Eyring-L FAQ: Medical Practices1

Abortion

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers the elective termination of pregnancy "one of the most . . . sinful practices of this day" (_General Handbook of Instructions,_ 11-4), although not necessarily murder. The Lord has said, "Thou shalt not . . . kill, nor do _anything_ like unto it" (D&C 59:6; emphasis added in Packer, p. 85).

Members of the Church must not "submit to, be a party to, or perform an abortion" (_General Handbook,_ 11-4). The only exceptions are where "incest or rape was involved, or where competent medical authorities certify that the life of the mother is in jeopardy, or that a severely defective fetus cannot survive birth" (Packer, p. 85). Even these exceptions do not justify abortion automatically. Church members are counseled that they should consider abortion in such cases only after consulting with their bishop and receiving divine confirmation through prayer.

"Church members who encourage, perform, or submit to an abortion are subject to Church discipline as appropriate" to help them repent (_General Handbook,_ 11-4). As far as has been revealed, the sin of abortion is one for which a person may repent and gain forgiveness (_General Handbook,_ 11-4; Packer, p. 86).

Bibliography

_General Handbook of Instructions._ Salt Lake City, 1989.

Packer, Boyd K. "Covenants." _Ensign_ 20 (Nov. 90):84-86.

MARY K. BEARD

AIDS

The First Presidency statement on AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) released May 27, 1988, admonishes Church members to become informed about AIDS and to avoid all actions that place themselves or others at risk. Members are also encouraged to become informed about AIDS-related laws and policies in the country where they live and to join in wise and constructive efforts to stem the spread of AIDS.

The statement calls for Church members to extend Christlike sympathy and compassion to all who are infected or ill with AIDS. Particular concern and sympathy are expressed for those having received the virus through blood transfusions, babies infected by their mothers, and marriage partners infected by a spouse. Leaders and members are encouraged to reach out with kindness and comfort to the afflicted, ministering to their needs and assisting them with their problems.

While hope is expressed that medical discoveries will make it possible both to prevent and cure AIDS, the observance of clearly understandable and divinely given guidance regardless of such potential discoveries will do more than all else to check a potential AIDS epidemic: "That guidance is chastity before marriage, total fidelity in marriage, abstinence from all homosexual relations, avoidance of illegal drugs, and reverence and care for the body, which is the temple of God."

The First Presidency statement includes remarks given about AIDS by Gordon B. Hinckley, First Counselor in the First Presidency, in the April 1987 general priesthood meeting: "Prophets of God have repeatedly taught through the ages that practices of homosexual relations, fornication, and adultery are grievous sins. Sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage are forbidden by the Lord. We reaffirm those teachings. . . . Each of us has a choice between right and wrong. But with that choice there inevitably will follow consequences. Those who choose to violate the commandments of God put themselves at great spiritual and physical jeopardy."

In January 1989 a special bulletin on AIDS was sent to Church leaders throughout the world to provide (1) scientific and medical information about AIDS; (2) counsel reaffirming the blessings and protection that come from living God's commandments; and (3) guidelines and policies dealing with interviewing and assisting those infected with the AIDS virus. Some items treated in the four-page special bulletin are:

Church teachers and activity leaders who on occasion may be involved in cleaning up blood or rendering first aid should become aware of, and follow, local health department recommendations regarding the prevention of AIDS infection.
AIDS-infected individuals who may be contemplating marriage are to be encouraged by local Church leaders to be honest with potential marriage partners and to disclose their AIDS infection. For a person to do less would be deceitful, and in violation of one's covenants with God.
Where transgression of God's laws has resulted in infection, the Church advocates the example of Jesus Christ, who condemned the sin but loved the sinner.
AIDS victims who seek membership in the Church, temple recommends, or other blessings are treated as all others who express faith in God, repent, request baptism, and are living the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Bibliography

Public Communications Department. "First Presidency Statement on AIDS." Salt Lake City, May 27, 1988; cf. "News of the Church," _Ensign_ 18 (July 1988):79.

Questions and Answers for Priesthood Leaders Regarding AIDS (special bulletin). Salt Lake City, Jan. 1989.

ROBERT L. LEAKE

Artificial Insemination

Artificial insemination is defined as placing semen into the uterus or oviduct by artificial rather than natural means. The Church does not approve of artificial insemination of single women. It also discourages artificial insemination of married women using semen from anyone but the husband. "However, this is a personal matter that ultimately must be left to the husband and wife, with the responsibility for the decision resting solely upon them" (_General Handbook of Instructions,_ 11-4). Children conceived by artificial insemination have the same family ties as children who are conceived naturally. The _General Handbook of Instructions_ (1989) states: "A child conceived by artificial insemination and born after the parents are sealed in the temple is born in the covenant. A child conceived by artificial insemination before the parents are sealed may be sealed to them after they are sealed."

