Subscribe to Receive the Daily Report

Wednesday, August 28th, 2019

LDS Church makes it clear: No guns in its meetinghouses

Author:     Kathy Stephenson and Peggy Fletcher Stack
Source:     The Salt Lake Tribune
Publication Date:     27 August 2019
 Link: LDS Church makes it clear: No guns in its meetinghouses
Stephan:   LDS members, Mormons, have a very high percentage of gun owners. But they are not stupid. No guns in meetinghouses (churches). You also can't take a gun into the House or Senate, or any of the Senate or House office buildings. Nor in any federal building or any courthouse. Non-mormon churches, malls, movie theaters, bars, no problem; you can go into any of them with a weapon. It is the very definition of hypocrisy.

Two LDS chapels built adjacent to each other on Angel Street, in Kaysville, Utah
Credit: Rick Egan | Tribune

If ever there were a question about its stance toward guns in meetinghouses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has removed all doubt: Unlike visitors, firearms are not only not welcome, they are strictly forbidden.

In fact, the Utah-based faith now “prohibits” all “lethal weapons” from its properties, unless carried by current law enforcement officers. Previously, the church deemed it merely “inappropriate” to have firearms in its buildings.

On Monday, church spokesman Daniel Woodruff confirmed that stricter wording had been added to Handbook 2, an instruction manual for local lay leaders, and is posted online for members and nonmembers to read.

“Churches are dedicated for the worship of God and as havens from the cares and concerns of the world,” the new firearms policy states. “With the exception of […]

Read the Full Article