Rights Group Rejects LDS Church’s Influence on Liberian Family Policies | News

A group of Liberian Human Rights Defenders has issued a strong statement rejecting what it describes as efforts by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to position itself as a champion of Liberian households, arguing that the country does not need imported ideologies that threaten the health, dignity, rights, and wellbeing of women, girls, children, and diverse family structures.

Speaking at a press conference held Tuesday at the Boulevard Palace Hotel in Sinkor, lead activist Myrtle Anita Kerkulah said Liberian families should not become a battleground for foreign ideological agendas.

“Liberian households are not a battleground for foreign ideological agendas,” Kerkulah declared while reading the group’s statement.

The Human Rights Defenders noted that Liberian households have long been sustained through strong community ties, mutual respect, shared responsibility, and collective care. According to the group, what families need most today are improved healthcare systems, quality education, economic opportunities, and protection from violence rather than external ideologies that fail to reflect Liberia’s realities.

“We reject the attempt by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to present itself as a champion of Liberian households while promoting an agenda that threatens the health, dignity, rights, and wellbeing of women, girls, children, and diverse households across our nation,” the statement said.

The group expressed concern over what it described as teachings aimed at controlling women’s bodies, restricting reproductive decision-making, opposing comprehensive sexuality education, and limiting access to critical health information and services. The activists argued that such positions represent barriers to progress rather than solutions to Liberia’s social challenges.

Citing the country’s ongoing struggles with sexual and gender-based violence, adolescent pregnancy, and maternal mortality, the group emphasized the importance of access to healthcare and accurate information.

“We have buried too many girls and young women whose lives could have been saved through access to accurate information, quality healthcare, and the freedom to make informed decisions about their health and futures,” the statement read. “Any agenda that places ideology above the lives and safety of women and girls must be challenged.”

The defenders also rejected attempts to weaken or eliminate comprehensive sexuality education from schools, stressing that such education helps protect children from abuse, exploitation, and unintended pregnancies.

“Knowledge protects children,” the group stated, adding that comprehensive sexuality education equips young people with the information necessary to recognize risks and seek help when needed.

The statement further rejected what the group described as efforts to promote only one model of family life.

“Single mothers, single fathers, grandparents raising children, blended households, extended households, child-headed households, and married couples all contribute to the strength of our nation,” the statement said. “Their dignity and value are not up for debate.”

The group also questioned the LDS Church’s historical positions on issues such as polygamy, child marriage, rigid gender roles, and male-dominated leadership structures, arguing that the church continues to promote a narrow vision of family that does not reflect the diversity of Liberian households.

The Human Rights Defenders said it was troubling that what they described as one of the world’s wealthiest religious institutions seeks to advise Liberians on strengthening families while many citizens continue to struggle with basic needs, including food, healthcare, housing, and education.

According to the group, Liberia needs investments that strengthen public health systems, protect children, empower women, and create economic opportunities for families.

“This is not a debate about faith. Liberians respect religious freedom,” the statement emphasized. “This is a debate about whether foreign religious institutions should be allowed to influence national policies and social norms in ways that undermine public health, child protection, gender equality, and the rights and dignity of Liberian people.”

The Human Rights Defenders concluded by reaffirming their commitment to promoting household diversity, public health, comprehensive sexuality education, and the protection of women, girls, and children.

“Liberians are fully capable of deciding what is best for our households,” Kerkulah said on behalf of the group. “We do not need foreign religious institutions importing solutions to problems they neither created nor fully understand. And above all, we will continue defending Liberian households.”