One Response to “I want to be a member of the church, but I once had an abort…”
Leonardo Castro
2009-09-07 00:04:55
Hi Anonymous. According to the LDS ("Mormon") Church, abortion is only acceptable in a few rare instances:
A competent medical authority judges that the mother's health or life is in jeopardy.
The mother was raped or is the victim of incest.
A competent medical authority judges that the baby is so malformed that it will not survive the birthing process.
Even in the above cases, however, a pregnant woman should council with her church leaders and with God through prayer to see what is the best course of action. An abortion should never be automatic.
Any other kind of elective abortion is a very, very serious sin. Members of the Church who have or encourage abortions are typically excommunicated. They have to go through a lengthy repentance process before they can become a member of the Church once again.
However, it is impossible to sin in ignorance; we have to know God's will before we can willfully rebel against it. You clearly didn't know about God's teachings when you chose to get an abortion. This is a very important mediating circumstance!
I know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven of our sins. Abortion is a terrible sin, but it is not unforgiveable. With Christ all things are possible. As a missionary in Brazil, I personally baptized a woman who had once had an abortion. She repented of her sins and tried to start a new life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I know that you can do the same! Good luck!
- A competent medical authority judges that the mother's health or life is in jeopardy.
- The mother was raped or is the victim of incest.
- A competent medical authority judges that the baby is so malformed that it will not survive the birthing process.
Even in the above cases, however, a pregnant woman should council with her church leaders and with God through prayer to see what is the best course of action. An abortion should never be automatic.Any other kind of elective abortion is a very, very serious sin. Members of the Church who have or encourage abortions are typically excommunicated. They have to go through a lengthy repentance process before they can become a member of the Church once again.
However, it is impossible to sin in ignorance; we have to know God's will before we can willfully rebel against it. You clearly didn't know about God's teachings when you chose to get an abortion. This is a very important mediating circumstance!
I know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven of our sins. Abortion is a terrible sin, but it is not unforgiveable. With Christ all things are possible. As a missionary in Brazil, I personally baptized a woman who had once had an abortion. She repented of her sins and tried to start a new life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I know that you can do the same! Good luck!