Guest post by Samuel Smith

As drug manufacturers rush to create a vaccine for COVID-19, one question is sure to be on the minds of many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “What is the Church’s position on vaccines?” Of course, many will point to the 1978 statement from the First Presidency wherein they stated: “We urge members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to protect their own children through immunization… Failure to act could subject untold thousands to preventable lifelong physical or mental impairment, including paralysis, blindness, deafness, heart damage and mental retardation.” Others will bring up the fact that since 2012, mass vaccination campaigns have been officially part of the Church’s humanitarian initiatives. Because of these facts, this is where the issue ends for many people. However, the questions most worthy of our consideration are these: What is God’s position on vaccines? Does He care? Is He in favor? Does He oppose? How can we know?

The answers to these questions, as I will argue, are yes, He does care and does have a position. The way that we can know is not only through “personal revelation”–for there is a chance we could be deceived by only relying upon such alone–but also through an appeal to the scriptures and prophetic teachings on the treatment of our bodies. So, let us examine some of these things.

Truth Should Be Confirmed By Scripture

First, we would do well to establish the fact that each of us is responsible for our own salvation and the path we chart. If we don’t know the doctrine found in the scriptures that lead the way to life and salvation, that is no fault of any leader–it is our own. Indeed, Church authorities have stressed time and again, that we each have the responsibility to discern truth for ourselves, by appealing to the scriptures. For example, Joseph Fielding Smith once proclaimed:

“It makes no difference what is written or what anyone has said, if what has been said is in conflict with what the Lord has revealed, we can set it aside. My words, and the teaching of any other member of the Church, high or low, if they do not square with the revelations, we need not accept them. Let us have this matter clear. We have accepted the four standard works as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man’s doctrine. You cannot accept the books written by the authorities of the Church as standards in doctrine, only in so far as they accord with the revealed word in the standard works. If Joseph Fielding Smith writes something which is out of harmony with the revelations, then every member of the Church is duty bound to reject it. If he writes that which is in perfect harmony with the revealed word of the Lord, then it should be accepted” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p. 203).

President Harold B. Lee taught this principle frequently as well. On one occasion, he affirmed:

“The scriptures are the standard by which to measure truth. All that we teach in this church ought to be couched in the scriptures. We ought to choose our texts from the scriptures, and wherever you have an illustration in the scriptures or a revelation in the Book of Mormon, use it, and do not draw from other sources where you can find it here in these books. We call these the standard Church works because they are standard. If you want to measure truth, measure it by the four standard Church works. If it is not in the standard works, you may well assume that it is speculation. It is man’s own personal opinion, to put it another way; and if it contradicts what is in the scriptures, you may know by that same token that it is not true. This is the standard by which you measure all truth. But if you do not know the standards, you have no adequate measure of truth” (Harold B. Lee, The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, 149).

With this idea in mind, who can point to the scriptural justification or rationale for vaccines? I have yet to find anything sufficiently and comprehensively convincing. On the contrary, as I will show, the justification for vaccines appears to rely more on the arm of flesh rather than on God. The scriptures repeatedly teach us to rely on God and His wisdom and not on the arm of flesh. In the Book of Mormon, Jacob proclaims:

“O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish” (2 Nephi 9:28).

In 2 Nephi 28, Nephi teaches us that “cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 28:31). In the Old Testament, Jeremiah proclaimed: “Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:5). Furthermore, again and again in scripture we are commanded to “live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; D&C 84:44; D&C 98:11).

Clearly, if we want to establish the truth of any teaching or any principle, it must be rooted in the scriptures, relying upon the Lord and His wisdom and not on the wisdom of man.

Doctrine and Covenants 42

Perhaps the strongest case against the use of vaccines comes from Doctrine and Covenants 42, wherein the Lord tells us what we should do. Lest one think this is just some obscure section in the Doctrine and Covenants, the section heading tells us that this revelation is known as the “Law of the Church.”  In this section, the Lord outlines a number of laws and principles to govern the Church. Included are a few verses that most of us typically glaze over concerning our health:

43 And whosoever among you are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food, and that not by the hand of an enemy.

