Doctrinal Library
Not sure if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is pro-life?
Here's the proof.
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Weightier Matters
January 2001
Ensign
Dallin H. Oaks
Apostle (now President of The Church)
If we say we are anti-abortion in our personal life but pro-choice in public policy, we are saying that we will not use our influence to establish public policies that encourage righteous choices on matters God’s servants have defined as serious sins....
Pro-choice slogans have been particularly seductive to Latter-day Saints because we know that moral agency, which can be described as the power of choice, is a fundamental necessity in the gospel plan. All Latter-day Saints are pro-choice according to that theological definition. But being pro-choice on the need for moral agency does not end the matter for us. Choice is a method, not the ultimate goal. We are accountable for our choices, and only righteous choices will move us toward our eternal goals.
In this effort, Latter-day Saints follow the teachings of the prophets. On this subject our prophetic guidance is clear. The Lord commanded, “Thou shalt not … kill, nor do anything like unto it” (D&C 59:6). The Church opposes elective abortion for personal or social convenience.
Ensign
38.6.1 Abortion
Current
General Handbook - Policies on Moral Issues - 38.6.1
The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints
Human life is a sacred gift from God and central to His divine plan for the spiritual progression of His children (see Moses 1:39; Abraham 3:23–26). Elective abortion for personal or social convenience is contrary to God’s plan and His commandments. The Lord declared, “Thou shalt not … kill, nor do anything like unto it” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:6). Members must not submit to, perform, arrange for, pay for, consent to, or encourage an abortion. The only possible exceptions are when:
- Pregnancy resulted from 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.
Abortion is a most serious matter. Even in these circumstances, members should approach a decision with prayerful deliberation. Members may counsel with their bishops as part of this process. Discussions with members on this subject should always be conducted with love and respect.
Presiding officers carefully review the circumstances if a Church member has been involved in an abortion. A membership council may be necessary if a member submits to, performs, arranges for, pays for, consents to, or encourages an abortion (see 32.6.2.5). However, a membership council should not be considered if a member was involved in an abortion before baptism. Nor should membership councils or restrictions be considered for members who were involved in an abortion for any of the three reasons outlined earlier in this section.
A person who seeks forgiveness with “godly sorrow” (2 Corinthians 7:10; see also 3 Nephi 9:20) and “full purpose of heart” (3 Nephi 18:32) may repent and be forgiven for the sin of abortion.
Bishops refer questions on specific cases to the stake president. The stake president may direct questions to the Office of the First Presidency if necessary.
Handbook
Abortion: An Assault on the Defenseless
October 2008
Ensign
Russell M. Nelson
Apostle (later President of the Church)
This war called abortion is a war on the defenseless and the voiceless. It is a war on the unborn. This war is being waged globally. Ironically, civilized societies that have generally placed safeguards on human life have now passed laws that sanction this practice.
Russell M. Nelson, Ensign
Psalm 127:3, 5
Old Testament
Psalm 127:3, 5
King Solomon
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Old Testament
The Great Plan of Happiness
October 1993
General Conference
Dallin H. Oaks
Apostle (now President of the Church)
The ultimate act of destruction is to take a life. That is why abortion is such a serious sin. Our attitude toward abortion is not based on revealed knowledge of when mortal life begins for legal purposes. It is fixed by our knowledge that according to an eternal plan all of the spirit children of God must come to this earth for a glorious purpose, and that individual identity began long before conception and will continue for all the eternities to come. We rely on the prophets of God, who have told us that while there may be “rare” exceptions, “the practice of elective abortion is fundamentally contrary to the Lord’s injunction, ‘Thou shalt not … kill, nor do anything like unto it’ (D&C 59:6)"
General Conference
Reverence for Life
April 1985
General Conference
Russell M. Nelson
Apostle (later President of the Church)
Now, as a servant of the Lord, I dutifully warn those who advocate and practice abortion that they incur the wrath of Almighty God, who declared, “If men … hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, … he shall be surely punished.” (Ex. 21:22.)
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, which I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
General Conference, Russell M. Nelson
Cherishing Life
April 2025
General Conference
Neil L. Andersen
Apostle
Life is a most precious part of our Father’s perfect plan, and by His decree we cherish and preserve life; and we choose the continuation of life once conceived....
Nurturing and protecting life that is yet unborn is not a political position. It is a moral law confirmed by the Lord through His prophets....
Let us speak more often with faith and compassion to our youth in our homes, and with each other in our Relief Society and elders quorum meetings, about the Lord’s law of chastity, the sanctity of life, and the care of the unborn and their mothers...
President Dallin H. Oaks said: “Our attitude toward abortion is not based on revealed knowledge of when mortal life begins. … It is fixed by our knowledge that … all of the spirit children of God must come to this earth for a glorious purpose, and that individual identity began long before conception and will continue for all the eternities to come.”
General Conference
Truth and the Plan
October 2018
General Conference
Dallin H. Oaks
Apostle (now President of the Church)
Disregard for the commandments has opened the way for what I consider to be the plagues of our day. They include the plague of permissiveness, the plague of pornography, the plague of drugs, the plague of immorality, and the plague of abortion, to name just a few. The scriptures tell us that the adversary is “the founder of all these things.” We know that he is “the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men.
General Conference
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
September 23, 1995
Proclamation
The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. ... We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan. ... Children are entitled to birth...
The Family Proclamation
Protect the Children
October 2012
General Conference
Dallin H. Oaks
Apostle (now President of the Church)
One cause of the diminishing birthrate is the practice of abortion. Worldwide, there are estimated to be more than 40 million abortions per year. Many laws permit or even promote abortion, but to us this is a great evil.
General Conference
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