{"id":47061,"date":"2024-04-27T05:08:27","date_gmt":"2024-04-27T11:08:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.timesandseasons.org\/?p=47061"},"modified":"2024-04-25T14:08:49","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T20:08:49","slug":"what-about-agency-should-latter-day-saints-be-pro-choice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2024\/04\/what-about-agency-should-latter-day-saints-be-pro-choice\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWhat about Agency?\u201d – Should Latter-day Saints Be Pro-Choice?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Guest post by Jessica Spackman, the President of Latter-day Saints for Life.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Voices and Choices<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cI\u2019m pro-choice because I believe in agency.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cWomen should be free to choose.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cI\u2019m personally pro-life, but other people should have the ability to choose abortion.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I hear these comments all the time from members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many loud voices popularize these claims; even prominent Latter-day Saint voices rally behind them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Because Latter-day Saints believe in agency, right?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For this and any such critical issue, we have to turn to the right sources. I believe it\u2019s most important to hear the voice of the Lord and those who speak for Him on the earth today, for the \u201cwords of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.\u201d (2 Nephi 32:3)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Searching for answers about how to understand \u201cpro-choice\u201d statements like the ones above, I found this from an Apostle of the Lord:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\u201cThe slogan or sound bite ‘pro-choice’ has had an almost magical effect in justifying abortion and in neutralizing opposition to it. Pro-choice slogans have been particularly seductive to Latter-day Saints because we know that moral agency, which can be described as the power of choice, is a fundamental necessity in the gospel plan.”<\/p>\r\nDallin H. Oaks, \u201cWeightier Matters,\u201d<\/a> BYU Devotional, February 9, 1999<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Rather than fall asleep to the magic \u201cchoice\u201d spell, let\u2019s face these pro-choice claims head-on, searching the words of the prophets and the voice of the Lord.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

With logic and the Spirit, I hope to show you why it\u2019s not in spite<\/em> of agency but because<\/em> of agency that Latter-day Saints are obligated to protect preborn life and oppose abortion.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Choice for mom and baby<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some Latter-day Saints say, \u201cAgency is what the whole war in heaven was fought over! Taking away agency from women is letting Satan win!\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Yes, they are absolutely right\u2014agency is exactly why we\u2019re here.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Every one of us chose<\/em> to come to earth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Every baby<\/em> chose to follow the Father and Jesus Christ, join a family, gain a body, live the mortal experience, challenges and all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So often, when we speak of agency, only the mother\u2019s agency is taken into account, but she\u2019s not the only person involved.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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“In recent years, many questions relate to the ‘choice’ to abort the life of a newly forming human being. Ironically, such ‘choice’ would deny that developing individual both life and choice.”<\/p>\r\nRussell M. Nelson, \u201cChoices\u201d<\/a>, General Conference, October 1990<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Choices Come with Consequences<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

And what about the mother\u2019s agency?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The vast majority of mothers who have an abortion, to some degree, chose<\/em> to have sex in the first place. (According to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute<\/a>, only about 1% of those who have abortions do so because they were raped.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

And just like every choice, that choice comes with potential consequences, natural consequences that were part of His design.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

President Nelson uses the analogy of the astronaut to illustrate this.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\u201cAnother contention raised is that a woman is free to choose what she does with her own body. To a certain extent this is true for all of us. We are free to think. We are free to plan. And then we are free to do. But once an action has been taken, we are never free from its consequences. Those considering abortion have already exercised certain choices.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cTo clarify this concept, we can learn from the astronaut. Any time during the selection process, planning, and preparation, he is free to withdraw. But once the powerful rocket fuel is ignited, he is no longer free to choose. Now he is bound by the consequences of his choice. Even if difficulties develop and he might wish otherwise, the choice made was sealed by action.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cSo it is with those who would tamper with the God-given power of procreation. They are free to think and plan otherwise, but their choice is sealed by action.\u201d<\/p>\r\nRussell M. Nelson, \u201cReverence for Life\u201d<\/a>, General Conference, April 1985<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Women Should Be Free to Choose What?<\/em><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

To be able to properly discuss the topic at hand, we need to ask: What exactly<\/em> is the woman choosing?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

