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Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not granting religious exemptions to members who wish to be exempt from COVID-19 vaccination warrants, church spokespersons confirmed this day. week.

The confirmations, provided to Deseret News and other outlets, are not surprising, given the church’s long-standing support for vaccinations in general and the fact that President Russell M. Nelson has specifically referred to vaccines as COVID -19 of “literal windfall”.

The absence of a memo issued by the church for a religious exemption does not prevent Latter-day Saints from seeking a religious exemption if their employer has mandated the vaccination, according to legal experts.

Catholic, evangelical and other religious leaders told The Associated Press this week that they would not offer exemptions either. Some have mentioned that their adherents oppose vaccines because fetal cell lines have been used in testing – the vaccines themselves do not contain fetal cells – but Catholic and Evangelical leaders told the AP that the The overriding goal of alleviating the suffering caused by COVID-19 resolved any moral or religious objection on these grounds.

Latter-day Saints spokespersons highlighted the entry in the church’s General Handbook on Immunizations.

Vaccines administered by skilled health professionals protect health and preserve life. Church members are encouraged to protect themselves, their children, and their communities through immunization.

Ultimately, individuals are responsible for making their own decisions about vaccination. If members have concerns, they should consult qualified health professionals and also seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

President Nelson and his counselors in the First Presidency were vaccinated in January and have repeatedly encouraged and urged church members to follow suit, if their health permits. In a letter released Wednesday morning, the First Presidency noted that previous First Presidencies issued messages supporting vaccinations as early as 1900 and again during the polio crisis in the 1950s.

They are demanding COVID-19 vaccinations for American missionaries serving in foreign countries.

Legal experts say religious exemptions do not require a note from a church leader, although that can help, according to the JD Supra legal website.

Federal law prohibits religious discrimination and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation when an employee claims a religious exemption. On the one hand, federal and state laws stipulate that employers do not need to allow a religious exemption when an accommodation would cause “undue hardship” to the employer, which could be triggered by the need to protect the employer. health of other employees and the costs associated with providing COVID-19 testing, according to JD Supra.

On the other hand, the laws offer broad definitions of what could benefit from religious exemptions.

Yet Melanie Franco, a New York employment lawyer, told News10.com that moral or philosophical objections are not enough to establish a religious exemption.

“It must be this sincere belief,” she said. “You don’t often have to prove it by using documents or something like that, although using your religious scriptures is always helpful. “

Most Americans support vaccinations, polls show, and the FDA has fully approved the Pfizer vaccine as safe and reliable, but about a third of adults have yet to receive it, according to the CDC.

My recent stories

As COVID-19 Rises, First Presidency Calls for Masks in Temples, Urges Vaccination (September 22)

This is the 4th year in a row that an apostle has addressed the G20 Interfaith Forum. Here is what Elder Rasband said about his participation (Church News, September 15)

The calamity of world hunger is spiraling out of control. Here’s how Latter-day Saint charities responded (September 14)

What i read

After 555 days without rehearsals, the Temple Square Tabernacle Choir returned to the Conference Center this week to prepare for general conference. How will the choir prevent COVID-19 infections? Read what new choir president Mike Leavitt means when he says the choir uses a “Swiss cheese” approach.

The church and FamilySearch have reached an “incredible milestone”, digitizing 2.4 million rolls of microfilm with records for 11.5 billion people.

This is a nice article on Latter Day Saints baseball star Bryce Harper.

I enjoy the New York Times series on black baseball stars of yesteryear.

Here is an interesting story about Latter-day Saint medical students who developed a study system that helps aspiring physicians “gain the masses of information they need to pass their exams.”

The church inaugurated the temple of Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

Ted E. Brewerton, Seventy General Authority and optimist, has died at the age of 96.

The church will put $ 250 million into a fund for victims of boy scout sexual abuse.

Remember the movie “Meet the Mormons? Do you remember Navy football coach Ken Niumatalolo? Read an interesting article about him that asks the question: How long can he keep winning despite all the drawbacks his team faces?

The church has published exterior renderings for four temples to be built in Yorba Linda, California; Grand Junction, Colorado; Burley, Idaho; and Elko, Nevada.

In the wings