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The change triggered a historic influx of missionaries, and proved a milestone change for women by allowing many more to serve. One of the most memorable moments of Monson's tenure came in October 2012, when he announced at church conference that the minimum age to depart on missions was being lowered to 19 from 21 for women and to 18 from 19 for men.
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The revisions triggered anger, confusion and sadness for a growing faction of LGBT-supportive Mormons who were buoyed in recent years by church leaders' calls for more love and understanding for LGBT members. The changes were designed to avoid putting children in a tug-of-war between their parents and church teachings, leaders said. In 2015, the church backed an anti-discrimination law in Utah that gave unprecedented protections for gay and transgender people while also protecting religious freedoms.īut the religion came under fire again in the fall of 2015 when it banned baptisms for children living with gay parents, and instituted a requirement that those children disavow homosexual relationships before being allowed to serve a mission. In subsequent years, the church began utilizing a softer tone on the issue. That prompted a backlash against the church that included vandalism of church buildings, protest marches and demonstrations outside church temples nationwide. He put an emphasis on the humanitarian ethic of Mormons, evidenced by his expansion of the church's disaster relief programs around the world, said Armand Mauss, a retired professor of sociology and religious studies at Washington State University.Īt Monson's urging, Mormons were vigorous campaign donors and volunteers in support of a measure to ban gay marriage in California in 2008. His speeches at the faith's twice-yearly conferences often focused on parables of human struggles resolved through faith. He was known for dropping everything to make hospital visits to people in need. Mormons considered Monson a warm, caring, endearing and approachable leader, said Patrick Mason, associate professor of religion at Claremont Graduate University in California. Monson will also be remembered for his emphasis on humanitarian work leading the faith's involvement in the passage of gay marriage ban in California in 2008 continuing the religion's push to be more transparent about its past and lowering the minimum age for missionaries. Monson's most public acts were appearances at church conferences and devotionals as well as dedications of church temples. Monson's presidency was marked by his noticeably low profile during a time of intense publicity for the church, including the 20 campaigns of Mormon Mitt Romney for President. The next president was not immediately named, but the job is expected to go to next longest-tenured member of the church's governing Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Russell M.