44 And the elders of the church, two or more, shall be called, and shall pray for and lay their hands upon them in my name; and if they die they shall die unto me, and if they live they shall live unto me.

In these verses, the Lord explains very plainly how the Saints are to deal with sickness and poor health. He commands that 1) we call for two elders or more to give a blessing. If we do not have faith enough to be healed, the Lord commands that we then turn to 2) herbs and 3) mild food. Is this counsel too simple that, like the Israelites of old or the Syrian Naaman, we choose to disregard God’s instruction to be healed?

This is not just some obscure counsel hidden away in some random verses of the Doctrine and Covenants, either. Joseph Smith, Prophet and Seer of this dispensation, taught this counsel on multiple recorded occasions. On one such occasion he wrote:

“I preached to a large congregation at the stand, on the science and practice of medicine, desiring to persuade the Saints to trust in God when sick, and not in an arm of flesh, and live by faith and not by medicine, or poison; and when they were sick, and had called for the Elders to pray for them, and they were not healed, to use herbs and mild food” (History of the Church, volume 4, page 414).

Here, Joseph reiterates the point above–that is, to rely on the Lord and not on the arm of flesh, especially when sick. Similarly, it is reported that Joseph taught that “the ​Lord​ had decided that the Doctors should not​ heal people; that medicine would have no effect” (“Revelation Book 2,” p. 1, The Joseph Smith Papers).  For a more comprehensive understanding of these teachings, let us now dig into what the Prophet and the Doctrine and Covenants have said.

Faith and Priesthood Blessings

Followers of Jesus Christ ought to be well acquainted with the power of the Savior to heal. He delegated this power to His disciples and restored it to Joseph Smith through the same. Throughout his life, the Savior went about healing all kinds of diseases (Mark 1:34). One pertinent example is when the woman with an issue of blood reaches out to Jesus amidst a crowd and touches His garment and is immediately healed. What makes this story so interesting is that Luke tells us that she “spent all her living upon physicians,” but that none of them could heal her (Luke 8:43-48). It was her faith in the power of Jesus Christ that made her whole.

Even as Jesus went about working great miracles and healing every one who had faith to be healed, He taught His disciples that they could do even greater works than He did if they would only believe (John 14:12). Indeed, He gave His disciples the power to heal “all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” (Matthew 10:1, emphasis added). Were we to have enough faith, we could command the elements even as Jesus and rebuke sickness and disease before needing any other kind of intervention. Indeed, there is no issue that is beyond the healing power of the Savior through the priesthood. Can you imagine if one holding the priesthood performed an act of healing and then said to the formerly afflicted, “Now you had best watch out for thrush, nausea, infection, fever, etc.”? Such a statement would mock the priesthood power. Yet, the all powerful vaccines promise health but still comes with a long list of warnings and side effects. For one simple example, the vaccine insert for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella produced by Merck, ProQuad, lists side effects such as pain, swelling, bruising, fever, irritability, “Measles-like-rash,” “Varicella-like-rash,” diarrhea, upper respiratory infection, meningitis, measles, bronchitis, pneumonia, and seizures, just to name a few. The manufacturer, of course, states that “some cases described in the literature or reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to [vaccine] exposure.” Thankfully, we can avoid the issue entirely when we rely upon the Lord for health!

The book of James in the New Testament likewise assures us of the power of Christ and the priesthood to heal the sick:

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him (James 5:14-15).

Again, the prayer of faith and the laying on of hands should be our first action should we fall prey to sickness. The Church-owned Deseret News was once of the belief that faith has the power to heal as well. In reference to smallpox (for which there was then a vaccine), Editor-in-Chief and future Apostle Charles W. Penrose, beginning with a quote for a competing paper, wrote:

“‘Do we understand our esteemed evening contemporary, the Deseret News, to say that smallpox may be cured by the laying on of hands and that it would recommend this treatment?’–S.L. Herald

The remarks of the Deseret News on this subject are plain enough for most people to understand, but for the benefit of our contemporary we will explain further. The position of the Deseret News on the question of the healing power is, that all kinds of ailments and diseases may be cured by faith, and that the laying on of hands is the method of administering to the sick instituted by divine command. Of course, this includes smallpox among the disorders that may be cured in that way. There are numerous instances of healing that disease by this divine means. There are many elders in this city, the writer of this article among the number, who have laid hands upon persons afflicted with… smallpox, and the patients have recovered while the elders administering have escaped the contagion.

