For the LDS it is all about controling their membership. They will spout things like they believe in ‘free agency’ but in reality the LDS church keeps tight reign on their membership. This was just one more area of spiritual blackmail.
And the LDS are not nearly as pro-life as people think. Their own Church Handbook of Instructions says abortion is permitted as long as it is prayerfully considered (ie you have a ‘burning in your bosom’ that they believe is personal revelation telling you it is ok).
People assume they are pro-life because they have a lot of kids, but it is more of a reflection of their theology. The LDS believe that we were all ‘spirit children’ of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother - created through Celestial sex (even Jesus and Lucifer) and that we have to come to this earth and gain a body in order to ‘progress’ further and become Gods ourselves. They have no statement on when the soul enters the body and several LDS I know do not believe life begins at conception.
and that because they have the ‘true’ gospel and are members of the ONLY true church, it is their responsibility to have as many children in order to provide bodies for these spirit children and the best of them are born into Mormon households. Having children is a duty.
I can source all of this and see my tagline. I used to be Mormon.
wow. I listened to some Mormons call into a radio show last weeks, and they swore that they were just as Christian as mainstream Christian churches. Slide like anything but. Are they just outright lying, or decieved at lower levels?