60 votes necessary for the measure to move forward. Sponsors said they believe they will get the 10 Republican votes necessary to meet the 60-vote mark thanks to the additions protecting religious liberties.

— Tammye Nash