It does not matter whether this statement is believed or not. The question is whether smallpox “may be cured by the laying on of hands.” The answer is yes if there is sufficient faith in the afflicted person to be healed, or in the persons who lay on hands to rebuke the disease…

The Church which Jesus Christ has restored and organized in these latter days teaches the same doctrine. There are thousands upon thousands of witnesses to its truth. Many of them are living in these valleys today, and are ready to testify that they were healed, not by drugs or medical expedience, but by the power of God through faith and the laying on of hands” (Charles, W. Penrose, “Faith As A Curative,” Deseret Evening News, January 6, 1900, p. 7, emphasis added).

This point made by Penrose makes sense when we consider that in 1878 during a smallpox epidemic, Elder Llewellyn Harris visited a village of Zuni Indians in New Mexico to administer blessings. His health blessings, it was claimed, had cured some four hundred Native Americans then suffering from smallpox (Juvenile Instructor, vol 14, 1879, pp. 160-1).

As a side note, the Deseret News under Charles W. Penrose once specifically called out vaccines as “vile and ridiculous when forced upon the public.” The paper pointed out that the practice of inoculation against smallpox “spread the disease it was designed to check” (Deseret Evening News. January 12, 1900, p. 4). Similarly, when faced with fines by the government in England for not vaccinating his children, Apostle Brigham Young Jr. reportedly told the magistrate threatening him that he could fine him as much as he liked, but he “could not vaccinate his children” (“Talk on Vaccination,” Salt Lake Tribune, February 11, 1901).

Now getting back to the point about healing, as Joseph, Doctrine and Covenants 42, and the Deseret News have emphasized, this kind of healing is predicated upon faith. Thankfully, the Lord has provided a way for us to be healed, even when we do NOT have sufficient faith.

Herbs

The Lord commands that if we do not have enough faith that we should next turn to herbs for relief. But just what are herbs? The Book of Mormon teaches us that God has prepared many “plants and roots” (herbs) to “remove the cause of diseases” (Alma 46:40, emphasis added). Here we learn that God did not just leave His children to suffer from sickness and die for thousands of years until vaccines were invented, but that He prepared specific plants to remove the very cause of disease. Not just the symptoms but the cause. A footnote in this verse takes us to Ezekiel 47:12 which tells us that we are to use “the leaf (herb) thereof for medicine.” What members commonly refer to as the Lord’s law of health, the Word of Wisdom, instructs us that “all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man” (D&C 89:10)–that is, they are to strengthen and maintain our bodies. In fact, the Bible makes mention of many herbs which have been used as medicine for thousands of years.

The Prophet Joseph, once again, led by example in the use of herbs. In his journal, he recorded that when he was once seized upon by a violent sickness, “my wife waited on me assisted by my Scribe Dr. Willard Richards and his brother Levi, who administered to me herbs and mild drinks . . . by evening was considerably revived.” (“History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844],” p. 1804, The Joseph Smith Papers.) In fact, Joseph once remarked that Levi Richards (a Thomsonian herbal doctor) was the best doctor that he had ever met. Remember, Joseph had met many doctors in his life–many of the top doctors in the nation had even operated on his leg as a child.

On another occasion, Joseph recorded in his journal:

“To day Samuel [Brannan] came to my house, much afflicted with a swelling on his left arm, which was occasioned by a bruise on his elbow, we had been called to pray for him and anoint him with oil, but his faith was not sufficient to effect, a cure, and my wife prepared a poultice of herbs and [applied] to it and he [tarried] with me over night” (“Journal, 1835–1836,” p. 66-7, The Joseph Smith Papers, emphasis added).

