LDS Family Search Allows Documentation of Same-Sex Families
Wednesday, June 13, 2018, Deseret News announced that the Church will implement documentation of same-sex families on the LDS Family Search Tree. Starting in 2019, people who belong to same-sex families will be able to utilize familysearch just the same as anyone else in an effort to document their family members, past, present and future.
The Church understands that there are many out there who use Family Search to do their genealogy work, as it is a free and reliable database. When the United States government legalized same-sex marriage everywhere, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, reminded Church members of the importance of sustaining the law.
“We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
– Articles of Faith 1:12
While the Church still upholds the ideal of marriage being between a man and a woman, it wants to accommodate everyone in connecting families over time. Equality Utah executive director Troy Williams pointed out that despite their differences, the Church and the LGBTQ Community share a love for preserving family relationships.
Several systems that are now used in Family Search will have to be re-designed to implement this change. That process is the reason why it will take until 2019 for the changes to be in full effect.
While the doctrines of Christ cannot be changed, we can still build relations with those who think and live differently.