A Mormon leader on Saturday reiterated the church's opposition to gay marriage.
Neil L 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: "While many governments and well-meaning individuals have redefined marriage, the Lord has not.
"He designated the purpose of marriage to go far beyond the personal satisfaction and fulfilment of adults, to more importantly, advancing the ideal setting for children to be born, reared and nurtured."
After a June 2013 US supreme court ruling struck down parts of the federal Defence of Marriage Act, gay marriage has become legal in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Federal judges have also struck down bans in Michigan, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma and Virginia, and ordered Kentucky and Tennessee to recognise out-of-state gay marriages, though stays have been issued pending appeals.
On Friday, a judge in Ohio said he would order the state to recognise same-sex marriages from other states.
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 H Oaks of the Quorum said human laws cannot "make moral what God has declared immoral". Read on and comment » | Associated Press in Salt Lake City | Saturday, April 05, 2014