In this instance, Joseph records that Mr. Brannan did not have enough faith to be healed, so the next step was to use herbs. In yet another example of these teachings, Joseph recorded the following:

“Wednesday the 14th I had continued to grow worse until my sufferings were [excruciating]… I found it expedient to call to my assistance those means which a kind Providence had provided for the restoration of the sick in connection with the ordinances, and [Doctor] Levi Richards, at my request, administered to me herbs and mild food, and nursed me with all tenderness and attention,— and my heavenly Father blessed his administration to the ease and comforting of my system, for I began to amend in a short time, and in a few days I was able to resume my usual labors. This is one of the many” (“History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838],” p. 762, The Joseph Smith Papers, emphasis added).

It is interesting to note that in this last example Joseph said that the “restoration of the sick” is connected to the ordinances. Indeed, the Word of Wisdom promises health in the navel and marrow to the bones. There is only one other place where those exact phrases are used, and it’s in conjunction with ordinances. This experience, as Joseph points out, was one of many–meaning the use of herbs was used quite frequently with great success in the early days of the Church. If we believe that Joseph was a prophet and that the Lord told him that we can become well by using herbs, shouldn’t we follow the counsel? Brigham Young believed we should, which may be one of the reasons why he said: “I am happy to say I have never been under the necessity of calling a doctor to my family for forty years… When we first came here we had no sickness, and we had no sickness until we had doctors” (Journal of Discourses, volume 13, page 132).

Mild Food

What is mild food? According to the most popular dictionary around during Joseph’s life, the American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster in 1828, “mild” food would be defined as “Not sharp, tart, sour or bitter; moderately sweet or pleasant to the taste; as mild fruit.” Interestingly enough, the Word of Wisdom again advises us in this area as well. We are counseled to eat herbs (plants in general) and “fruit in the season thereof” (D&C 89:11). What other food could be considered milder than fruit ripened during the season in which God appointed it to become ripe. It should come as no surprise that Adam and Eve were commanded to exclusively eat fruit (Moses 2:29). How long did Adam live on such a diet? Did Adam and his posterity need a vaccine for the germs they surely encountered throughout their lengthy lives? How could a wise Creator overlook something so important for thousands of years until “inspiring” a man to “discover” germs? Of course, these questions are rhetorical. The benevolent Father through His Son Jesus Christ provided everything necessary for His children to be healthy and live long, prosperous lives.

Returning to the Word of Wisdom, the Lord promises that those who do as He instructs will have “health in their navel and marrow to their bones” and that “the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them” (D&C 89:18, 21). The Lord says that if we follow the Word of Wisdom, we will have health and strength. If we don’t, maybe we need to study the Word of Wisdom a little more to see if we’re following it correctly. The Lord is bound when we do what He says. He does not make promises He does not intend to keep.

Elder Abraham O. Woodruff once stated the importance of the Word of Wisdom in conjunction with our faith succinctly when he said:

“If the Word of Wisdom were more strictly observed among the people, there would be less need for calling in a doctor for every trivial affair than there is today. We are willing to trust in God for the minor matters, but when something confronts us, which appears to be impossible with us, then we will call in human aid, and thereby we show our lack of faith. It is true that all the assistance and all the skill that we can produce is necessary, perhaps, at times to remove the obstacles which lie in the ways of nature, and I believe that it is the will of God that we should do all we can for ourselves, and then he will add his blessing” (Abraham O. Woodruff, Conference Reports, 1897, pp. 56-58).

