The Mormon position on abortion and religion is fairly clear-cut: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon) opposes almost all elective abortions without exception. The Mormon pro-life stance accepts abortion in an extremely limited number of cases.
Mormonism's View on When Life Begins
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that every human being lived as a spirit in heaven before being born.
A 1995 LDS doctrinal statement called the Proclamation on the Family explains the Mormon belief that these spirits are believed to come to earth when a couple employs "the sacred powers of procreation" to begin a pregnancy.
Mormon Abortion Views
Owing to their beliefs about the human spirit, Mormons see abortion as a violation of LDS scriptural mandates that "thou shalt not... kill, nor do anything like unto it" (Doctrine & Covenants 59: 6, emphasis added.)
Seeing that it considers abortion a sin akin to murder, it is not surprising that the LDS church vehemently opposes almost all elective abortions. The LDS church's official website even says that "church members who submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for such abortions may lose their membership in the church."
Dealing with an LDS Unplanned Pregnancy
Defining sex in terms of its procreative function, LDS church leader Russell M. Nelson says that becoming sexually active is "embark[ing] on a journey that leads to parenthood." Mormons are taught that their choice lies in abstinence before marriage, rather than in opting for abortion after conception occurs.
Mormon teachings say that "children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony," as stated in the "Proclamation on the Family." It's believed that the ideal circumstance for a pregnancy would be within a traditional nuclear family. But unmarried pregnancies do happen, even within the LDS church.
When an unwed pregnancy occurs, Mormon couples are first told to consider marriage. If marriage and a traditional family is not possible, then adoption is generally considered the next-best choice. LDS Family Services, an arm of the Mormon church, offers free pregnancy counseling to both members and non-members, emphasizing adoption as a way to deal with an unplanned pregnancy.
According to the LDS Church, When is Abortion Okay?
The LDS church opposes elective abortion virtually across the board. So are there any times when a Mormon abortion is permissible? In LDS eyes, there are only three scenarios in which an abortion may be justified:
- Pregnancy is the result of incest or rape;
- Life of the mother is in jeopardy; or
- Life of the fetus is in jeopardy.
Even in the instances above, members are taught to consider any abortion prayerfully and with the help of an ecclesiastical leader. Notably, the church does not consider these three situations an automatic justification for an abortion.
Mormons and Birth Control Use
Many wonder if the Mormon church opposes birth control, given its strong anti-abortion stance. The LDS church encourages people to realize their God-given potential for parenthood and discourages limiting family size for personal convenience, but ultimately says that family planning with contraceptive measures is a decision between a husband, wife, and God.
The LDS abortion position is very decidedly pro-life, with only a few situations in which a Mormon abortion may be justifiable. Mormon teachings generally stress that parenthood is a natural consequence of sexual activity, and encourages Latter-day Saints to find alternatives to abortion when dealing with an unplanned pregnancy.
Interested readers may also want to view Mormon Family Values for a more comprehensive overview of the 1995 "Proclamation on the Family."
Sources:
- Russell M. Nelson, “Abortion: An Assault on the Defenseless,” Liahona, October 2008.
- Topical Guide, Official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jenny Evans - Jenny Evans is a freelance writer and editor specializing in parenting and the family. She is also the Mormonism Topic Editor for ...
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