Many people wonder if members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called Mormons, can receive blood transfusions or other blood products. This is an important question, as blood transfusions and blood products can be life-saving medical treatments. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the Mormon church’s stance on blood transfusions and blood products.
The Mormon Church’s Stance on Blood Transfusions
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has no official doctrine prohibiting blood transfusions or the use of blood products. In fact, the church has no official position on whether members can accept transfusions or blood products.
However, some Mormons choose to avoid transfusions and blood products based on their personal interpretations of church teachings and scriptures. This is an individual choice, not a requirement of the faith.
In the past, the Mormon church was generally opposed to blood transfusions. This opposition began in the late 1800s and continued through much of the 20th century. During this time, church leaders cautioned members against accepting transfusions because they believed:
- Blood was sacred and represented life.
- The donor’s personality or spirit could be transferred through the blood.
- Receiving a transfusion showed lack of faith in God’s healing powers.
However, in the 1970s and 80s, the church’s stance began to shift. Church leaders acknowledged that transfusions could be life-saving and should be a personal decision.
Today, the church takes no official position on whether members can accept transfusions or blood products. This is considered a private choice based on a person’s own conscience and medical needs.
Why Some Mormons Still Avoid Blood
While the Mormon church leaves the decision up to individuals, some faithful Mormons still choose to avoid transfusions and blood products. There are a few reasons for this:
- Scriptural interpretation – Some Mormons feel passages in scripture prohibit blood consumption. For example, in the Bible, God commands Noah and his descendants not to consume blood (Genesis 9:4). Some members interpret this as a commandment to avoid blood transfusions as well.
- Church teachings – Although not doctrinal, past statements from church leaders advising against blood still influence some members’ thinking.
- Personal revelation – Mormons believe God communicates His will through personal revelation. Some members feel God has personally revealed they should not receive transfusions or blood products.
- Health choice – Some Mormons avoid transfusions and blood products as a personal health choice, similar to vegetarians who avoid meat.
Ultimately, the choice comes down to an individual’s personal beliefs, health needs, and spiritual prompting.
Acceptable Alternatives for Mormons Who Avoid Blood
Mormons who choose to avoid transfusions and blood products do have some medically acceptable alternatives. These include:
- Blood salvage – The patient’s own blood is collected during surgery, filtered, and returned to their body.
- Normovolemic hemodilution – Blood is removed from the patient before surgery, replaced with fluids, and later reinfused.
- Erythropoietin drugs – Medications that stimulate the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.
- Blood substitutes – Experimental intravenous fluids that carry oxygen like blood.
- Bloodless surgery – Surgical techniques to limit blood loss.
- Plasma and platelet transfusions – Some Mormons avoid only whole blood transfusions, accepting plasma and platelet components.
When medically appropriate, many Mormon patients work with doctors to use these alternatives and minimize the need for blood transfusions.
Can Mormons Accept Any Blood Products?
For Mormons who avoid transfusions, exactly which blood products are acceptable is a matter of personal choice and interpretation. Some common guidelines Mormons follow include:
- Accepting plasma and platelet transfusions but not whole blood.
- Accepting blood derivatives like albumin, immunoglobulins, and clotting factors.
- Accepting cell and tissue products like bone marrow and stem cells.
- Accepting organ transplants but not the blood used to preserve organs.
- Accepting their own blood recycled during surgery but not donor blood.
However, there is a wide spectrum of what products individual Mormons accept based on their personal beliefs. Some accept only certain components, while others avoid any substance originating from blood.
What Do Mormon Leaders Officially Say About Blood Today?
Current Mormon church leaders emphasize that the decision to accept or refuse blood transfusions and products is an individual one.
For example, church president Gordon B. Hinckley made the following statement in a 1997 conference talk:
The only official interpretation of doctrines and practices of the Church is made by the First Presidency. The matter of blood transfusions has not been determined by the First Presidency. Some Church members have differing views based on their own interpretations and decisions. But, the point of view of the Church is that this is a technical question that has not come before the First Presidencies for decision.
Other modern church leaders, like apostles Russell M. Nelson and Dallin H. Oaks, have made similar statements affirming the personal nature of the decision about transfusions and blood products.
The church’s Handbook of Instructions simply states: “Decisions about health care, including decisions about blood transfusions, are made by the individual and the individual’s physicians.”
So in essence, current Mormon leaders view this issue as a private matter of conscience and health, not official church doctrine.
Conclusion
In summary:
- The Mormon church has no official doctrine prohibiting blood transfusions or blood products.
- Some Mormons personally choose to avoid transfusions and blood products based on scripture, past church teachings, personal revelation, and health choices.
- Acceptable alternatives exist for Mormons who wish to avoid transfusions.
- Which blood products can be accepted varies based on individuals’ interpretations.
- Modern church leaders emphasize this decision is a private, personal matter, not an official church position.
So although transfusions and blood products are often avoided by some Mormons, the church takes no official stance on the issue. Mormons are encouraged to make prayerful, wise health decisions guided by faith, medical counsel, and personal conscience.
