It is concerning that birthrates are falling all over the world.
When to have children and how many to have is a personal decision.
The Lord has said, “Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die.”
While we weep, we also rejoice in the glorious Resurrection of our Savior. Because of Him, our loved ones and friends continue their eternal journey. As President Joseph F. Smith explained: “We can not forget them; we do not cease to love them. … They have advanced; we are advancing; we are growing as they have grown.” President Russell M. Nelson said, “Our tears of sorrow … turn to tears of anticipation.”
Our eternal perspective not only enlarges our understanding of those who are continuing their journey beyond mortality but also opens our understanding of those who are earlier in their journey and just now entering mortality.
People will complain that he is addressing abortion from a pro-live perspective but let’s listen to what he says – what can people actually complain about?
Years ago, feeling deep concern for the number of abortions in the world, President Gordon B. Hinckley addressed the women of the Church with words that are relevant for us today. He said: “You who are wives and mothers are the anchors of the family. You bear the children. What an enormous and sacred responsibility that is. … What is happening to our appreciation of the sanctity of human life? Abortion is an evil, stark and real and repugnant, which is sweeping over the earth. I plead with the women of this Church to shun it, to stand above it, to stay away from those compromising situations which make it appear desirable. There may be some few circumstances under which it can occur, but they are extremely limited. … You are the mothers of the sons and daughters of God, whose lives are sacred. Safeguarding them is a divinely given responsibility which cannot be lightly brushed aside.”
This is quoting President Hinckley so we should be careful in attributing reach word to Elder Andersen. I can see the complaint the this is directed at the women as if circumstances are not forced upon them in some instances. The complainers will ignore that the bulk of abortions are not related to such circumstances. My thoughts are that many pro-life advocates get so caught up in the legislative battles trying to limit the legality of abortion that they don’t effectively pursue those policies that actually result in fewer abortions. The entire debate had become twisted.
Elder Marcus B. Nash shared with me the story of a dear 84-year-old woman who, during her baptismal interview, “acknowledged an abortion [many years before].” With heartfelt emotion, she said: “I have carried the burden of having aborted a child every day of my life for forty-six years. … Nothing I did would take the pain and guilt away. I was hopeless until I was taught the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I learned how to repent … and suddenly I was filled with hope. I finally came to know that I could be forgiven if I truly repented of my sins.”
Once again, proponents of legalized abortion will complain that this skews the abortion narrative—showing a lifetime of guilt after an abortion. They can’t address the substance that many women do come to feel that way even if they initially had no qualms about it much less that among those who we hesitant in the first place rarely become more comfortable with the decision later. Getting closure after the fact is a challenge.
What is our responsibility as peaceful disciples of Jesus Christ? Let us live God’s commandments, teach them to our children, and share them with others who are willing to listen. Let us share our deep feelings about the sanctity of life with those who make decisions in society. They may not fully appreciate what we believe, but we pray that they will more fully understand why, for us, these decisions go well beyond just what a person wants for his or her own life.
If an unanticipated child is expected, let us reach out with love, encouragement, and, when needed, financial help, strengthening a mother in allowing her child to be born and continue his or her journey in mortality.
The choice is bigger and more complex than simply “my body, my life, my choice.” Also, our role is to provide support such that abortion doesn’t feel like the best or only viable option. It is not to condemn and shame those who have or will choose abortion.
In our family, we have been immeasurably blessed as two decades ago, a young 16-year-old learned that she was expecting a child. She and the baby’s father were not married, and they could see no way forward together. The young woman believed the life she was carrying was precious. She gave birth to a baby girl and allowed a righteous family to adopt her as their own. For Bryce and Jolinne, she was an answer to their prayers. They named her Emily and taught her to trust in her Heavenly Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Complainers will whine that he is making adoption look like the only righteous option. Here they are simply wrong to complain. We should emphasize the beauty of adoption as an viable option—again, without trying to shame those who have or will abort.
After birth, children continue to need our help. Some need it desperately. Each year through caring bishops and your generous contributions of fast offerings and humanitarian funds, the lives of millions and millions of children are blessed. The First Presidency recently announced an additional 20 million dollars to assist UNICEF in their global efforts to administer two billion vaccines. Children are loved by God.
Pro-life must be so much more than anti-abortion. We must seek to support the vulnerable which definitely includes children of those who are not financially well off.
It is concerning that even in some of the most prosperous countries of the world, fewer children are being born. “God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.” When to have a child and how many children to have are private decisions to be made between a husband and wife and the Lord. With faith and prayer, these sacred decisions can be beautiful, revelatory experiences.
In other words (to all you well-meaning family, friends, and strangers—including ecclesiastical leaders), it is not our place to stick our nose in other people’s business.
May we always remember that each spirit child of God is coming to earth on his or her own personal journey. May we welcome them, safeguard them, and always love them. As you receive these precious children in the Savior’s name and help them in their eternal journey, I promise you that the Lord will bless you and shower His love and approval upon you.
Leave a Reply