Article snippet: Posted at 8:06 pm on May 11, 2017 by Jennifer Van Laar Rumors of a split have been going around for years, but today the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) announced that effective January 1, 2018, they will no longer support Boy Scouts of America programs for boys ages 14 to 18. The Church will continue to charter Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs in local wards (congregations) for boys ages 8 to 14. Only Varsity and Venturing programs are affected by the change. When the news broke this morning, many assumed it was in response to recent changes in BSA policies, including allowing openly gay leaders and transgender Scouts. After each of those policy announcements, the Church issued statements saying the moves were inconsistent with their values and that they were looking at other program options for teenage boys (though they have always admitted gay Scouts and said they’ll continue to do so). While those issues undoubtedly were a part of the Church’s decision, today’s announcement cited the move “as part of the ongoing effort to evaluate and improve its service to families and young people worldwide.” An FAQ page elaborates a bit: The LDS Church and BSA have been affiliated for over 100 years. Today 1 in 6 American Scouts are Mormon, and the current national commissioner of the BSA, Charles Dahlquist, is a prominent Mormon who served as the church’s general Young Men’s president. The Church makes a multi-million dollar lump sum payment to the ... Link to the full article to read more