Policies and Announcements

The following letters from the First Presidency were sent to all general and local Church leaders.

Adoption and Unwed Parents

Priesthood and auxiliary leaders are again encouraged to renew their efforts to teach ward and stake members the importance of living chaste and virtuous lives. We note with alarm the continued decline of moral values in society and the resultant number of children being reared by unwed parents.

A child needs both a mother and a father who provide love, support, and all the blessings of the gospel. Every effort should be made in helping those who conceive out of wedlock to establish an eternal family relationship. When the unwed parents are unable or unwilling to marry, they should be encouraged to place the child for adoption, preferably through LDS Social Services. Placing the infant for adoption through LDS Social Services helps ensure that the baby will be reared in a faithful Latter-day Saint family and will receive the blessings of the sacred sealing covenant.

Unwed parents who do not marry should not be counseled to keep the infant as a condition of repentance or out of an obligation to care for one’s own. In many instances, an unwed parent is not able to provide the stable, nurturing environment so essential for the baby’s well-being.

When deciding to place the baby for adoption, the best interests of the child should be the paramount consideration. Such a decision enables the unwed parent to do what is best for the child and enhances the prospect for the blessings of the gospel in the lives of all concerned.

Divorce Clearance Procedure

Effective immediately a man who has been previously sealed and later divorced, who desires to be married and sealed in the temple, must first obtain a clearance from the First Presidency.

It is intended that this requirement will help to reemphasize the significance and sacredness of the temple marriage covenants. Details regarding this matter have been communicated to stake and mission presidents.