Something that makes this Mormon woman stand (up and say something)

It’s no secret that I love to argue and debate and discuss all kinds of issues, both moral and political. (And let’s be honest, many issues fall into both categories.) In fact, my former brother-in-law was banned by my sister from talking with me because it always ended in an argument – ha! But productive and enlightening discourse can only occur on the presumption of honesty. In other words, it is fine to disagree with others and to promote your own agenda or cause. But when you knowingly misrepresent that agenda or the justification of it, then you are being dishonest.

Today’s case in point: Mormon Women Stand. This is a Facebook group that I have recently become acquainted with. The description of the groups says, “LDS women who, without hesitation, sustain the Lord's Prophet, the Family Proclamation as doctrine and our divine role as covenant women for Christ.”

Okay. I can get behind that. A lot of women I know and respect like their page, and that’s how I came across a particular article that was posted by them titled “Abortion: The Mormon Perspective on Abortion and Human Life.”

The second paragraph of the article begins, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is firmly and openly against abortion, and continues to stand against this 'assault on the defenseless.'"

Now my first thought was, “Hold on, that isn’t the Church’s policy on abortion.” I’m one of those nerdy types who reads things like the Church Handbook and Mormon Newsroom for fun. So I’m pretty well versed in official positions of the Church, particularly about various social issues. (You can quiz me at another time. Trust me, I’m great fun at parties.)

But I continued to read the article, and it is full of quotes from prophets and apostles regarding the evils of abortion. I can’t really argue with any of those quotes. I agree with them, both individually and collectively. But here’s the thing – the article never, not once, cites the Church’s official position on abortion. And that fact alone means that the contents of the article do not contain the whole story of the Church’s position. There is a link at the bottom of the article to the Church’s site, where you could find out the official position if you want to go look for it. But if you just read the article, you will definitely finish believing that all abortion is a horrible sin that is soundly condemned by the Church.

But it isn’t.

WHAT!?!?!? THE MORMON CHURCH DOESN’T CONDEMN ABORTION!?!?!?

Nope. Not in the way this article is portraying, at least.

Here’s the Church’s official position, as put forth by Mormon Newsroom (yes, an official LDS site, as opposed to Mormon Women Stand):

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the sanctity of human life. Therefore, the Church 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.

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.

The Church teaches its members that even these rare exceptions do not justify abortion automatically. Abortion is a most serious matter and should be considered only after the persons involved have consulted with their local church leaders and feel through personal prayer that their decision is correct.

The Church has not favored or opposed legislative proposals or public demonstrations concerning abortion. (source here)

So the Church clearly opposes “abortion for personal or social convenience.” But not all abortions are for personal or social convenience. And the Church recognizes that, or it wouldn’t go on to list some few and rare circumstances in which abortion might be justified.

I have a dear friend who is LDS, and who unfortunately had one of these procedures. And yes, it fell into one of the categories the Church considers justified. All I could think as I read this article was how devastated I would feel if I was her. I would feel alienated by this complete lack of acknowledgment that there are times when an abortion might be justified, and the implication (indeed, direct statement) that she needs to repent and ask forgiveness for this supposed "sin." My heart broke for her and for any other woman who is in her position who might be reading that article.

And then I got angry. But I controlled my anger like a good Mormon woman (one of the few times, I assure you). I made a comment on the article, in which I basically said what I’ve said above – I cited portions of the Church’s official position, and stated that there are exceptions, although they are admittedly rare. I also said that if the group was going to post an article that presumably defended the Church’s position, I hoped they would at least accurately represent that position. My comment was thoughtful (in my opinion, at least) and not argumentative.

The comment got a lot of “likes” and even a comment or two in the vein of “Yes! Thank you for saying this!”

And then it got deleted. 

Disappeared.

Vanished.

Apparently, the page administrator doesn’t like that the Church allows for some abortions. Or maybe they don’t want people to know that it’s okay for some women in some circumstances to make that decision through prayer, in consultation with their doctors and priesthood leaders. Read the statement. That’s what it says.

Another section from the article posted by Mormon Women Stand:

“This article has been created to add to the current conversation and can be used as a resource guide for Mormons on the topic of abortion. It utilizes information from scriptures, Church doctrine, and teachings from past and present prophets and apostles, and will hopefully help members of the Church explain, teach and defend their beliefs on this issue.”

Please, if you are reading this, take time to study and read for yourselves and learn what the scriptures say. Learn what the official statements of the Church are on various topics. Read the entire talks of Church leaders who address this, rather than the short portion included in the article. I assure you, they are much more representative of position laid out by Mormon Newsroom. Pray and listen to the spirit, and let him teach you truth. Do these things so that you will not be deceived. Just because someone claims to represent Mormon Women, does not mean they represent Mormon doctrine or position.

And to Mormon Women Stand (and other groups that misrepresent the teachings of prophets and apostles): Stop putting the Church into a box you’ve created. Stop using the Church to justify your own positions. If you want to persuade people to your opinion, you’ll have to do better than relying on misrepresentations and incomplete information. That’s called dishonesty, and it is definitely NOT what this Mormon woman stands for.