Views on birth control in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Teachings on birth control have changed over the course of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Mormonism's largest denomination. Church leaders have gone from condemning it as sinful to allowing it.[1]: 16, 30, 33  The current church stance as of 2023 is that "decisions about birth control and the consequences of those decisions rest solely with each married couple" and that they should consider "the physical and mental health of the mother and father and their capacity to provide the basic necessities of life for their children" when planning a family.[2] Historically, the church discouraged surgical sterilization, like vasectomies and tubal ligation, and encouraged members to only use these options for serious medical conditions after discussing it with a bishop.[3] In 2020, the church's General Handbook was modified and language regarding surgical sterilization softened to state it was discouraged.[4] The church states that elective abortions as a form of birth control are against God's commandments.[2]

See also: Sexuality and Mormonism, Mormonism and women § Reproductive rights, Law of Chastity, Religion and birth control, and Christian views on contraception
A package of birth control pills

History

In the past the use of birth control methods including artificial contraception was explicitly condemned by LDS Church leaders. Beginning in July 1916, apostles were quoted stating that birth control was a "pernicious doctrine" and that "limiting the number of children in a family...is sinful".[5][1]: 21  The first time that any approval of a non-abstinence fertility control method was publicly expressed occurred in a 1942 Improvement Era article in which apostle John A. Widtsoe mentioned the rhythm method as an acceptable means of spacing children.[6]: 187–188  In his influential 1956 treatise Doctrines of Salvation, then apostle Joseph Fielding Smith called birth control a wickedness that leads to damnation and caused the downfall of nations. He further stated that an LDS couple that deliberately prevents themselves from having more children after their second or third child is guilty of iniquity which must be punished.[7][8] The 1958 edition of Bruce R. McConkie's popular book Mormon Doctrine stated that all those using condoms or other artificial contraception are "in rebellion against God and are guilty of gross wickedness."[9]: 81 [10]: 12  The BYU Honor Code in 1968 stated that "the Church does not approve of any form of birth control."[11] In 1969 the first and only First Presidency statement on birth control was released; it reemphasized that it was "contrary to the teachings of the Church artificially to curtail or prevent the birth of children", though, for the first time there was a clarification that men should be considerate to "conserve" the "health and strength" of their wives when planning families since they carry the "greater responsibility" for bearing and rearing children.[12]

Other discussions of the topic include those by Ezra Taft Benson, who became a church president. He stated that those that advocate for birth control perpetuate types of government that cause famine,[13][14][15]: 540  that couples should not prevent births for selfish reasons,[15]: 543 [16][17] and that a sterilization operation could "jeapordiz[e] your exaltation."[15]: 541 [18][19] As recently as 2003 a church manual was published containing a quote from the late church president Spencer W. Kimball stating that the church does not "condone nor approve of" measures of contraception which greatly "limit the family".[20]

Church insurance and birth control

Before 2023 the church's insurance company Deseret Mutual Benefits Administrators which provides coverage for its employees did not cover any form of birth control.[21][22] In 2023 the church company began covering many types of birth control except emergency contraception (i.e. the-morning-after pill).[21] However, it still does not cover any sterilization (whether by vasectomy or tubal ligation) for a couple unless the woman has already had five children or is over forty.[23][24][21]

