Abortion is not murder, according to the LDS Church

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers abortion to be a lot of things, but murder isn’t one of them.

The purpose of this piece isn’t change your opinion on abortions at all, nor is it political.

The purpose of this piece is to simply detail what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has and has not said regarding abortion.

I hope the following facts help.

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Over the years, Church leaders have called abortion many things: ugly, debasing, a serious sin, insidious, grievous, moral pollution, seditious, a plague, an aggressive act, repugnant, and a worldly philosophy.

In a direct response to the Roe v. Wade United States Supreme Court decision, the then-First Presidency stated,

“Abortion must be considered one of the most revolting and sinful practices in this day.”

A few years later, Spencer W. Kimball remarked,

“Abortion is a growing evil that we speak against. Certainly the terrible sin of premeditated abortion would be hard to justify. It is almost inconceivable that an abortion would ever be committed to save face or embarrassment, to save trouble or inconvenience, or to escape responsibility. How could one submit to such an operation or be party in any way by financing or encouraging? If special rare cases could be justified, certainly they would be rare indeed. We place it high on the list of sins against which we strongly warn the people.”

The Church Newsroom further explains, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints … opposes elective abortion for personal or social convenience, and counsels its members not to submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for such abortions.”

These strong and stark statements effectively reflect the negative view the Church has on abortion.

The Newsroom continues, however, “The Church allows for possible exceptions for its members when:

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

So despite being against the act in general, the Church does allow members to receive, in specific situations, abortions without any disciplinary question or consequence.

Do these exceptions serve as evidence that the Church believes in and allows for sometimes-sanctioned, God-approved baby killings?

The answer is no, as the Church recognizes a clear difference between murder and abortion, never equating the two.

For example, a David O’McKay-led First Presidency wrote in 1972,

“As the matter stands today, no definite statement has been made by the Lord one way or another regarding the crime of abortion. So far as is known, he has not listed it alongside the crime of the unpardonable sin and shedding of innocent human blood.”

Over a decade later, current church president, Russell M. Nelson, taught, “So far as is known, the Lord does not regard [abortion] as murder.”

Today, the Church’s General Handbook distinguishes the two actions.

The Handbook explains, while teaching about required disciplinary punishment, “As used here, murder is the deliberate, unjustified taking of human life. Withdrawing a person’s Church membership is required. … Abortion is not defined as murder in this context.”

Later, when discussing those who require extra permissions before being baptized, the Handbook says, “A person who has been convicted of murder or who has confessed to it, even in private confessions to a priesthood leader, may not be baptized and confirmed unless the First Presidency gives permission.”

Again, the guidelines make a point to clarify that , “Abortion is not defined as murder for this purpose.”

In two separate instances, in very administrative language, the General Handbook categorically defines murder and, both times, is explicit that abortion should not counted as such.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also advises its members to be sensitive towards those who choose to have abortions, electively or not.

Elder Quentin L. Cook has said, “Abortion needs to be approached carefully. This is a problem that will probably not be solved by personal condemnation or judgmental accusations. Some have cautioned not to judge a ship — or men or women — without understanding the length of the voyage and the storms encountered.”

Learning about an abortion shouldn’t be met with an accusatory attitude or assumptions. These decisions and procedures are very personal, and, typically, very traumatic. Nothing good comes from an outsider’s predetermined shame or disgust. Listening while loving is always the better reaction, especially here.

Abortion is not murder — at least through the Latter-day Saint lens. It may be abhorrent and cruel, but it is not what many people within the Church claim it to be. Those who preach, with the perceived support of God behind them, that abortion is the “shedding of innocent human blood” are wrong, according to Latter-day Saint revelation, or the lack of revelation, for, who knows: the Church may change its mind on the subject in the future; but for now, abortion is not considered murder. It is imperative Church members know what their Church teaches and believes.