LDS Family Services and Defending the Sanctity of Human Life

“We affirm the sanctity of life and its importance in God’s eternal plan... Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”

The First Presidency of the Church said, “Adoption is an unselfish, loving decision that blesses the child, birth parents, and adoptive parents in this life and throughout the eternities. We commend all those who strengthen children and families by promoting adoption”. With the family being the central unit in God’s plan, it makes sense that the Church would provide a way to create and sustain even more righteous families. The Church is there to support all its members, even when they make mistakes and find themselves in difficult situations.

Joseph F. Smith said, “Every soul is precious in the sight of God…the Lord has placed the responsibility upon all parents in the Church to teach their children in light and truth. He has placed the obligation upon all parents that they must teach the first principles of the Gospel to their children, teach them to pray, and see that they are baptized when they are eight years of age. Parents cannot shirk or neglect this great responsibility without incurring the displeasure of a righteous God. He has not relinquished his claim upon his children when they are born into this world and therefore commands parents to teach their offspring so that they may be brought up in the truth of the everlasting Gospel. For parents to fail to do this places them in condemnation and the sin of such neglect will have to be answered with punishment on their own heads. This is the law unto Zion and all of her stakes”.

This quote goes along with the Proclamation in saying that “Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity”.

When couples become parents, they become accountable for their children and have the responsibly of teaching them correct principles.   Some young people, having grown up in the Gospel, find themselves pregnant and not ready to start a family. They want all the wonderful blessings of the Gospel to be with their child, but cannot give it to them themselves. They want their child to grow up in a righteous home with parents who will love, support, and teach them. LDS Family Services provides a great selection of married LDS couples who have been eagerly waiting for their chance to become parents. A mother would know that her child would be taken care of and would be raised in a stable family by using this service.

On the other hand, there are married couples who have the righteous desire to have children, but are unable to. Adopting a child is expensive and often has an extreme waiting period. For those LDS couples, LDS Family Services offers the perfect start in the adoption process.

These services also provide a better option for those women who are conflicted in their decision on what to do with their unplanned pregnancy. “When a life is created by sinful behavior, the best way to begin personal repentance is to preserve the life of that child” (Russell M. Nelson). Providing this service makes the option of adoption over abortion easier to make because it’s free, there’s people offering their support every step of the way, and there’s a peace of mind that comes from giving life and knowing the child will have parents who love them.

I personally know people who have both given their children and who have adopted children through LDS Family Services. They have seen the blessings that have come through creating, giving, and accepting life and have found happiness by being sealed to their family in the temple. God has a plan for all of us to have a family, and for some, this is the way to do it.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ explains that life is a crucial step in God’s eternal plan. It is sacred. Each body reflects the divine image of our God (Genesis1:26-27, Moses 2:27). Elder Lynn A. Mickelson stated that, “Human life is the precious stepping-stone to eternal life, and we must jealously guard it from the moment of conception”. Every life is a gift from God and no matter how small, has a divine nature and destiny. “We do know that our Eternal Father…lives in the family unit. We do know that we are his children, created in his image, endowed with power and ability to become like him” (Bruce R. McConkie).

A statement given by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1997 declared, “We deplore the practice of partial-birth abortion which destroys innocent life, and we condemn and oppose it as one of the most revolting and sinful practices of our day. It is abhorrent to God and is fundamentally contrary to his injunction, ‘Thou shalt not kill…nor do anything like unto it (D&C 59:6)”.

I created this family board to celebrate my family. Within are lots of individual pictures and memories of my family which has brought me so much happiness in life. Every time I see the word “family” I am overcome with gratitude for mine. They are my biggest support in life and mean the world to me. I am so grateful for my life and the life of all those around me. It is a sacred gift that I cherish. I am grateful for the services provided by the Church which allow families to grow and provide a better way for mothers to seek support in their decision to give life. 

“The family is the most important organization in time or in eternity. Our purpose in life is to create for ourselves eternal family units.” –President Joseph Fielding Smith

*This post is all in reference to Chapters 15 and 27 of Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives, by Alan J. Hawkins, David C. Dollahite, and Thomas W. Draper (2012).

Additional Resources:
The Sanctity of Life, by James E. Faust
Abortion: An Assault on the Defenseless, by Elder Russell M. Nelson