Tamarra KemsleyThe uphill climb for an Idaho proposition seeking to expand abortion access got steeper after news broke Thursday that Latter-day Saint leaders had issued an official statement, due to be shared over pulpits across the state in coming weeks, against it.
“The church opposes” the Idaho Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act, better known as Proposition 1, writes the the four-member U.S. Central Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Our long-held stance on abortion remains clear and unchanged.”
In the three-paragraph statement, the all-male signers — led by general authority Seventy José A. Teixeira — note that while the Utah-based faith remains neutral regarding political parties and candidates, it nevertheless “addresses issues it believes have significant moral consequences.”
“We join with other like-minded individuals and organizations working against this initiative,” the leaders conclude, “and encourage our members to voice their opposition in a respectful manner consistent with prophetic direction of always demonstrating Christlike love and civility in political discourse.”
While the global faith condemns “elective abortion for personal or social convenience,” it has long held that there are circumstances in which abortion is not a sin. Those include a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, if the “life or health” of the mother is in “serious jeopardy,” and instances when a fetus is found to have “severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.”
(Loren Elliott | The New York Times) The Idaho State Capitol and downtown skyline in Boise, Idaho, on Oct. 8, 2025.
Idaho currently bars abortion at all stages of pregnancy with an exception for the life of the mother. Survivors of rape and incest who have reported the crime to law enforcement can also seek an abortion during the first trimester.
In contrast, Prop 1 would establish “a right to make private reproductive healthcare decisions, including abortion up to fetal viability and in medical emergencies.”
It also includes protections for medical providers and anyone assisting others in accessing care.
Before the church’s decision to weigh in, proponents of the ballot measure had been hopeful in light of polling showing support outpacing opposition — as well as bipartisan backing during the signature-gathering stage.
The church claims nearly half a million members and more than 1,300 congregations in the state of 2 million people.
Tamarra Kemsley has been a reporter at The Tribune since 2021 but has been covering religion and politics since 2019. Her work has appeared in Religion News Service, the New York Post, and Religion & Politics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Brigham Young University and a master’s in Islamic studies from Hebrew University.