Indeed, when combined with faith and herbs, mild food will certainly do much good at keeping away death and disease, especially “vaccine-preventable” diseases. An interesting account from George Q. Cannon confirms the importance of the Word of Wisdom and this assertion:

“It has been said—and I think all who have had any experience know that it is true—that in families where the Word of Wisdom is obeyed there is greater faith in administering the ordinances of the house of God unto those who are sick. We have a Bishop in Salt Lake City who, I believe, took an account of the number of those who were sick in his Ward, and he brought a statement to the President’s office to the effect that in the families where the Word of Wisdom was strictly observed fewer deaths had occurred than in families where the Word of Wisdom was not observed. Diphtheria or some other disease was raging at that time in the city, and in his ward in particular, and his mind was turned to this matter, and after making inquiries he satisfied himself that there were more cases of healing and restorations to health through the administrations of the Elders by the laying on of hands in families where the Word of Wisdom was observed than in families where it was neglected, and that deaths were more frequent in the latter. [President Taylor: There were none died in the families where the Word of Wisdom was observed.] President Taylor says there were none died in the families where the Word of Wisdom was observed. Is it not natural that this should be the case?” (George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, volume 24, p. 146).

According to George Q. Cannon and John Taylor, yes, the Lord can protect you from a “vaccine-preventable” disease such as diphtheria by following His commands around health–ie the Word of Wisdom. From this particular account, it would seem that the laying on of hands is more efficacious when the Word of Wisdom is observed than when it is not.

But what about the Lord’s timing? What if it is God’s will that we suffer through a disease or affliction? This could very well be the case, but to these questions I would answer: where is this idea found in scripture? The book of Job, perhaps? Regardless, there seems to be something else from Doctrine and Covenants 42 that most of us have missed: “And again, it shall come to pass that he that hath faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed” (v. 48). The Lord clearly states that those who have faith to be healed shall be healed unless it is their time to die. There is no clause that states healing will only happen according to His will or timing–it says shall. The only conditional clause refers to an appointed time of death.

If only we as a Church knew and understood these scriptures, we could have assurance that our shelter and safety even for health problems throughout our mortal probation is in the Lord, not the arm of flesh.

The Sanctity of Human Life

The first commandment given to Adam and Eve was to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28). This command was repeated to Noah (Genesis 9:1), and repeated in our day, this time adding, “for herein is the work of my Father” (Doctrine and Covenants 132:63). This sentiment was again reiterated recently when the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency declared, “God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World, The First Presidency).

The creation of mortal tabernacles for God’s children and the rearing of those children is paramount to God’s divine plan. Our bodies are one of the most sacred gifts our Father has given to us. The Lord has declared that “man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple” (D&C 93:35). How could we defile our temples (bodies)? Do we defile our temples only on the outside by tattoos and piercings? Or do we defile our temples also by what we put into them such as vulgar media and man made toxins that alter the chemistry of them?

The scriptures tell us that human blood is to be kept pure. Genesis 9:4 instructs us not to eat animal blood. Leviticus 17:14 reiterates the same point, but in much stronger language (see also Deuteronomy 12:23). In the New Testament, the book of Acts counsels us to abstain from blood and things “strangled” (Acts 15:20,29). vaccines, to the surprise of many, contain animal blood and DNA. Disguised under names such as “bovine calf serum,” “chicken protein,” “Madin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK),” and “Monkey Kidney cell.”  In 2012, Merck recalled over a million doses of their Hib vaccine and Hib/Hepatitis B combination vaccine because of Bacillus Cereus contamination, a virus found only in cows.

Perhaps the most insidious aspect of vaccines is their connection to modern child sacrifice. Indeed, many vaccines are developed from aborted fetal tissues. The common argument whenever one brings up this reality is that “the vaccines were created from a couple of cultures in the 1960s. They don’t use them anymore.” For the sake of argument, let’s assume that this were true. I have heard many good members use the line from 1 Nephi 4:13 that “it is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.” Such a statement is, quite frankly, an abomination before the Lord. In that verse, which has been egregiously used, the Lord is referring to a wicked man [Laban] who was impeding His work. The Savior taught very clearly what should happen to anyone who harms a child: ”it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea” (Mark 9:42). The Lord does not treat kindly those who offend the pure and innocent. To suggest that God would approve of an abortion or the taking of one of his son’s or daughter’s body parts from such to create a vaccine to “save lives” is blasphemous and ignorant of the character of God. There is no utilitarianism to be found in the scriptures, and over and over, God condemns child sacrifice (see Exodus 20:13, Leviticus 18:21, Leviticus 20:2-5, Deuteronomy 5:17, Deuteronomy 12:30-32, Deuteronomy 18:10, 2 Kings 16:3 for a few references). Indeed, the Lord has declared: “Thou shalt not kill,” but in our day, He has also added “nor do anything like unto it” (D&C 59:6). A good tree does not bring forth evil fruit. If vaccines were good, they would not rely upon the willful disposal of the unborn.

