“From Conception to Resurrection, Mortal Life is a Gift from God”

 

(Image taken from https://www.webmd.com/baby/ss/slideshow-fetal-development)

The title of this post is a statement from Cynthia L. Hallen’s article, “Defending the Sanctity of Human Life.” (Hawkins, et al., pg. 295) This post is about abortion. All of what I share will come from Hallen’s article. This is one area in which I have no personal experience. There has never been an experience in my life in which aborting a child was a decision I had to face.

However, the information that I share from this article is information I agree with. If you want to put it in a political framework, I am Pro-Life. I wish I could avoid having to make that statement, but in our society today, abortion rights are a political hotbed.  It is a topic that there is not really a grey area and tends to be very divisive. 

Let’s start off with defining abortion. Hallen states, “Abortion can generally be defined as the natural or deliberate termination of the life of an unborn or partially born child.” (Hawkins, et al., pg. 296) Hallen mentions two kinds of abortion, natural and deliberate. A natural abortion, otherwise known as a spontaneous abortion or miscarriage, is an act of nature and not a moral issue. A deliberate abortion, on the other hand, is a moral issue.

Hallen teaches that deliberate abortions also fall into two categories, emergency and elective. These are the abortions in which there is a conscious choice made to terminate the pregnancy by aborting the fetus, and therein lies the moral issue. 

There are arguments that rape, incest, severe birth defects, or the life of the mother being in jeopardy are justifiable reasons for choosing an abortion. These are what might be reasons for an emergency abortion. In a statement put out by the First Presidency of the Church in 1991, the leadership of the Church recognizes that there are rare cases in which abortion may be justified, but they warn that “…these are not automatic reasons for abortion. Even in these cases, the couple should consider abortion only after consulting with each other, and their bishop, and receiving divine confirmation through prayer. The practice of elective abortion is fundamentally contrary to the Lord’s injunction, ‘Thou shalt not steal; neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it.’ (D&C 59:6) We urge all to preserve the sanctity of human life and thereby realize the happiness promised to those who keep the commandments of the Lord.” (Hawkins, et al., pg. 294)

I guess one might consider emergency abortion the grey area of abortion. It is definitely something that would need to be considered on a case by case basis, with much prayer and consideration.

Elective abortion is where I see no grey area. It is simply morally wrong. Hallen states, “Elective abortion is the voluntary destruction of the fetus in the womb of its mother for nonemergency purposes or nonmedical reasons: ‘Most abortions are performed on demand to deal with unwanted pregnancies. These abortions are simply a form of birth control’ (Nelson, 2008, p. 34).” She continues on to say “Elective abortion is a serious moral problem because it pits the social, emotional, personal, psychological or financial concerns of adults against the innocent lives of unborn children.” (Hawkins, et al., pg. 296)

Where does The Proclamation come in on this? Paragraph 5 says, “We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.”

The leaders of the Church have been very clear about the sanctity of life. Hallen shared some quoted that I would like to share with you.

From Elder Lynn A. Mickelson:

“We are created in the image of god. The union of the flesh with the spirit can bring us a fulness of joy. Teach your children to respect the sanctity of hum life, to revere it and cherish it. Human life is the precious stepping-stone to eternal life, and we must jealously guard it from the moment of conception.” (Hawkins, et al., pg. 295)

From then Elder Russel M. Nelon (current President of the Church):

“As sons and daughters of God, we cherish life as a gift from him. . .. Life comes from life. It is a gift from our Heavenly Father. It is eternal, as his is eternal, Innocent life is not sent by him to be destroyed! This doctrine is not of me, but is that of the living God and of his divine Son.” (Hawkins, et al., pg. 295)

One more thing that The Proclamation teaches is that we need to stand up for these beliefs and be willing to hold our government to the same standard the Lord has commanded. “We call upon responsible citizens and offices of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundament unit of society.” (¶ 9)

What can we do to help combat abortion? Hallen makes some great suggestions at the end of her article. They are:

1. Maintain and promote chastity and fidelity.

2. Help provide for unwed parents.

3. Become better informed.

4. Discuss the sanctity of life accurately and appropriately.

5. Recognize the consequences of abortion.

6. Strengthen our testimonies of the sanctity of life.

As I said earlier, I have no personal experience with abortion, not do I know anyone who has. However, I know that we need to uphold the sanctity of live. In order to become like our Heavenly Father, we need to have a physical body. It is a very important part of the Plan of Salvation. Some may be quick to point out that agency is also a very important part of the Plan, and so women should have the right to choose. That is right, we do have agency. We can choose. On the matter of abortion, however, I think there is only one choice – choose the gift of life.