SALT LAKE CITY — Firearms are now “prohibited” in meetinghouses of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The church recently changed the wording of its firearm policy in Handbook 2, its instructional manuals for local church leaders.
Church spokesman Daniel Woodruff confirmed the policy’s new language Monday.
“Churches are dedicated for the worship of God and as havens from the cares and concerns of the world. With the exception of current law enforcement officers, the carrying of lethal weapons on church property, concealed or otherwise, is prohibited.”
The firearms policy update was one of several handbook changes electronically sent to local church leaders over the weekend.
Utah law allows for concealed weapons in public places like parks, school campuses and the state Capitol with a concealed weapons permit. Churches in Utah can legally prohibit firearms, even for people carrying concealed permits, as long as they notify the public. The church complied with this requirement.
Jimmy Meeks, a former police officer and ordained minister in Texas, works with Sheepdog Safety Seminars, an organization dedicated to “building a community of leaders who are called to protect the flock.”
In Meeks’ opinion, changing the firearm policy is a good start but not nearly enough. In a world where people are capable of doing horrible things, you need a plan. Meeks suggested hiring a security company with trained personnel.
“I believe every church is free to do whatever they deem necessary. We don’t believe anybody should be forced to do something,” Meeks said. “But loving your flock means having a plan to protect them. Don’t just tell them they can’t bring their guns.”
Meeks emphasized his point by mentioning Sunday’s violence in Forest Acres, South Carolina, where a man entered a church during a service and demanded money before he allegedly shot one member of the congregation.
The church’s policy change comes after several acts of gun violence at Latter-day Saint meetinghouses over the past decade.
A little more than a year ago, a man fired a gun inside a Latter-day Saints chapel in northern Nevada, in the community of Fallon. One person was killed, another wounded.
In September 2018, a gun accidentally went off inside a Provo church building, sending a bullet into a classroom of teenagers. No one was injured.