Sanctity of Life (Abortion)

Objective: To help children understand the sanctity of human life, even for a baby in the womb.

Opening Song: I Am a Child of God, Children's Songbook #2

Closing Song: Let Us All Press On, Hymn #243

Younger Children:

If possible begin by showing your children ultrasound videos/photos of when they were in the womb. Help the children understand that "this was when you were in mommy's belly." Even if they cannot understand, or "see", the baby help them see that the baby is moving and alive.
Read Horton Hears A Who! by Dr. Seuss (or watch a video of the book being read here).
After reading (or watching) discuss the following questions:

Did everyone believe Horton about there being people on the speck?
Even when others were mean to Horton, did he change his mind about if there were really people on the speck?
Do you think it was hard for Horton to be treated that way? Wasn't he brave to not change his mind?

Explain that standing up for what you believe in, and what Heavenly Father teaches, can be hard and scary. Just like Horton we understand that "A person's a person, no matter how small."

Older Children:

Ask your children if they have ever heard of an abortion? Do they know what it is? In the Oxford English Dictionary the definition of abort means to "cut off the existence of someone" or to "cause someone to disappear" (OED, 1989, s.v., abortion).
Explain that just because something is legal in a government, doesn't mean it follows the laws and commandments set by our Heavenly Father. Elder Lynn A. Mickelsen stated, "We are created in the image of God. The union of the flesh with the spirit can bring us fullness of joy. Teach your children to respect the sanctity of human life, to revere it and cherish it. Human life is the precious stepping-stone to eternal life, and we must jealously guard it from the moment of conception." (Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives, Chapter 27, p. 295).
Contemplate the following quotes and consider sharing it with your children,

"Today's abortion-rights arguments have parallels to 19th-century pro-slavery arguments. Many Southerners argued that slavery was protected by the U.S. Constitution, just as Roe v. Wade proponents argue that abortion is protected by the Constitution. Slavery advocates insisted that popular sovereignty and the right to privacy guaranteed the right to hold slaves; pro-choice supporters insist that the right to privacy guarantees the right to have an abortion. In his 1856 Kansas speech, Senator Alexander H. Stephens "defended slavery as a form of free choice" (Duffy & Halford, 1987, p. 352); now free choice is the appeal of those who defend abortion. Slave-holders said, "These slaves are my property; they're not people." Abortion advocates say, "It's my body; it's not a baby."" (Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives, Chapter 27, p. 298).
Emily Dickinson said, "To be alive - is Power" (Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives, Chapter 27, p. 295).
"Life is sacred because Jesus Christ is the ultimate source or fountain of life through His work in the Creation and through His sacrifice in the Atonement. Human life is sacred because human bodies are temples (1 Corinthians 3:16), and all flesh is in the Lord's hands (D&C 101:16)." (Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives, Chapter 27, p. 295).

Ask your children if they have any questions about abortion. Share your personal feelings on the sanctity of human life, especially one of a baby.
Appropriate and Legal Ways to Support the Sacredness of Life

1. Maintain and promote chastity and fidelity.

2. Help provide for unwed parents.

3. Become better informed.

4. Discuss the sanctity of life accurately and appropriately.

5. Recognize the consequences of abortion.

6. Strengthen our testimonies of the sanctity of life.

(Above list from Chapter 27 in Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and

Research Perspectives.)

Additional Resources:

Useful Tips for All Lessons:

I love to use the Sing-Along app on my ipad/phone. It contains all the church Hymns and Children's songs in sing-along format with words and a moving ball for the timing. There are pictures that go along with each song, or you can customize the songs with your own pictures. It's a wonderful, easy app that I LOVE! Another benefit is the ability to make a Playlist in the app. I will quickly make a Playlist of particular songs I am using for a lesson so I don’t have to waste time searching for them during the lesson. It’s great!

I also frequently use the Sacred Music App on my devices. It’s nice to have the choice of sheet music, words, or both for each song. I also use the Playlist feature to make songs easily accessible during lessons, as mentioned for the app above.

Last, but definitely not least, is the Media App. I use this when I am searching for a particular picture or video to help emphasize my lesson topic. Probably my favorite feature of this app is the ability to edit videos. So if I just want to use part of a talk given by a General Authority, then I can cut out the rest and have the succinct clip I need for my lesson. It really is the best! I also like the ability to put together “Presentations” in the “My Media” section of the app. I can save any media I want to use for a particular lesson and it’s all right there ready for me during the lesson.

Forever Family Lessons