The stark reality that most choose not to come to grips with is that more than twenty-three current vaccines contain cells, cellular debris, protein, and DNA from aborted babies, including vaccines for Adenovirus, Polio, Dtap/Polio/Hib Combo, Hep A, Hep A/Hep B Combo, MMR, MMRV Pro Quad, Rabies, Varicella, and Shingles. Despite what you may have heard, aborted baby parts are listed in the package inserts and ingredients in these vaccines. For instance, the Varivax insert says, “This product also contains residual components of MRC-5 cells including DNA and protein.” What these senseless companies list as ingredients are in reality precious children of God, these were real and living babies and each one of them has a story.

• PER C6 came from a healthy 18 week-old baby who was aborted because “the mother wanted to get rid of the fetus”.
• HEK293 was derived from the kidneys of a healthy aborted fetus and is currently in use for development of new influenza vaccines
• Walvax-2 came from the lung tissue of a beautiful 3-month-old fetus and at least 9 other babies were used in the process.
• IMR-90 originated from a 16-week-old female aborted baby and is available for purchase.
• IMR-91 came from a 12-week-old male aborted baby.
• WI-38 (RA 273) was a 16-week-old female baby (measuring 20 cm long) who was aborted in Sweden because the parents felt they had too many children.
• WI-1 through WI-25 were derived from the lung, skin, muscle, kidney, heart, thyroid, thymus, and liver of 21 separate elective (and some speculate illegal) abortions.
• Lambda.hE1 was a second trimester aborted fetus that is still used in many pharmaceuticals today.
• WI-44 was derived from the lung of a 3-month-old female in Sweden.
• MCR-5 was developed from the lung tissue of a 14-week-old male baby in Britain that is used in Polio, chickenpox, Hepatitis A and shingles vaccines.
•  WI-1 through WI-26 and WI-38 required over 99 elective recorded abortions (and likely more) in the production of the rubella vaccine.

These examples alone confirm over 130 aborted fetuses used in development and production. But the overall number is much higher. In fact, “Godfather” of modern vaccines, Dr Stanley Plotkin admitted to using over 76 aborted fetuses on his own. Furthermore, researchers say that more and more aborted fetuses are needed each year for research and that these aborted babies are “absolutely critical.”  So it is not just one man, woman, or child that has perished for the sake of “health”, it is the continual sacrifice of children for profit.

Abortion is the pernicious evil of vaccines from which many of us willfully (or ignorantly) shield our eyes. President Russell M. Nelson once taught:

“What sense of inconsistency can allow people to grieve for their dead, yet be calloused to this baleful war [of abortion] being waged on life at the time of its silent development? What logic would encourage efforts to preserve the life of a critically ill twelve-week-old infant, but countenance the termination of another life twelve weeks after inception?” (Russell M. Nelson, “Reverence for Life,” General Conference, April 1985).

What’s more is that it’s not just the bodies of these fetuses that have been used for vaccine testing and production that are in jeopardy. No, vaccines are far more sinister. They affect the lives of millions of unborn in the form of sterilization. A simple search of the medical studies index “PubMed” reveals 62 peer-reviewed studies on the relationship of vaccines and sterilization. In one of these disturbing studies we find that the researchers “initiated studies relating to possible mechanisms of action and potential side effects of this vaccine, which should be relevant to world-wide regulation of population growth.”