Bibliography

_General Handbook of Instructions,_ 11-4. Salt Lake City, 1989.

FRANK O. MAY, JR.

Autopsy

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds that an autopsy may be performed if the family of the deceased gives consent and if the autopsy complies with the law of the community. The purpose of an autopsy is, where possible, to examine the results of trauma or disease recorded in the vital organs of the body so as to define the specific cause of death for the family, the community, and the professionals who attended the deceased. It also permits the training and instruction of those who continue the search for better ways of coping with disease. It is one of the methods whereby both those who die and those who examine them contribute to improving the quality of life and health of their fellow human beings.

FRANK D. ALLAN

Birth Control

The _General Handbook of Instructions_ for Church leaders has the following instructions concerning birth control: "Husbands must be considerate of their wives, who have a great responsibility not only for bearing children but also for caring for them through childhood. . . . Married couples should seek inspiration from the Lord in meeting their marital challenges and rearing their children according to the teachings of the gospel" (_General Handbook,_ 11-4).

Interpretation of these general instructions is left to the agency of Church members. One of the basic teachings of the Church, however, is that spirit children of God come to earth to obtain a physical body, to grow, and to be tested. In that process, adults should marry and provide temporal bodies for those spirit children. For Latter-day Saints, it is a blessing, a joy, and also an obligation to bear children and to raise a family.

One of the cornerstones of the gospel is agency or choice. Latter-day Saints believe that everyone will be held responsible for the choices they make. Many decisions involve the application of principles where precise instructions are not given in the _General Handbook of Instructions_ or in the scriptures. The exercise of individual agency is therefore required, and Latter-day Saints believe that personal growth results from weighing the alternatives, studying matters carefully, counseling with appropriate Church leaders, and then seeking inspiration from the Lord before making a decision.

Church members are taught to study the question of family planning, including such important aspects as the physical and mental health of the mother and father and their capacity to provide the basic necessities of life. If, for personal reasons, a couple prayerfully decides that having another child immediately is unwise, birth control may be appropriate. Abstinence, of course, is a form of contraception. Like any other method, however, it has its side effects, some of which may be harmful to the marriage relationship.

Prophets past and present have never stipulated that bearing children was the sole function of the marriage relationship. They have taught that physical intimacy is a strong force in expressing and strengthening the love bond in marriage, enhancing and reinforcing marital unity.

Decisions regarding the number and spacing of children are to be made by husband and wife together, in righteousness, and through empathetic communication, and with prayer for the Lord's inspiration. Latter-day Saints believe that persons are accountable not only for what they do but for why they do it. Thus, regarding family size and attendant questions, members should desire to multiply and replenish the earth as the Lord has commanded. In that process, God intends that his children use the agency that he has given them in charting a wise course for themselves and their families.

Bibliography

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. _General Handbook of Instructions,_ 11-4. Salt Lake City, 1989.

"I Have a Question." _Ensign_ 9 (Aug. 1979):23-24.

HOMER S. ELLSWORTH

Blood Transfusions

Although there are references in scripture to the sacredness of blood, the Church does not hold that any scripture or revelation prohibits giving or receiving blood or blood products, such as gamma globulin, the antihemophilic factor, and antibodies through transfusion or injection, and it is therefore not opposed to its members engaging in such practices. In fact, individual wards sometimes have blood drives to increase a supply on hand when a ward member might need a transfusion. The Church, however, leaves the decision of whether to be a donor or a recipient of a blood transfusion or blood products to the individual member or family concerned.

The Church recognizes that the use of blood transfusions and blood products often saves lives by replacing blood serum volume, red and white cells, platelets, and other substances that may have been lost or damaged by disease, accident, or surgical operation. It is also aware that many operative procedures, such as open-heart surgery and organ transplantation, could not be as safely performed and that many diseases, such as leukemia, aplastic anemia, and certain types of cancers, could not be adequately treated without blood and blood-product transfusions.

Blood transfusions can carry very harmful and life-threatening diseases, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis, and other infectious diseases, and therefore may be a hazard. However, these hazards may be completely eliminated in nonemergency operations by the process of autotransfusion, whereby a patient's own blood is donated, stored, and given back when needed. This practice is feasible because blood can be stored for a number of months. However, the Church leaves all decisions about the use or nonuse of blood to the member or family concerned in consultation with their physician.

