The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has revised the conditions in which Church officers may perform civil marriages between a man and a woman.
Effective immediately, mission presidents, stake presidents, district presidents, bishops, and branch presidents may officiate civil marriage only in the following circumstances:
- • At least one of the couple—either the bride or groom—is a member of the Church.
- • Either the bride’s or the groom’s membership record is assigned to the unit over which the Church officer presides.
- • The Church officer is legally authorized to perform a civil marriage in the jurisdiction where the marriage will take place. Not all jurisdictions recognize civil marriages performed by local leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The letter, sent Wednesday, June 30, 2021, was signed by President Russell M. Nelson, President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring.
Read about how these changes differ from previous guidelines and catch up on other marriage-related announcements at Church News.