She is choosing abortion. She is choosing to deliberately end the life of her own child.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\u201cAbortion is an evil, stark and real and repugnant, which is sweeping over the earth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\nGordon B. Hinckley, \u201cWalking in the Light of the Lord\u201d<\/a>, General Conference, October 1998<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For me and many others, learning about what an abortion actually is changes the whole conversation. Abortion procedures typically involve starving, dismembering, poisoning, or otherwise brutally killing a living, separate human being. (Learn more about the reality of what an abortion actually is at abortionprocedures.com<\/a>.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We can\u2019t shut down the conversation with the magic word \u201cagency,\u201d and we can\u2019t throw \u201cchoice\u201d as a trump card as license to do whatever we please.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some Choices Hurt Others and Ought to Be Prevented<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cWomen should have the<\/em> right to choose to have an abortion<\/em><\/strong>, even if I wouldn\u2019t choose to.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Would we say this about any other moral crime that hurts, even kills, another person?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What if someone said: \u201cWomen should really have the right to choose to physically abuse their toddlers<\/strong>,\u201d or \u201cI wouldn\u2019t personally do it, but men should have the right to choose to mug people on the street,<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cIt\u2019s important that people have the right to choose to drink and drive.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It sounds ridiculous\u2014because it is.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It\u2019s perfectly reasonable and even\u00a0 necessary for a decent, functional society to create social, religious, and legal limits to certain choices.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What is the difference between choices that are okay and those that aren\u2019t?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It\u2019s not an individual choice. When someone endangers the safety and lives of other innocent people, they ought to be prevented.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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“When the controversies about abortion are debated, individual \u2018right of choice’ is invoked as though it were the one supreme virtue. That could only be true if but one person was involved. The rights of any one individual do not allow the rights of another individual to be abused. In or out of marriage, abortion is not solely an individual matter. Terminating the life of a developing baby involves two individuals with separate bodies, brains, and hearts. A woman\u2019s choice for her own body does not include the right to deprive her baby of life\u2014and a lifetime of choices that her child would make. “<\/p>\r\nRussell M. Nelson, \u201cAbortion: An Assault on the Defenseless,\u201d<\/a> Ensign, October 2008<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We Are Responsible to Use OUR Agency Righteously<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

While we\u2019re on the topic of agency, I would be remiss to not mention the need for all Latter-day Saints to use their agency righteously regarding abortion.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What does this mean?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It\u2019s not enough to sit on the sidelines and let other people talk about and deal with abortion. We have a role to play\u2014in our families, in our Church, and in our communities\/governments.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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“As Latter-day Saints, we should stand up for choice\u2014the right choice\u2014not simply for choice as a method.”<\/p>\r\nRussell M. Nelson, \u201cAbortion: An Assault on the Defenseless,\u201d<\/a> Ensign, October 2008<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A Higher Perspective: Think Celestial<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We have been so deceived by the word, \u201cchoice,\u201d that Satan has practically shut down the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by turning that word around on us. He cheers that 73 million babies<\/a> die every year through elective abortion as Christ\u2019s Church hardly bats an eye.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So protect yourself against the magic \u201cagency\u201d spell.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There are many voices who speak into the abortion issue, from news anchors, politicians, family members, doctors, and even Latter-day Saint influencers. Many of these voices may say things that sound good\u2014and some may accuse you of malice or ignorance if you don\u2019t agree with them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Go to the source of truth: God.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Pray for discernment. Study the scriptures with an open heart. Search general conference talks and other reliable Church sources. (Check out the free library at latterdaysaintsforlife.org\/library<\/a>.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Then, when you encounter other voices, you\u2019ll have the perspective to distinguish celestial principles from ones that are not of God.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You will be able to say that \u201cbeing pro-choice on the need for moral agency does not end the matter for [me]. Choice is a method, not the ultimate goal. We are accountable for our choices, and only righteous choices will move us toward our eternal goals.\u201d (Dallin H. Oaks, \u201cWeightier Matters,\u201d<\/a> BYU Devotional, February 9, 1999.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Jessica Spackman<\/strong> is the president of Latter-day Saints for Life<\/a> and has been involved in the pro-life movement since 2020. A lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she served a full-time mission, earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in English from Utah State University, and is happily sealed to her family in the temple. She recently moved from Utah to Missouri with her husband and 2 children. Jessica writes on religious topics and defends the family online.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Location: Independence, Missouri. (Travels to Utah a few times a year.)<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI\u2019m pro-choice because I believe in agency.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen should be free to choose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m personally pro-life, but other people should have the ability to choose abortion.\u201d<\/p>\n

I hear these comments all the time from members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many loud voices popularize these claims; even prominent Latter-day Saint voices rally behind them.<\/p>\n

Because Latter-day Saints believe in agency, right?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10404,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-politics"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10404"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47061"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47070,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47061\/revisions\/47070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}