The advent of the use of vaccines for sterilization originated with the World Health Organization (WHO). The Lancet reports:

“Since 1974, the Task Force on Birth Control [vaccines]s] of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction has promoted the development of a contraceptive [vaccine] directed against the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). There are several possible mechanisms by which such a [vaccine] might exert antifertility effects…

“Whatever the mode of action of such a [vaccine], data in the marmoset and the baboon established the principle that immunity to hCG is capable of blocking fertility at an early stage of pregnancy with no discernible alterations in the menstrual cycles. This method, therefore, could be a highly acceptable birth control strategy in both developed and developing countries.”

While it is clear that a chief objective of the WHO task force on birth control vaccines for decades has been to reduce fertility rates, this surely can’t be included in any of the vaccines in our current schedule, can it? Think again. According to an unprecedented 2018 study, the HPV vaccine reduces fertility by almost 50%. According to the researchers, if they had given the HPV vaccine to all women in the study (as opposed to the half they used as a placebo group) an estimated 2 million children would have never been conceived. One can only imagine the vast number of children worldwide, never to be born as a product of the HPV vaccine.

This isn’t an isolated scenario. In 2014, the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association released a chilling statement suggesting that they had, “found an antigen that causes miscarriages in a [vaccine] being administered to 2.3 million girls and women by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.” Priests throughout Kenya immediately began advising congregations to refuse the vaccine.

The same antigen, called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), developed by the WHO task force on birth control vaccines has been found in numerous tetanus shots around the world. In cases like Thailand, spontaneous abortion (or miscarriage) was reported within 24 hours of receiving the shot. One report suggests that “The World Health Organization only targeted women between the ages of 15 and 45 — the child bearing years — for repeated tetanus vaccinations.” When just the studies mentioned here are taken into account, it is clear that millions upon millions of lives have been lost or prevented in the name of “health and safety.”

These disturbing findings run in direct opposition to the Church’s teachings found in the scriptures and echoed by modern prophets and apostles. We have already discussed God’s command to multiply and replenish the earth throughout the ages. Modern prophets have also taught this doctrine over and over. Brigham Young once stated:

“This law is pure and holy, and every act of our lives should be to promote that and not destroy it. We should preserve the life that is within us and permit it to multiply. If any other course is pursued in the midst of this people, the curse of God will come upon those who do it” (The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young 3:1916).

President Harold B. Lee affirmed:

“[I]t is a grievous sin before God to adopt restrictive measures in disobedience to God’s divine command from the beginning of time to ‘multiply and replenish the earth.’ Surely those who project such measures to prevent life or to destroy life before or after birth will reap the whirlwind of God’s retribution, for God will not be mocked” (Conference Report, October 1972, p. 63).

President Spencer W. Kimball once taught: “The Church cannot approve nor condone the measures which so greatly limit the family” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, pg. 328).

Perhaps the most stinging rebuke of this perhaps covert effort to limit the human family comes from President Ezra Taft Benson who declared:

“True to form, many of the people who desire to frustrate God’s purposes of giving mortal tabernacles to His spirit children through worldwide birth control are the very same people who support the kinds of government that perpetuate famine. They advocate an evil to cure the results of the wickedness they support” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 539).

vaccines make a mock of the sanctity of life in not just one way but many. It is truly sad that many good people of our day will ignore even the small fraction of evidence presented thus far and bury their heads in the sand. Is it any wonder though, considering that we have been warned in the Book of Mormon that there would be “secret combinations” to get “power and gain” among us; the Lord Himself commanding us to “awake to a sense of your awful situation” (Ether 8:22-24). Such thoughts are surely frightening. My position is never to shame or belittle someone who will deny these things, because I do not want someone to do the same to me. The only thing that we can do is proclaim truth and “waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness” (D&C 123:13).

