Mormons/LDS - what is your view of miscarriage?

Question

I don't mean the "church's" view because I don't know if the church really takes a stance on that...not that I have ever heard. My question is personally, why do you think a miscarriage happens? Body not perfect enough? That spirit didn't have to come to earth, just be in their body for a short time? Maybe they will be raised during the millenium? Maybe that spirit will come at a different time?

Answer 1

An excellent question. You are correct that there is not doctrine concerning miscarriages. They are indeed an individual event. Whether or not the spirit entered into that little body and left upon biological failure would be the key in my opinion. Generally miscarriages are the result of biological errors, either on the part of the mother's body, the baby's body or both. For my mother, she lost two infants that had gestational complications, were born 6-8 weeks early, and died after 1-4 hours, she was assured that she will receive those infants to be hers in the resurrection. They lived a very short mortal life and there is no question that the spirit was there and will subsequently return. For those that suffer spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) in the first trimester, you enter the debate of when does the spirit enter the new body? My physiology professor believed that the spirit didn't enter until the first breath of life after birth. I disagree with him. My wife has given birth to our six children and I know that the babies respond to external stimulus while still inside the womb. That tells me that the spirits are already there and giving the response as any living thing would. That being the case, I would propose that if the mother can feel the babies responses within her womb, then the spirit is there and if it were to subsequently miscarry, it will receive that body back in the resurrection and be counted as belonging to that family.

Answer 2

I've had more miscarriages than children (5 miscarriages, 4 children). For me, the cause is hormonal. It seems my body needs to have a "practice run" each time I get pregnant. I have always miscarried (embryo died) at about 8 weeks... sometimes taking up to the 12th week before I found out.

I THINK, that the view about miscarriage is that if a child is born dead, then no spirit is attached to the body, and the soul that may have been born into that body will come at a different time. But if the baby lives and breathe (even if only for a second) then this soul is then a member of your eternal family, and the body is theirs in the resurrection. Babies who are born alive, and who die later, will be raised in the Millennium by their parents. I'm not sure whether this is doctrine or not, but it seems to be a widely held view.

From an experience I had when I miscarried between my second and third child, I have cause to believe that certain souls are prepared to come down to our families either at the point of conception or soon after, but when things go wrong, these plans change, and that precious spirit may then be born to someone else. Judging by this personal experience of mine, I think we don't know exactly what might happen with it all, in every case.

God bless. xo

EDIT: I think it is interesting to note that even stillborns are allocated a place on the family group charts... Perhaps the eternities are ordered on a case by case basis, and we don't know whether those infants will be our eternal family or not.

Answer 3

I think that if the spirit was in that little body, it was meant to experience life in that small amount of time it had in the womb.

I also think that sometimes, the environment, stress, or some other health issues can play into the woman's inability to carry the baby to term. It's unfortunate, very sad, and I don't think it's anyone's fault. I think it's just a time for the woman to prepare, become stronger, to learn how to get in better health so that her body can be strong enough to carry a baby to term.

I do believe that married women will get to have and raise children in the millenium. I don't think she'd be raising the children she miscarried, though, in my understanding. These spirits are spirits of ministering angels, those who have chosen to be that way and still accepted Jesus Christ and God's plan and chose to live a very short mortal life in the womb. This is all my opinion - I don't know how we would doctrinally assume anything else about this topic.

I think it's quite a miracle to carry a baby to full term.

My mother had a miscarriage. When my sister was born afterwards, we had a unique spiritual experience. I'd be curious to know if my mother would raise that little baby boy she miscarried, or if he would be a grown spirit and still be sealed to us in our family, or if he has chosen to be a ministering angel forever.

Interesting questions.

Answer 4

Well, when I was very young, say around 10, I knew two twin girls. The one sister told me that her twin had been born twice. I was puzzled by that and asked her what she meant. She said that her sister, according to what their mom had told her, had been "born" twice, since the mother had miscarried the first time she was pregnant (the twin girl said it in simpler terms, that the first baby died early) but then her sister was born the second time with her twin. Whether or not that can be "proved" scientifically is open to debate, but I suppose it may have been an answer to what the mother had prayed about. Now there have been miscarriages in my family, including my aunt who miscarried twins around age 40 (but then her oldest daughter had twins a few years later, which would have been the "right" generation to have twins according to genetics, as my grandmother was a twin), and my younger sister had one early on as well. I don't know myself one way or the other if miscarriages are more of a "trial run" to see if everything is in working order, but I believe that God's economy is perfect, and even if something seems to be "lost" that all can be restored in its own time, if needed.

Answer 5

I think it could be a combination of those things and others. It could very well be that the miscarriage is allowed to happen to teach the parents something (I'm not saying it's anyones fault - just that the Lord doesn't give us something if He's sure we can't handle it). I've been told that if the baby didn't draw breath then that spirit still needs a body. I know it's not doctrine, but I can't help but think of Saturday's Warrior when a miscarriage happens. That's kind of how I see it.

Answer 6

I often wonder about it. My wife and I have had 3 miscarriages.

gw

Answer 7

no spirit associated with this fetus -- body rejecting fetus (because of fetus or womb problem)

I'm a man so I see this really clinically -- sorry

D