Mormon Beliefs About Blood
To better understand why some Mormons choose to avoid transfusions and blood products, it helps to look at some core Mormon beliefs about blood:
Blood Represents Life
Mormons believe blood symbolizes life itself. This belief comes from verses like:
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” (Leviticus 17:11)
Because of this, some Mormons feel blood should not be casually shared or given to others. It represents the essence of life.
Blood is Sacred
Connected to the idea of blood representing life, Mormons also view blood as a sacred substance. Because blood comes from God and gives life, it is treated with great reverence.
Consuming blood is seen as profane by some faithful Mormons. This belief comes from scriptural commands like:
“Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.” (Genesis 9:4)
Blood Can Bond Spirits
An older Mormon belief is that blood transfusions can “bind” the spirits or personalities of donor and recipient. This idea has faded over time but still influences some members’ thinking.
In the past, church leaders like Joseph F. Smith taught that blood was “etymologically the same” as mortal spirit. So sharing blood was thought to share personal qualities or spirit.
Avoiding Blood Shows Faith
Some Mormons see refusing blood products as an opportunity to demonstrate faith in God’s healing power. They believe God may choose to miraculously heal them without transfusions.
However, modern church leaders do not require this demonstration of faith and leave the decision to individual members.
Key Scriptures About Blood Mormons Reference
There are several Bible verses that Mormons reference when deciding whether to accept blood products:
Genesis 9:4
“But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.”
This verse from Genesis is one of the strongest prohibitions against consuming blood found in Mormon scripture. Mormons interpret this variously as applying to transfusions.
Leviticus 17:10-14
“And whatsoever man there be…Who so eateth any manner of blood, I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood.”
This forceful prohibition in Leviticus deepened the Mormon taboo around consuming blood for many years.
Acts 15:28-29
“For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication.”
Some Mormons saw this New Testament guidance as confirming the ongoing prohibition against consuming blood.
However, there are also verses like Mark 7:18-19 where Jesus declares all foods clean, so biblical support is complex.
History of Blood Doctrine in the Mormon Church
To fully understand the Mormon stance on blood transfusions, it’s helpful to look at how teachings and practices have evolved over time:
Late 1800s
- Scriptural prohibitions against consuming blood concerned some Mormon leaders.
- Leaders like John Taylor privately cautioned against transfusions.
Early 1900s
- Concerns grew about personality transfer through blood.
- Joseph F. Smith publicly warned against blood transfusions in 1909.
- Some leaders opposed smallpox vaccinations due to minute blood content.
1940s-1950s
- Acceptance grew that transfusions could be life-saving.
- But leaders still discouraged “unnecessary” transfusions.
- Blood banks established at some Mormon hospitals.
1960s-1970s
- Church slightly softened stance in early 1960s.
- But most leaders and members remained wary of transfusions.
- By the 1970s, opposition from leaders practically disappeared.
1980s-Today
- Church emphasizes transfusions are a personal decision.
- Most members accept transfusions if medically needed.
- But transfusions still avoided by some very faithful members.
So while avoidance of blood transfusions and products was once common in the church, today it is a personal choice that does not preclude faithful membership.
Famous Cases Involving Mormons Refusing Blood
There have been a few publicized cases of faithful Mormons refusing blood transfusions, including:
Sheri Dew
In 1998, prominent Mormon leader and author Sheri Dew was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. During aggressive treatment, she refused blood transfusions. She stated God could heal her through prayer and skilled doctors using bloodless techniques.
Tory and Stephanie Christensen
In 2009, this Mormon couple declined a transfusion recommended to save their premature baby in the NICU. They agreed to less invasive treatments. Their baby survived without transfusion but was taken into state custody temporarily.
Jeremy Tate
In 2018, a judge ordered a liver transplant to save this Mormon boy’s life despite his parents’ wishes to avoid a blood transfusion. Jeremy had a rare genetic disorder. The court ruled his parents were neglecting proper medical treatment.
These cases illustrate that refusing blood remains a choice for some devout Mormons, but courts may intervene if a life is endangered, especially a child’s.
Modern Examples of Mormon Blood Doctrine in Practice
While most Mormons now accept transfusions, there are still those who decline blood products in certain situations:
- Some faithful LDS members ask doctors to use bloodless surgery techniques and minimize transfusions during operations.
- Pregnant Mormon women may request bloodless deliveries to avoid fetal blood sampling and potential fetal-maternal transfusions.
- Mormon Jehovah’s Witnesses adamantly refuse transfusions believing this is God’s will.
- Some Mormons are fine accepting their own recycled blood but refuse donor blood or products.
However, more conservative LDS members represent a small minority today. Most Mormons do not object to life-saving blood use.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while teachings against blood transfusions and use of blood products were once common in the Mormon church, today this personal decision is left up to each member’s own conscience and health needs.
No official church doctrine exists about accepting or refusing transfusions. Mormons make prayerful decisions after seeking spiritual guidance and medical counsel.
Some more conservative members may still decline transfusions based on cautious interpretation of doctrine. But most Mormons are willing to receive blood products if their doctor and faith advise it would save their life.