References
  1. Bush Jr., Lester E. (Fall 1976). "Birth Control Among the Mormons: An Introduction to an Insistent Question" (PDF). Dialogue. 10 (2). Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  2. "Birth Control". LDS Church. 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  3. Handbook 2: Administering the Church. LDS Church. 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  4. "Section 38.6.4". General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. LDS Church. The Church discourages surgical sterilization as an elective form of birth control. Surgical sterilization includes procedures such as vasectomies and tubal ligations.
  5. "Birth Control". Relief Society Magazine. 3 (7): 364, 368. July 1916. Retrieved February 5, 2017 – via Internet Archive.
  6. Bush, Lester E. (1994). "Ethical Issues in Reproductive Medicine". Multiply and Replenish: Mormon Essays on Sex and Family. Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books. ISBN 978-1560850502. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  7. Smith, Joseph Fielding (1954–56), McConkie, Bruce R. (ed.), Doctrines of Salvation: Sermons and Writings of Joseph Fielding Smith, vol. 2, Bookcraft, pp. 273–274 – via Internet Archive, Birth control is wickedness. The abuse of this holy covenant [to be fruitful and multiply] has been the primary cause for the downfall of nations. ... When a man and a woman are married and they agree, or covenant, to limit their offspring to two or three, and practice devices to accomplish this purpose, they are guilty of iniquity which eventually must be punished. Unfortunately this evil doctrine is being taught as a virtue by many people who consider themselves cultured and highly educated. It has even crept in among members of the Church and has been advocated in some of the classes within the Church. It should be understood definitely that this kind of doctrine is not only not advocated by the authorities of the Church, but also is condemned by them as wickedness in the sight of the Lord. ... Possibly no greater sin could be committed by the people who have embraced this gospel than to prevent or to destroy life in the manner indicated. ... Birth control leads to damnation.
  8. Teachings Concerning Birth Control and Family Size: First Presidency Statements and Church Handbook of Instructions (PDF). May 2004. p. 3. Archived from the original on January 15, 2007 – via Internet Archive. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  9. McConkie, Bruce R. (1958). Mormon Doctrine (1st ed.). Bookcraft – via Internet Archive.
  10. Dye, David A. (2007). Changes in Mormon Doctrine: A Comparison of the 1958 & 1966 versions of Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie. Lulu Press. ISBN 9781257255009.
  11. Wilkinon, Ernest L. "Presidential Files, Memorandum: Conference Held with First Presidency" (18 August 1967). L. Tom Perry Special Collections Library, Box: 271, Folder 22, p. 2. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  12. Bush Jr., Lester E. (Fall 1976). "Birth Control Among the Mormons: An Introduction to an Insistent Question" (PDF). Dialogue. 10 (2): 27. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  13. Benson, Ezra Taft (June 1969). "To the Humble Followers of Christ". Improvement Era. 72 (6): 44 – via Internet Archive.
  14. Benson, Ezra Taft. "To the Humble Followers of Christ". Brigham Young University. The world teaches birth control. Tragically, many of our sisters subscribe to its pills and practices when they could easily provide earthly tabernacles for more of our Father's children. ... True to form, many of the people who desire to frustrate God's purposes of giving mortal tabernacles to his spirit children through worldwide birth control are the very same people who support the kinds of government that perpetuate famine.
  15. Benson, Ezra (October 1, 1988). The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. ISBN 978-0884946397 – via Google Books.
  16. "President Benson Lauds Blessings of Motherhood". Ensign (LDS magazine). LDS Church. May 1987. Do not curtail the number of children for personal or selfish reasons. Material possessions, social convenience, and so-called professional advantages are nothing compared to a righteous posterity.
  17. "To the Mothers in Zion". Eternal Marriage Student Manual. LDS Church. 2003. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  18. Burton, Rulon (April 1, 1994). We Believe: Doctrines and Principles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tabernacle Books. p. 263. ISBN 978-0964069602 – via Google Books.
  19. Benson, Ezra (1974). God, Family, Country: Our Three Greatest Loyalties. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. p. 224. ISBN 978-0877475415 – via Google Books.
  20. "Birth Control". Eternal Marriage Student Manual. LDS Church. 2003. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  21. Kemsley, Tamarra (January 28, 2023). "At last, LDS Church employees to get insurance coverage for birth control". Salt Lake Tribune. Coverage, its notice specified, will include oral contraceptives, contraceptive patches, vaginal rings, intrauterine devices (IUDs) and injectable contraceptives. Emergency contraception, such as morning-after pills, will remain uncovered. Surgical sterilization, meanwhile, will stay uncovered except in certain cases, among them being the mother is 40 or older and/or has already had five pregnancies or live births.
  22. Westlund, Tessa Lara (February 8, 2019). "Federal sparring over contraceptive coverage doesn't impact Y employee, student benefits". Daily Universe. Brigham Young University. DMBA does not cover any form of contraceptives for BYU students or employees, according to its plan summary, and has not done so historically. The Church's website says its stance on birth control is that 'the decision of how many children to have and when to have them is a private matter for the husband and wife.' The summary from DMBA does not cite an official reason why DMBA doesn't cover birth control.
  23. Brooks, Joanna (August 8, 2012). "LDS Church and the Birth Control Controversy". Religion Dispatches.
  24. White, Katherine A. (July 1999). "Crisis of Conscience: Reconciling Religious Health Care Providers' Beliefs and Patients' Rights". Stanford Law Review. 51 (6): 1711. doi:10.2307/1229534. JSTOR 1229534. PMID 10558539. 45. Telephone Interview with David Call, supra note 7. The Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators HMO (DMBA) does not cover sterilizations until a woman has had five children or reached the age of forty. While the DMBA policy does not directly refer to LDS church doctrine, the policy is set by the DMBA Ethical Advisory Committee, which has issued guidelines stating that the DMBA will provide benefits consistent with LDS church teachings.
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