Leader of Mormon Church Suggests Public Officials Should Not Allow Religion to Interfere with Job

A leader of the Mormon church has recently spoken out regarding the religious beliefs of those elected to public office, suggesting that county clerks like Kim Davis obey the rules of her government position over their religious beliefs.

During a recent speech in Sacramento, California, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Latter-day Saints Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said that government office holders should not allow their religion to interfere with their professional duties.

Although Oaks did not mention Davis by name, he did reference county clerks who refuse to issue gay marriage licenses based on their religious beliefs.

"Office holders remain free to draw upon their personal beliefs and motivations and advocate their positions in the public square. But when acting as public officials they are not free to apply personal convictions — religious or other — in place of the defined responsibilities of their public offices," he said. "A county clerk's recent invoking of religious reasons to justify refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-gender couples violates this principle."

Davis' actions have received comments from religious leaders of varying faiths, including Pope Francis.

Following Francis' recent visit to the U.S., Davis and her attorney claimed to have met the pope during his visit to Washington, D.C.

The pope's camp distanced themselves from this claim, with Vatican spokesperson Father Federico Lombardi saying in a statement following the visit that "the pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects."