The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints calls out racism and sees abortion as evil

Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints decried abortion as evil and issued another plea for members to combat prejudice and racism during the first day of a church conference that kicked off Saturday without attendees because of the coronavirus pandemic. The faith known widely as the Mormon church has long opposed abortion, but addressed it only sparingly in recent years.

Lawmakers in Republican-governed Legislatures in the U.S. are considering an array of anti-abortion restrictions this year that they hope might reach the Supreme Court and win approval from its conservative majority, overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a nationwide right to abortion. Citing a speech by former church President Gordon B. Hinckley from a 1998 conference, church leader Neil Andersen said abortion is "evil, stark and real and repugnant" and pleaded with women to avoid considering it.