Why Isn't the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Seen as Pro-life?

Disclaimer: Most of the information in this article is anecdotal and based on my personal experiences and the reported experiences of other Latter-day Saints.

Emma is a hypothetical, pro-life Latter-day Saint attending her first March for Life. As she walks among the booths, making conversation and meeting new friends, she is asked a question by Sarah, a devout Evangelical, who noticed that Emma was wearing a shirt testifying of the Savior.

“Hi! I attend First Baptist Church. Which church do you go to?”

Emma responds: “I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as 'Mormons.'”

Sarah pauses.“I didn’t know Mormons opposed abortion. I’ve never seen a Mormon at a pro-life event.”

Does this story sound familiar? 

Any Latter-day Saint who has participated in pro-life work, be it assisting at pregnancy resource centers, attending Marches for Life, or 40 Days for Life, will tell you that they are typically only joined by members of other faiths. When asked which Church they attend, the response is usually similar to the one above. And it’s often followed-up by another question: “Why aren’t more of you out here?”

Why indeed? Why aren’t more of us out there? More importantly, why is it such a little known fact that Latter-day Saints oppose abortion?

What Does the Data Show?

As of right now, we don’t have much reliable data on what individual members of the Church think about abortion. However, Pew Research Center does have a study showing that, at least in 2023-2024, 69% of Latter-day Saints (in the United States) believed that abortion should be “illegal in all/most cases.” It has also remained relatively stable since 2014 and 2007, where 70% felt this way. 

I’ll be the first to admit that I found this data a little surprising. Based on my personal experiences talking to members, 69% is much higher than I would have expected. Even more surprising is that, according to this survey, we are actually one of the groups with the most solid opposition to abortion. We score a lot better than Catholics (of whom only 39% believe abortion should be illegal in all or more cases), and even better than Evangelicals (65%). 

And yet, a Latter-day Saint attending a pro-life event is seen as a singular event.

The Salt Lake Tribune put it this way in their 2024 article titled “In Reaffirming its Commitment to Political Neutrality, LDS Church Raises a Specific Issue: Abortion,” in which they stated:

“Although abortion has been a defining topic for many rank-and-file Latter-day Saints when choosing their personal political allegiances, it has not emerged as one of Mormonism’s signature issues nor a legislative battle the institutional church has been willing to join. Indeed, some conservative Christians have chastised Latter-day Saints for not being anti-abortion enough.”

Although I certainly would not say that the Salt Lake Tribune is the most reliable of sources when it comes to what the Church (as individual members or as an official entity) does and doesn’t do, I do think it’s fair to say that the Church is not viewed by many as being particularly pro-life. 

Modern Day Prophets and Modern Day Doctrine

This attitude of confusion among members of other faiths, and indifference among many Latter-day Saints, might make a bit more sense if abortion was a topic which the Church had flip-flopped on, or which was only addressed in by-gone conference talks, but that isn’t at all the case. As we all know, we received a talk from Elder Andersen addressing abortion just last general conference, in which he not only reiterated the Church's stance on abortion (which—cough—hasn't changed) but shared stories of unplanned or complicated pregnancies filled with courage, service, and Christ-like love. And that talk was preceded by another addressing abortion in April of 2021: “The Personal Journey of a Child of God.”

The responses to these talks have been… mixed. In my personal time online I’ve found responses ranging from:

• “I don't know why we need to have a talk addressing abortion. The Church's position is already clear.”

To 

• “I can't let my daughters watch that. A man should not be talking about this issue.” 

Why is our doctrine on the sanctity of life seen as something “optional?” Why don’t others, including members themselves, view the Church as being especially pro-life? Why aren’t we seen as being on the front lines of pro-life work?

My opinion?

This topic, even while being addressed in General Conference, is not allowed to be discussed in church. 

If you have ever had this topic brought up during a Relief Society, Elder’s Quorum, or Sunday school lesson, please raise your hand. And keep it up if it was more than a passing comment. I would be surprised to see many hands. 

Although I don’t have any statistical evidence to back up my claims, I have heard stories from multiple Latter-day Saints who have gone to their Relief Society and Elder’s Quorum presidents, suggested that this talk be featured in a lesson, and been met with at best, indifference, and at worst, pushback. Unfortunately, this appears to be a more frequent issue with Relief Society leaders. We can't talk about a talk given in general conference at church, and we wonder why there is a) a portion of Latter-day Saints entirely willing to support abortion and b) very few Latter-day Saints that consider themselves part of the pro-life movement.

No one wants to talk about abortion at church. Either because they don't see a need to address it (despite the sky-high abortion rate in the United States and around the world), because they honestly disagree with the Church's position, or because they believe the topic to be “political” and, therefore, off-limits and uncomfortable. After all, who wants the potential for strife during a lesson? Heaven forbid that gospel learning requires us to stretch our minds through uncomfortable topics. 

Of course, Elder Andersen addressed these arguments in his talk. Here is my favorite example:

“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.”

Why Is This Important?

This attitude of silence causes harm in more ways than one. Not only does it lead to an unfavorable impression from members of other faiths, but more importantly, it can prevent us from ministering to women in our congregations facing an unplanned pregnancy. If we assume this issue is closed and done with, it leads to a culture of shame surrounding abortion, rather than one in which members may be counted on to help. 

Despite what pro-choice people may say, it is overwhelmingly the pro-life movement that helps women facing unplanned pregnancies. We will not be prepared to help within our wards if this topic is never addressed. 

Elder Andersen addressed this too: 

“When a woman and a man are in such a fragile time, facing a crucial choice, our words, our hands, our hearts, spiritually, emotionally, and financially, can bless them to feel the Savior’s love.”

In addition, he quoted a young woman facing an unplanned pregnancy returning to activity in her ward:

“I have received so much love and support from our ward family. It has been overwhelming. My bishop and Young Women president have gone above and beyond to show their love and support. I have seen the Lord’s hand guiding me and my family. A ward such as mine is the family everyone needs; especially a young woman in my position.”

Our willingness to speak of this topic, to reach out to those struggling with this issue, and to be bold in our belief of the sanctity of life has lasting consequences. May we follow Elder Andersen’s example of addressing this doctrine with Christlike love, courage, and understanding in our wards and in our communities.

Why do you think the Church is not considered to be pro-life? And what can we do about it? Comment below!