I am a Latter-day Saint, and I am pro-life. Some may assume that that should be a foregone conclusion, but in today’s world, that is not always the case.

I have been very blessed to volunteer in the pro-life work for many years. I have rejoiced with the saving efforts for dozens and dozens of babies that the organizations I’ve worked with have been able to do. I have attended the baby showers for the expectant moms who have chosen life and just sat there filled with joy and awe that a life was coming into the world that would have been ended. I have seen these babies whose lives were saved. And it never gets old.

It has been interesting now living in Utah and being involved in these efforts here. Moving here ten years ago, I just assumed that it would be easy to get pro-life laws passed and that all the members would be enthusiastically pro-life. However, I have learned now from experience that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a variety of opinions on this topic. Some stem from a lack of understanding of the core doctrine of the Church. Some have had personal experiences that color their view of the issues. Some have been deceived.

The core doctrine of the Church is that we are all spirit children of Heavenly Parents who love us and have a plan for us to become like Them. Coming to earth and obtaining a physical body is key to that plan. Therefore, as we read in the Proclamation on the Family, “We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.”

#1 – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is pro-life.

I work with many religious organizations in the pro-life arena, and friends of other faiths ask if our Church is pro-life. Sometimes even members of our faith are unsure how to answer. The answer is a clear and resounding, “yes!” “Life comes from life. It is a gift from our Heavenly Father. It is eternal, as he is eternal. Innocent life is not sent by him to be destroyed! This doctrine is not of me, but is that of the living God and of his divine Son…” (Russell M. Nelson, “Reverence for Life”, Ensign April 1985)

#2 – The Church is opposed to elective abortion.

Elective abortions include abortions that are sought for reasons other than the preservation of the life of the mother, resultant from rape or incest, or significant fetal abnormality. With over 70 million babies being aborted every year worldwide, the evil of elective abortion is clear.

The leaders of the Church have spoken out on this repeatedly. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has consistently opposed the practice of abortion. One hundred years ago the First Presidency wrote: “And we again take this opportunity of warning the Latter-day Saints against those … practices of foeticide and infanticide.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Reverence for Life”, Ensign April 1985) The General Handbook of the Church states, “The Lord commanded, ‘”Thou shalt not … kill, nor do anything like unto it” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:6). The Church opposes elective abortion for personal or social convenience. Members must not submit to, perform, arrange for, pay for, consent to, or encourage an abortion.”

#3 – The Church does not support the “right to choose” to kill a preborn baby except in extremely limited cases.

God gives human beings the gift of moral agency, but this is not a limitless gift. Women may make many choices, including sexual intimacy, but her agency does not permit her to end the life of another. There are many choices that the Lord has commanded us not to choose, and elective abortion is among the most serious. The preborn baby’s life and agency must be preserved. “In recent years, many questions relate to the ‘choice’ to abort the life of a newly forming human being. Ironically, such ‘choice’ would deny that developing individual both life and choice.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Choices”, Ensign October 1990)

The exceptions discussed by the Church do not authorize the open-ended “right to choose” so often promoted by the world. The General Handbook states:

“The only possible exceptions are when:

  • Pregnancy resulted from forcible rape or incest.
  • A competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy.
  • A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.

Even these exceptions do not automatically justify abortion. Abortion is a most serious matter. It should be considered only after the persons responsible have received confirmation through prayer. Members may counsel with their bishops as part of this process.” [Emphasis added.]

#4 – Members must not participate in elective abortion in any way.

The General Handbook states, “Members must not submit to, perform, arrange for, pay for, consent to, or encourage an abortion.” This is very broad and reinforces the Church’s strong pro-life stance.

Members sometimes justify approving of elective abortion by saying, “Well, I would never do it but I think women should have the right to choose.” Such language creates an open-ended support for the practice, supports promoting the legality of elective abortion, and is in direct violation of the doctrine and policy of the Church. Also, this logic totally fails upon analysis—would we condone any statement such as “Well, I would never kill a three-year-old child, but I think women should have the right to choose.”? Of course not! This position is a very dangerous slippery slope to condoning elective abortion.

#5 – Members are encouraged to participate in efforts to protect life.

Some members ask if it is appropriate for Church members to participate in pro-life efforts. The official statement of the Church is encouraging, ”Church members may appropriately choose to participate in efforts to protect life and to preserve religious liberty.” https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/official-statement/abortion

Elder Anderson said, “What is our responsibility as peaceful disciples of Jesus Christ? Let us live God’s commandments, teach them to our children, and share them with others who are willing to listen. Let us share our deep feelings about the sanctity of life with those who make decisions in society. They may not fully appreciate what we believe, but we pray that they will more fully understand why, for us, these decisions go well beyond just what a person wants for his or her own life.” (Anderson, “The Personal Journey of a Child of God”, Liahona, May 2021)

With such a terrible evil in our world, the Lord is counting on His Saints to step forward and protect these preborn little ones. We are blessed with the direction of His Spirit and with sound doctrine regarding the purpose and sanctity of life. God’s work is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Obtaining a physical body and birth into mortality is a critical part of that work and each of us can play a part in protecting that for our preborn brothers and sisters. We can be led by personal revelation and personal desire to serve in our efforts.

Latter-day Saints for Life

In an effort to promote the pro-life doctrine of the Church, we have formed a new organization—Latter-day Saints for Life (LDSFL). LDSFL is a worldwide coalition of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints protecting preborn babies and promoting a pro-life culture in our Church and our communities, in support of and alignment with the doctrinal position of The Church.

Abortion is the biggest human rights issue of our lives. It was time we stepped up! Latter-day Saints for Life has grown to almost 600 members strong across 36 states and 6 countries, and is growing rapidly. We are changing the culture amongst Church members and showing the world that we do love our preborn brothers and sisters.

Fellow Saints have worked together to gather a doctrinal library with relevant quotes and scriptures, developed answers to frequently asked questions, created Home Evening guides to discuss the sanctity of life with our families, produced resource guides for women and families facing unplanned pregnancies, and created presentations to be shared with family, church, or community groups.  We gather together monthly via Zoom with members throughout the world to discuss and promote pro-life doctrine and activities. For more information, go to LatterDaySaintsforLife.org.

What can I do?

We invite all members of the Church to embrace the doctrine of the Church and boldly stand for the sanctity of life. We would also invite each member to ponder in their heart what each of us can do to be part of the work to protect our preborn brothers and sisters and support women who find themselves with unplanned pregnancies.

People often ask why I am involved in this work, and my answer is always the same. I want to be able to look at my children and grandchildren and say, “I knew this terrible evil was going on in the world, and I actually did something about it!”

Each of us can do something. And saving the life of a child never gets old.