With the LDS church’s recent endorsement of a gay rights ordinance in Salt Lake City, many have begun speculating that the church is on its way to changing its policy on same-sex marriage. Not so, say BYU professors of religion and political science. 

Last week, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints publicly endorsed a city ordinance that bans housing and employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The BYU professors interviewed said that although the church supports tolerance and equality, it does not approve of homosexuality.

Kent Jackson, associate dean of Religious Education, said the church is not contradicting its previously-stated positions and that it has always been in favor of equality. 

“The church’s response to the Salt Lake issue was not a surprise, nor a change in direction, because it is consistent with the position already expressed,” Jackson said.
Richard Davis, a professor of political science, said the church’s endorsement highlighted an important distinction in its teachings and policies.

“The LDS Church is distinguishing between being opposed to gay marriage and being opposed to any effort to end discrimination against gays,” Davis said.

Davis also said this endorsement may be a means for the church to be viewed in a more positive light on this issue.

“The church’s position on issues related to same sex marriage have been interpreted as an anti-gay stance,” Davis said. “The church is attempting to draw a line at gay marriage, but not at other aspects of the agenda of the gay rights movement.”

The church may even be sending a message to Latter-day Saints, Davis said.

“This will go a long way in signaling to church members that we should not be anti-gay and acknowledging that the gay rights movement has some very legitimate complaints about how gays are treated in society and under the law,” Davis said.

Other professors expressed similar views on this issue.

Randy Bott, a professor of religion, said although the church is endorsing anti-discrimination of gays, it is not changing its policy on homosexuality.

“I hope you can see the difference between the church endorsing agency of all people to do whatever they choose and the church adopting a policy contrary to the revealed will of God,” Bott said.

When asked how this issue compared to when the church gave the priesthood to African-American males, Davis said this incident is different because it does not reverse a church-wide policy.

“That was a dramatic reversal of church policy,” Davis said. “This is not a dramatic reversal of church policy in that sense.”

However, professors that this is still a significant incident because it’s the first time the church has actually expressed support for legislation that bans such discrimination.