I have close family members and friends that have struggled with infertility. Since I don’t struggle with these same issues, sometimes I feel like I have no right to comment about any of it. But, I know that this is an issue that affects many LDS families (and non-LDS families) around the world. I can only imagine that in a church like ours, whose focus is so much on the family, it can be especially hard to struggle with infertility. It is a righteous desire to want to have children. It is hard to understand why the Lord is not blessing some people with this earthly privilege.
Mitt Romney is frequently in the news these days for a myriad of reasons. And, it is good publicity for the church (or at least we hope so). He recently became a grandfather again to twin boys. And, the boys were born via a surrogate. I think this is wonderful and amazing. To me, surrogacy is one of the ultimate gifts a woman can decide to give to a family. For me, pregnancy is so hard and emotional. I know I couldn’t do it. But, those women who decide to do it are giving the ultimate gift. They are giving the gift of life, but they are also creating families.
However, I was curious to know about the official stance that the church has about surrogates. The official stance by the church is that surrogacy is discouraged. But, there is no elaboration in the handbook. Ultimately, it is left up to individuals to decide. So, why is it discouraged? If our church is all about eternal families, then shouldn’t it also be about creating families too? This is an interesting topic in the church that doesn’t get much publicity.
Of course, there is more to surrogacy than the average person realizes, and there are different types of surrogates. I happen to have a facebook friend who has recently become a surrogate. She is an active member of the LDS church. She is passionate about the issue, and I have been eager to meet her and sit down with her and discuss more about her decision to become a surrogate. I want to know how her church leaders have reacted to her surrogacy journey, why she wanted to do it in the first place, and much more! Stay tuned for the next article in this series where I share with you her thoughts on being a surrogate in the LDS church.