RICHARD A. NIMER

Burial

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints counsels its members to bury their dead in the earth to return dust to dust, unless the law of the country requires cremation. However, the decision whether to bury or cremate the body is left to the family of the deceased, taking into account any laws governing the matter. Burial of the body usually follows a funeral or graveside service. The body of a deceased member of the Church who has received the temple Endowment should be dressed in temple clothing. Relief Society sisters dress deceased women, and priesthood brethren the men. When it is not possible to clothe the body, temple clothing may be laid over it.

A member of the bishopric typically presides at the burial, where a simple, earnest prayer is offered to dedicate the grave, with blessings promised as the Spirit dictates. This prayer may include a dedication of the grave as a sacred resting place until the resurrection if the person giving the prayer holds the Melchizedek Priesthood and has been asked to give such a dedication. The grave site often becomes a sacred spot for the family of the deceased to visit and care for.

CHARLES D. TATE, JR.

Cremation

Since the organization of the Church in 1830, Latter-day Saints have been encouraged by their leaders to avoid cremation, unless it is required by law, and, wherever possible, to consign the body to burial in the earth and leave the dissolution of the body to nature, "for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Gen. 3:19). President Spencer W. Kimball wrote, "The meaning of death has not changed. It releases a spirit for growth and development and places a body in . . . Mother Earth" (p. 45). In due time the mortal body returns to native element, and whether it is laid away in a family-selected site or buried in the depths of the sea, every essential part will be restored in the Resurrection: "Every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame" (Alma 40:23).

To understand the LDS feeling about cremation, it is essential to understand the doctrine of the Church regarding the body. In a General Conference Elder James E. Talmage, an apostle, stated, "It is peculiar to the theology of the Latter-day Saints that we regard the body as an essential part of the soul. Read your dictionaries, the lexicons, and encyclopedias, and you will find that nowhere, outside of The Church of Jesus Christ, is the solemn and eternal truth taught that the soul of man is the body and the spirit combined" _(CR_, Oct. 1913, p. 117).

Bibliography

Kimball, Edward L., ed. _The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball,_ p. 45. Salt Lake City, 1982.

Lockhart, Barbara. "The Body: A Burden or a Blessing?" _Ensign_ 15 (Feb. 1985):57-60.

Nelson, Russell M. "The Magnificence of Man." _Ensign_ 18 (Jan. 1988):64-69.

BRUCE L. OLSEN

Organ Transplants And Donations

Because the transplanting of body parts raises some concerns regarding ethics and moral issues, the Church has issued the following statement: "Whether an individual chooses to will his own bodily organs or authorizes the transplant of organs from a deceased family member is a decision for the individual or the deceased member's family. The decision to receive a donated organ should be made with competent medical counsel and confirmation through prayer" (_General Handbook of Instructions,_ 11-6).

The transplanting of certain organs is now being done with increasing success. For example, transplantation of the cornea has been done for many years, and now a better than 90 percent chance of vision restoration is expected in cases of blindness due to corneal disease. As successful replacements increasingly occur, more people become aware of the various diseases and disorders that can be treated and cured by transplantation, and more people want to become recipients. According to the American Council on Transplantation, more than 50,000 people benefited from organ transplants in 1989. And according to the Intermountain Transplant Program, "more than 100,000 could benefit if enough organs and tissue were available."

Organs and tissue that can now be transplanted include the cornea, kidney, pancreas, heart, liver, skin, bone, veins, tendons, lung, bone marrow, and blood. Heart and liver donations are immediate matters of life and death. Donated kidneys replace thrice-weekly dialysis treatments. A donated pancreas may "cure" someone's diabetes. Donated eyes provide not only corneas for sight-restoring corneal transplants but also vital eye tissue for other surgical procedures and for research into blinding eye disorders.

According to organizations handling organs for transplantation, only those who meet strict criteria are considered for donors. These criteria include careful testing for infectious diseases, including AIDS. Because of these procedures and advances in transplant techniques, donors and recipients do not face the risks faced a few years ago.

In some instances, as where a kidney is needed, a close relative can serve as a donor. (A healthy person can continue a normal life with one kidney.) In the case of some organs, such as the cornea of the eye, the donated organ usually comes from one who signs a statement indicating a desire to donate organs upon death. In the event of an accident or untimely death, the donor's eyes may then be used with the consent of the family.

Bibliography

_General Handbook of Instructions,_ 11-6. Salt Lake City, 1989.

WAYNE A. MINEER

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