Mormon Head: Church Opposes Gay Marriage; Govts. Have Redefined Marriage, God Has Not

A Mormon leader yesterday reiterated the church's opposition to gay marriage, The Guardian website reports today (April 6, 2014).

Neil Andersen, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Quorum of the Twelve, said during the church's biannual general conference in Salt Lake City, Utah: "While many governments and well-meaning individuals have redefined marriage, the Lord has not."

Andersen added: "He (the Lord) designated the purpose of marriage to go far beyond the personal satisfaction and fulfillment of adults, to more importantly, advancing the ideal setting for children to be born, reared and nurtured."

The Mormon church's message on homosexuality has softened in recent years, but this marks the second consecutive conference in which leaders have talked about their opposition to gay marriage. In 2012, Dallin Oaks of the Quorum said human laws cannot "make moral what God has declared immoral."