A Mormon leader tells an LDS conference to uphold “sexual purity.”

Adherents urged to stick to rules about chastity

SALT LAKE CITY — A high-ranking leader from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urged members Saturday to adhere to the faith’s law of chastity that forbids premarital sex despite mocking by others on social media.

During a speech at a twice-annual church conference in Salt Lake City, D. Todd Christofferson bemoaned that “we live in a hedonistic age when many question the importance of the Lord’s commandments or simply ignore them.”

He didn’t mention the church’s prohibition of same-sex relationships in his speech, but fellow church leaders have recently reaffirmed the religion’s opposition to the practice. Christofferson is a member of a top church governing board called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

“This is a day of sometimes merciless attacks in social media and in person against those who seek to uphold the Lord’s standard in dress, entertainment, and sexual purity,” Christofferson said. “It is often the youth and young adults among the saints, as well as women and mothers, who bear this cross of mocking and persecution. ”

Several blocks away from the conference, hundreds of people that included many ex-members of the faith gathered to call on the church and other religions to implement stronger rules to prevent child abuse and make sure young Latter-day Saints aren’t asked inappropriate questions about their adherence to the faith’s rules for sexual behavior.

The “Protect Every Child” group is led by Sam Young, who was kicked out of the religion last year after his public opposition to closed-door, one-on-one interviews of youth where he and his followers say inappropriate sexual questions lead to shame and guilt.

Former church member Stuart Shellenberger held a sign that read, “Protect every child. No sexual questions.” The 41-year-old father of five from Show Low, Arizona, said he was asked inappropriate sexual questions when he was a youth, and wants the faith to ban those questions in the interviews.

Church leaders have defended the so-called “worthiness” interviews as an important way for bishops to get to know youth better and determine their religious habits and obedience to God.

Rick Bowmer The Associated Press People listen during The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ twice-annual church conference Saturday in Salt Lake City.