The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced its support for legislation that would protect gay marriage.
The Respect for Marriage Act seeks to enshrine the right of same-sex marriage into federal law.
On Tuesday, the Mormon Church issued a statement celebrating the proposed legislation.
“The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints related to marriage between a man and a woman is well known and will remain unchanged,” the statement began. “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 statement continued, “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.”
The Hill reports, “the bill would require the federal government to recognize a marriage if it was valid in the state where it was performed and guarantee that valid marriages are given full faith and credit in other states.”
“The senators also indicated the new version of the bill would clarify religious freedom protections, including language confirming that nonprofit religious organizations would not be required to provide any services or facilities for a marriage,” the report continued.
Assuming all Democrats vote in favor of the bill, it will only need support from ten Republicans in order to pass.
In 2008, the Mormon Church supported Prop 8, a California effort to only recognize marriage as between a man and a woman — a sharp contrast from their current position.
