held a news conference in support of LGBT non-discrimination laws for housing and employment as long as those laws exempted religious institutions. The apostle Christofferson called for a balance between religious freedom and LGBT rights while Neill F. Marriott of the Young Women's presidency recognized the centuries of ridicule, persecution, and violence against homosexual people. Apostle Oaks stated that the church rejected persecution based on gender or sexual orientation and called for legislation protecting religious freedoms as well as LGBT citizens in housing, employment, and public accommodations. In answer to a press question afterwards Christofferson affirmed his love for his gay brother Tom who was in a 20-year relationship with a man. 2015 – The church released a public statement and employed its lobbyists to garner support for a proposed Utah nondiscrimination bill granting housing and employment protection for LGBT persons in Utah. Though similar bills had failed 6 times before, SB 296 was passed in March. The new law (nicknamed the "Utah Compromise") passed and was well regarded by many. 2015 – Three days after the US Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges in favor of same-sex marriage, the First Presidency sent a letter to be read in every US congregation stating that the changing US laws would not change God's moral law. The letter clarified that leaders should not perform same-sex marriages, and that church property could not be used for activities related to same-sex marriages. It welcomed all visitors on church property as long as LDS rules of conduct were respected. 2015 – Following a BSA policy change allowing for gay scout leaders (while still allowing for churches to continue banning them), the church stated it had always welcomed gay youth, but that allowing openly gay leaders was incompatible with church doctrine. The press release alluded to a potential change in church-BSA relations. Despite the majority of polled church members wanting to drop relations with the BSA, however, no change in relations occurred. 2015 – On November 5 an updated letter to leaders for the Church Handbook was leaked outlining stricter treatment of members in same-sex relationships and their children. The next day around 1,500 members gathered across from church headquarters to submit their resignation letters in response to the policy change, with thousands more resigning online in the weeks after. Two months later, the apostle Nelson stated the change was revealed to President Monson as