Individual Responsibility

It’s unfortunate that if you oppose vaccines in today’s world, you are ignorantly and pejoratively smeared as a “monster,” “science-denier,” and a “child-killer.” None of these insults, however, could be further from the truth. In denying a vaccine, many believe that there comes a greater acceptance of responsibility for health. And this is how it should be. If we alone are responsible for our salvation, why would our health be any different? The prophet Joseph Smith was well acquainted with responsibility for health, which he believed he had learned the hard way. In his journal, Joseph wrote:

“I had been called to thousands of cases in sickness, and I have never failed of administering comfort where the patient has thrown himself unreservedly on me; and the reason is, that I never prescribed any thing that would injure the patient, if it did him no good. I have lost a Father, Brother and child, because in my anxiety I depended more on the judgment of other men than my own; while I have raised up others, who were lower than they were… [P]eople will seldom die of disease, provided we know it seasonably, and treat it mildly, patiently and perseveringly and do not use harsh means. It is like the Irishman’s digging down the Mountain, he does not put his shoulder to it, to push it over, but puts it in his wheelbarrow and carries it away day after day, and perseveres in it, until the whole mountain is removed; so we should persevere in the use of simple remedies (and not push against the constitution of the patient) day after day and the disease will be removed and the patient saved” (“History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843],” p. 1537, The Joseph Smith Papers).

For those who may not know, Joseph believed that he lost his father, his brother Alvin, and a child at the hands of doctors through poison (or medicine). And yet in his journal, he wrote that he raised up people who were worse off than those three were through simple administrations and remedies. Indeed, Joseph learned from these experiences and many others to trust in the Lord and not the wisdom of man.

None of what has been written here should be used as an excuse to forego vaccines and do nothing. On the contrary, we must take charge of our own health, seeking out the best available knowledge that aligns with what the scriptures teach. The Lord has said: “let every man stand or fall, by himself, and not for another; or not trusting another.”(JST Mark 9:44) When it comes to our bodies, who do we think knows better about how it feels and what it needs–a doctor, or ourselves? Or yet, what about the Lord? Indeed, we should counsel with the Lord and seek knowledge to find the Godly alternative to vaccination.

It also bears repeating that each man and woman should have a choice about vaccinating themselves and their children. Our bodies are a gift from God. It is our responsibility to take care of our own–and no one else’s. To force any kind of procedure upon someone against his will is satanic in nature. It was Satan, who, in the pre-existence rebelled against God and “sought to destroy the agency of man” (Moses 4:3). Agency–not only the right of conscience but to make choices for one self–as taught in the Book of Mormon is paramount to our progression and salvation. In stark contrast to Satan’s way of force is the Savior’s way of love. The second great commandment as Jesus taught is to “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:39). It would be a strange way to love someone in this way–to force a medical procedure upon another that he did not want, especially when the procedure would violate his conscience and religious beliefs. No, God does not work by force, only by “persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge…” (D&C 121:41-42). To suggest that God would approve of a medical procedure by threat of force or under penalty of law is to have imagined a god up unto yourself. God respects our agency and our freedom. As President David O. McKay taught:

“This principle of free agency and the right of each individual to be free not only to think but to act within bounds that grant to every one else the same privilege, are sometimes violated even by churches that claim to teach the doctrine of Jesus Christ. The attitude of any organization toward this principle of freedom is a pretty good index to its nearness to the teachings of Christ or to those of the Evil One” (Conference Report, April 1950, p. 36).

Conclusion

Near the end of His mortal life, Christ admonished His disciples that in the last days, “there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Joseph Smith Matthew 1:22). In many instances, modern medical science has shown many signs and wonders of its power. Have we been deceived by these things? Remember, there are only two powers–the power of Christ and the power of the devil. If we are healed by some other way than by what the Lord has revealed, is it of God? The way that the Lord has revealed is through our own faith and the laying on of hands. If we do not have enough faith to be healed, the Lord has counseled us to use herbs and mild food. The Lord has even promised in the Word of Wisdom that we shall have health and strength by abiding its principles. But, just as with everything the Lord asks of us, we must trust in Him and what He says.

The question ultimately comes down to what we believe and in whom we trust. God gives to us according to our desires. So whether your faith is rooted in vaccines and doctors or in the Lord, “according to your faith be it unto you” (Matthew 9:29). There may be some who do not have faith to follow these things, and that is fine. Each man and woman will one day stand accountable before the Lord for his or her own actions.   For me and my house, we trust the Lord and His promises. We have seen the blessings unfold as we have strived to follow His ways. The question is now: what will you do?