First Presidency Letter October 1978 restating Church position on ERA and encouraging members to work with like-minded citizens to oppose ERA ratification. (click on image to view full size)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) came out in formal opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment in 1976. Church leaders’ opposition was based on the belief that the proposed amendment’s vague wording would likely lead to legal interpretations that would prove harmful to women and families. They were also concerned that these legal interpretations would lead to a shift of power from the votes of citizens to the decisions of courts, thereby harming democracy. They also believed that the Equal Rights Amendment was redundant when many current laws already protected women’s rights. Church leaders were not opposed to the principle of women’s rights; they were in fact strongly in favor of them, but they felt that the ERA was not the correct legal solution to protect and promote women’s rights. They favored specific legislation at the state level, rather than a sweeping constitutional amendment.

There are several sources that articulate the Church's official position. In March 1977, the Ensign, the official magazine of the Church, published an article by Apostle Boyd K. Packer outlining the Church's position and the reasoning behind Church opposition to the ERA. In 1978, the First Presidency (the highest governing body) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent a letter to general authorities, mission presidents, and local leaders of the Church, officially reiterating the Church's opposition to the ERA based on moral grounds. The First Presidency then urged members of the Church to join with like-minded citizens to work against the ratification of the ERA. Frequently asked questions about the Church's position on the ERA were answered in a pamphlet included as an insert in the March 1980 issue of the Ensign.