The next day, a rally was held in Salt Lake City at which some 1,500 Latter-day Saints were reported to have resigned their membership, the largest such protest in the history of the LDS Church. Many of those who expressed concerns were active, believing Latter-day Saints, including some of the local leaders charged with implementing the new policies. This is nearly unprecedented in Mormondom.

What changed between June and November?

The new regulations, intended to prevent the normalization of same-sex families in Church settings, represent a significant shift in how gay and lesbian Mormons interact with other Church members. The regulations also appear to set basic doctrinal principles at odds with one another. For instance, core tenets of Mormonism include agency, the innocence of children, and the rejection of original sin. Withholding baptism from the children of willing parents is virtually unheard of. And to suggest that some teenagers will do just fine without the gift of the Holy Ghost—which is conferred at confirmation—does not square with standard LDS teachings.

It’s true that the LDS Church employed stringent policies to stamp out polygamy in the early 20th century, but same-sex marriage today is quite different. One practice was illegal and scorned; the other lawful and increasingly accepted. The children of polygamists are often socialized to become polygamists, while children of same-sex marriages are overwhelmingly heterosexual. Given the history of polygamy in early Mormonism, those who cling to the practice claim higher religious authority and are often part of an underground movement. In other words, they are apostates.

By contrast, the decision to marry someone of the same sex cannot be supported with quotations from Joseph Smith or Brigham Young. Apostasy, in Mormon thought, entails a direct challenge to Church authority and requires mandatory disciplinary councils, along with murder, incest, and child abuse. Other sins, even serious sins, do not rise to the same level, and disciplinary councils are left to the discretion of local leaders. Many LGBT Mormons accept the Church’s high valuation of marriage and children, yet labeling same-sex marriage as apostasy makes a lifetime, legally binding commitment between gays or lesbians a more serious sin than gay promiscuity. Furthermore, the mandatory disciplinary councils suggest that same-sex marriage is worse than attempted murder, rape, sexual abuse, or spousal abuse, all listed in the Handbook as sins for which “formal Church discipline may be necessary” (emphasis in the original).

It should be noted that although LGBT issues have roiled many American denominations in recent years, the stakes are higher for Latter-day Saints. Salvation in Mormonism occurs at the level of families rather than individuals. The highest degree of heaven is reserved for husband and wife pairs, with a promise of eternal procreation, just as all humankind began as spirit children of a Heavenly Father and Mother. Family members must be sealed to each other through ceremonies in LDS temples. The loss of any family member from the faith breaks this chain, yet it is not at all clear how gays or lesbians would fit into the grand family scheme of heaven. At this point, there is no theology for how to integrate LGBT siblings or children into the Church other than lifelong celibacy.