Where the LDS Church stands on IVF, surrogacy and sperm/egg donation

When it comes to the creation and growth of the traditional, nuclear family, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is all-in.

“The family,” reads the opening sentence of The Family: A Proclamation to the World, “is central to the creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of his children.”

It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that church leaders have no qualms when it comes to heterosexual, married couples pursuing parenthood through in vitro fertilization.

[Read the stories of Latter-day Saints who pursued in vitro fertilization.]

“When needed,” the faith’s General Handbook reads, “reproductive technology can assist a married woman and man in their righteous desire to have children. This technology includes artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization.”

Furthermore, it notes, any children conceived through these methods are “born in the covenant,” meaning eternally bound to their parents, if the couple have already been sealed in a Latter-day Saint temple.

Introduce sperm and egg donation and surrogacy, however, and the enthusiasm drains away.

Here’s what the church’s official handbook for lay leaders says about:

Selling or donating adoption one’s sperm or eggs

• “The pattern of a husband and wife providing bodies for God’s spirit children is divinely appointed. For this reason, the church discourages donating sperm or eggs. However, this is a personal matter that is ultimately left to the judgment and prayerful consideration of the potential donor.” (The language here was changed slightly in 2020 when the handbook nixed the word “strongly” before “discourages.”)

Adopting another’s sperm or eggs

• “The church discourages artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization using sperm from anyone but the husband or an egg from anyone but the wife. However, this is a personal matter that is ultimately left to the judgment and prayerful consideration of a lawfully married man and woman.”

Surrogacy

“The church discourages surrogate motherhood. However, this is a personal matter that is ultimately left to the judgment and prayerful consideration of the husband and wife.”

• “Children who are born to a surrogate mother are not born in the covenant. Following their birth, they may be sealed to parents only with the approval of the First Presidency.”

Perhaps just as telling as what’s included in the current handbook is what’s missing. In 2020, the church removed language stating that artificial insemination of single sisters “is not approved” and may result in membership restrictions. The topic does not appear in the updated edition.

In short, while church leaders may have their misgivings about some of these practices, how a married couple expand their family is ultimately between them and God.

All in all, the church’s views on IVF, artificial insemination and surrogacy have, according to Oregon State University religion and culture professor Courtney Campbell, “substantially moderated” when compared to the blanket disapproval of the 1960s through the ‘80s.

Instead, the author of “Mormonism, Medicine, and Bioethics” observed, the faith’s current posture might be summarized as “proceed with caution.”