Mormons Say Duty to Law on Same-Sex Marriage Trumps Faith
Despite its deep opposition to same-sex marriage, the Mormon Church is setting itself apart from religious conservatives who rallied behind a Kentucky county clerk, Kim Davis, who cited her religious beliefs as justification for refusing to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
In a speech this week about the boundaries between church and state, Dallin Oaks, a high-ranking apostle in the church, said that public officials like Ms. Davis, the clerk in Rowan County, Ky., had a duty to follow the law, despite their religious convictions.
Mathew Staver, a lawyer for Ms. Davis, criticized Elder Oaks’s remarks, saying the elder was essentially advocating a view that granted no religious protections to those in public office....