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On November 5, 2015, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made several changes to key policies. This new policy makes gay marriage and gay cohabitation a “serious transgression”. This policy also made gay marriage a qualifier for apostasy. According to section 6.7.3 of the authority handbook, “Priesthood leaders must take disciplinary action against apostates to protect Church members." In this case, disciplinary action means excommunication.

This new policy was updated in “General Handbook of Instruction Book 1”, which instructs local leaders how to run congregations. The new policy updated sections 6.7.2 and 6.7.3.

This policy change was not made public by the church, but was secretly changed in the handbook. The handbook is officially only available to leadership, however a leaked 2010 edition is available here:

http://ge.tt/30Ll6cs1/v/2

This change was leaked on Nov. 5, 2015 by the excommunicated John Dehlin, who obtained it from an anonymous source. Church spokesperson Eric Hawkins issued this statement the same day of the leak where he confirms its authenticity:

“Church handbooks are policy and procedural guides for lay leaders who must administer the church in many varied circumstances throughout the world. The church has long been on record as opposing same-sex marriages. While it respects the law of the land, and acknowledges the right of others to think and act differently, it does not perform or accept same-sex marriage within its membership.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/11/05/mormon-church-to-exclude-children-of-same-sex-couples-from-getting-blessed-and-baptized-until-they-are-18/

This policy will affect all 15 million Mormons, any potential members, and all students attending LDS sponsored schools. This policy won’t only affect LDS student, but all 29,932 students attending LDS sponsored colleges.

Data on enrollment in LDS sponsored school I’ve collected:

http://pastebin.com/KfqwgQNM

Since these are religious schools, many discrimination laws do not apply to them. Religious freedom supersedes many discrimination laws. This change of policy has essentially made being anti-same sex marriage a core belief and doctrine, which will continue to allow them to discriminate, and expel students, at their schools.

They are already exercising their right to discriminate in such a way. BYU is expelling former Mormons based solely on their discontinued belief in the LDS church. There is currently a movement called “Free BYU” which aims to discontinue BYU’s institutionalized religious discrimination.

http://www.freebyu.org/overview/

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The LDS church also made another change of policy which was leaked at the same time. This policy banned children with same sex parents from membership, adding section 16.13 to the “General Handbook of Instruction Book 1”.

The child may gain membership ONLY after they turn 18, and disavow their parents’ marriage, and moves out of their parents’ house.

This is encouraging potential members to cut contact with gay family members in order to gain membership into their church.

http://kutv.com/news/local/lds-church-to-exclude-children-of-same-sex-couples-from-membership

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In light of these discriminatory policy changes, I am calling for you to publish an article which spreads awareness of this discrimination.

Discrimination is wrong. Expose the discrimination. End the ##LDSDiscriminationPolicy.