LDS Genealogical Database Will Now Include Homosexuals
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is undergoing a massive project to collect the genealogy of as many members of the church as possible. They have recently announced they will include the submission of names of people from same-sex relationships. While the project started in 2015, the announcement was just made.
Mormon Church Become More Open To Same-Sex Couples[/tweetthis]
Death has a unique significance for Mormons. Mormons believe families and their relationships continue into the afterlife. Mormons think death is not a sufficient reason to stop caring about the spiritual health of someone. Mormons are the only dominant religion allowing the dead to be baptized. The LDS Church does not consider a baptism for a dead person an automatic pass to heaven. It only permits the individual to choose the religion in the afterlife.
While the decision does not make any official change to doctrine, it does carry symbolic significance. The Mormon Church has been opposed to the LGBTQ community. Recently, the church has banned the baptism of babies of gay couples, required children to deny their gay parents before serving a mission officially, and ended an almost 100-year partnership with the Boy Scouts over the inclusion of LGBTQ members.
The church explained the decision was only to provide accurate information for future research. Some members of the LGBTQ community have pointed out the decision to officially recognize same-sex couples matters because it is an example of non-discriminatory acknowledgment of their existence.