It's About Love

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

“Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”

The Family: A Proclamation to the World 

When we hear a single young woman (not necessarily a teen girl) becomes pregnant, we also find out that there are many voices that surround her, giving their opinions about what to do. That young woman feels pressure from differing views: raise the baby on her own, expect the father to be involved, give the baby up for adoption, or even to have an abortion.

What’s the LDS Church’s position? From a January 2008 Ensign article, Why Adoption? we have Rebecca M. Taylor’s view:

“A primary reason the Church supports adoption is that children who are adopted by temple-worthy Latter-day Saint couples can be sealed to their adoptive parents. The sealing ordinance is the capstone ordinance in the Church, and its blessings are present in this life as well as in the next. As President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) declared, children who are born in the covenant—and, by extension, those who are sealed to their parents in the temple—‘have claims upon the blessings of the gospel beyond what those not so born are entitled to receive. They may receive a greater guidance, a greater protection, a greater inspiration from the Spirit of the Lord; and then there is no power that can take them away from their parents.’

“Fred Riley, commissioner of LDS Family Services, says that although adoption is rarely discussed in Church meetings, it is a profound gospel principle. He points out that when the prophet Elijah restored the sealing keys, these keys encompassed adoption. And one of the ways in which Jesus Christ is our Father is through adoption, for we become His sons and His daughters when we are adopted into the family of Christ.”

Despite the emotional pain that’s involved in adoption, one thing is certain: it is about love.

The love of that giving birth mother, willing to give up her precious newborn to give the baby what’s needed-a family. And the love of brand new parents, willing to bring to that new bundle all that they have, including a temple sealing.

That’s true love.

As always we welcome your comments.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday 6 June, click here.