The wards and stakes of the Church have been asked to hold a program once every other year to talk to ward members about teen pregnancy and adoption. It’s estimated that every ward in the Church will have one teen pregnancy per year. While I’m not sure how that matches up with statistics from other organizations, I have to say I was pretty surprised to hear such a high number.
A representative from our stake came and spoke to us this last Sunday, and I was overwhelmed with the message she brought. She spoke no words of condemnation, was not in the slightest bit judgmental, and didn’t say anything to rub in the mistakes pregnant teens have made. Instead, she spoke of the hope that is available to pregnant teens and the chances they have to move forward with faith in their lives.
The Church’s policy concerning pregnant teenagers states that teens should consider marriage as their first alternative, but in many cases, this is not a possibility. Under those circumstances, teens are encouraged to give their children up for adoption through LDS Family Services, the agency set up by the Church to help with situations like this. When a baby is adopted out through this agency, that baby is guaranteed a temple-worthy family, and in fact, 100% of children adopted through the agency are sealed to their parents. You can’t adopt a child from LDS Family Services unless you are temple-worthy and will take the child to the temple with you.
As we believe in eternal families and that all children must be sealed to their parents, this is a wonderful way to ensure that every child, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, can belong to an eternal family unit.
Our stake representative showed us a video produced by the Church that demonstrated these principles, and again, I was amazed by the statistics. Teens who give their babies up for adoption have a greater chance of finishing high school, college, and going on to good careers. They also have a lower risk factor of getting pregnant out of wedlock again.
The video does address the difficulty of the decision, whether to place or to keep the baby, but clearly states that abortion is not an option in the Church’s eyes. It also talks about the desire the grandparents sometimes feel to raise the child themselves.
I came away from this meeting feeling so full of joy and gratitude for the mercy and forgiveness the Lord shows us each and every day. We do make mistakes. We do sin. But because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can move forward. We can learn from our mistakes but put them in the past, and not have to feel sorrow and heaviness from them every day.
If you would like to learn more about the Church’s policy on teenage pregnancy, follow these links:
But What was Best for the Baby?
Related Blogs:
Let’s Talk about Teenage Pregnancy