Thousands marched down the streets of Washington D.C. on January 24th to share their support for the rights of the unborn. Speakers for the 52nd March for Life included Vice President J.D. Vance, Live Action’s founder Lila Rose, former professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, multiple pro-life politicians, and a recorded message from President Donald Trump. The March included attendees from all walks of life, including our very own Latter-day Saints for Life!
As they waited for their full group to gather, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stood facing other attendees while holding up their Latter-day Saints for Life sign. With this sign displayed, they were able to share with hundreds of March for Life attendees that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is pro-life!
Stories from the March: Why Latter-day Saints for Life Marched and What They Saw
One of the interactions which followed from this was a conversation with a Catholic woman, who was concerned that a Latter-day Saint friend of hers did not state that life begins at conception. LDSFL members were able to share our belief that all human beings existed as spirits before coming to earth (as differs from the belief of our Catholic brothers and sisters, who believe that a human soul is created by God at the moment of conception). Although doctrine of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ does not specify when a spirit enters the body (for a deep dive on that topic, read my article here), we do not reject the scientific truth that a new life begins at conception.
We were grateful for this interaction and for the opportunity to share why we’re pro-life. And to show up to do something about it! Three Latter-day Saints for Life who attended the D.C. March for Life shared exactly this:
Kim - 29
“It’s not enough to quietly hope for change—we must stand up and speak the truth in love, no matter how challenging it may feel.”
Kim became dedicated to the pro-life movement after watching a video of a first-trimester abortion. She started a summer internship with a pro-life organization in Canada after joining them at a previous March for Life in Washington D.C. She now works for them full-time and does her part to organize a bus full of youth to attend the March for Life yearly.
These were Kim’s words reflecting on the March.
The March is always such a passionate and energizing event, and this year was no exception. The talks were incredibly inspiring. Lila Rose, in particular, stood out to me. I admire her commitment to standing for life without exception. One of her statements really resonated with me: “We must simply have the courage to speak the truth with love.” As I reflected on the event, I thought about how being pro-life can sometimes feel lonely, but seeing thousands of people come together to protect the pre-born brings so much joy and encouragement.
It also reminded me of a powerful quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but defend them.” Abortion is a grave injustice, and as pro-life advocates, we need to boldly defend our belief that abortion is wrong. It’s not enough to quietly hope for change—we must stand up and speak the truth in love, no matter how challenging it may feel.
Rachel - 40
“The March is full of some of the kindest strangers I’ve ever encountered, and I feel like I somehow snuck in the backdoor to an event for angels.”
Rachel became involved in the pro-life movement after having an unexpected miscarriage in the fall of 2018. As the mother of four babies and three miscarried children, she had considered herself pro-life, but seeing her miniature baby filled her with firsthand understanding of the personhood of the unborn and the need to share the truth of that personhood with others.
When asked to share her experience at the March for Life, Rachel stated:
I started attending March for Life with my young family in 2019. It's been an incredible experience and has given us the chance to have organic conversations about the importance of life and our sacred responsibility in protecting it. The March is full of some of the kindest strangers I've ever encountered, and I feel like I somehow snuck in the backdoor to an event for angels.
Emma - 26
“I was so glad to be part of our little LDS Island in the middle of many other religious groups who came out to fight for life.”
Emma has been pro-life as long as she can remember. While she was growing up, her parents and grandparents kept the Gospel at the center of her family. Emma's testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, along with the Plan of Salvation, has taught her that all life is sacred and that Latter-day Saints have a duty to stand up for innocent life. Her testimony of the sanctity of life has continued to grow as she has married and started having children of her own.
When asked to describe her experience at the March, Emma shared:
I attended the March with my mom, where we met Luke Hanson, and another family—we were a small group but I think I speak for us all when I say we felt empowered to be there together. So many LDS Church members are actively pro-life, but I’ve never seen an official gathering of us at a March for Life before this year. It was cold and windy and gray, but it was a surprisingly cheerful event for us all! Solemn, but cheerful—I think because we all felt we were doing the right thing by standing up for some of our most sacred values: family, life, and love (sorry, that sounds dramatic, but it’s the truth). I was so glad to be part of our little LDS Island in the middle of many other religious groups who came out to fight for life.
Marching East AND West: Latter-day Saints for Life at the Utah March for Life
Utah’s annual March for Life took place on January 25th in Salt Lake City at the Utah State Capitol. Latter-day Saints for Life was well represented by a large group of members at this event, all of whom came to march on behalf of the unborn and share their testimonies of the sanctity of life.
There’s Still More!
Many states still have their marches to come! Check here to see if your state’s March for Life is coming up soon!
A Word of Thanks and Looking Forward
Thank you to all of our LDSFL members who attended their March and boldly proclaimed that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Pro-Life!
Share your story marching in the comments! If you didn’t make it this year (or haven’t yet!), here’s another way you can make a big difference… share this article with your friends on social media, or through text or email. Let them know that you stand for life. You never know the impact you are making!
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