#Religious exemption letter for vaccines update#

Vaccinations ‘protect health and preserve life,’ Latter-day Saint handbook update says.The Latter-day Saint spokesmen pointed to the church’s General Handbook entry on vaccinations. Some mentioned that their adherents object to the vaccines because fetal cell lines were used in testing - the vaccines themselves do not contain fetal cells - but Catholic and evangelical leaders told the AP that the overarching goal of alleviating suffering caused by COVID-19 resolved any moral or religious objection on those grounds. The lack of a church-issued note for a religious exemption does not preclude Latter-day Saints from applying for a religious exemption if their employer has mandated vaccination, according to legal experts.Ĭatholic, evangelical and other religious leaders told The Associated Press this week that they will not offer exemptions, either. Nelson specifically has called the COVID-19 vaccines “ a literal godsend.” The confirmations, provided to the Deseret News and other media outlets, are unsurprising, given the church’s longstanding support for vaccinations in general and that President Russell M. Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not issue religious exemptions to members who want to be excused from COVID-19 vaccine mandates, church spokesmen confirmed this week. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox weekly.

This article was first published as the ChurchBeat newsletter.

Religious exemption letter for vaccines