The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has come out against Nevada's Right to Abortion Initiative, known as Question 6, directing local leaders to read a letter opposing the measure to congregations across the state. The letter went out from the church's United States Southwest Area Presidency, which oversees Nevada, and instructed local leaders to read it at weekly sacrament meetings for two consecutive weeks.
Local leaders first read the letter this past Sunday, September 20, and are set to read it again this coming Sunday, September 27, according to ABC4 Utah. The letter encouraged church members to voice their opposition to the initiative, but to do so respectfully, in keeping with the church's guidance that political discourse should demonstrate Christlike love and civility. The Southwest Area Presidency's letter to Nevada leaders was nearly identical to one sent to Idaho church leaders the previous week, where the church urged members to oppose that state's own reproductive rights ballot measure.
What Question 6 Would Actually Do
Question 6 would create a right to abortion before fetal viability and would allow a qualified health care practitioner to perform or administer an abortion until viability, or afterward when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient. Fetal viability typically occurs around the 24th week of gestation, though the exact point varies from person to person. The proposed constitutional language, found in Article 1, Section 25, would establish a fundamental right to abortion in Nevada and would prohibit the state or any political subdivision from interfering with qualifying abortions.
Abortion is already legal in Nevada up to the 24th week of pregnancy under a statute voters approved in a ballot measure passed in the 1990s, according to State Court Report. Nevada voters approved that earlier measure, sometimes referenced as Question 7, which upheld the existing 24-week abortion statute and prevented the Nevada Legislature from amending or repealing it without referring any change back to voters. That statute did not, however, ensure a constitutional right to abortion in the state — which is the gap Question 6's backers say they are trying to close.
Why the Measure Needs a Second Vote
Nevadans voted overwhelmingly in favor of Question 6 in 2024, but under Nevada's constitutional amendment process, the initiative is required to appear again in a second even-numbered election year before it can be added to the state constitution. The measure passed with 64 percent of the vote in 2024, per Truthout, and is now expected to appear on the ballot again in 2026 for that required second affirmative vote. Reproductive Freedom for All has described the original Nevada campaign as a grassroots effort powered by state partners, activists and more than 50,000 members, the outlet's report notes.
Supporters of the amendment argue that enshrining the right in the state constitution, rather than leaving it solely as a statute, would create more durable protections and give advocates a tool to challenge existing regulations, according to State Court Report. The outlet's analysis places Nevada's measure alongside similar ballot fights in Idaho, Missouri and Virginia, where some states are working to expand abortion rights while others push to tighten restrictions.
A Familiar Playbook From Idaho
The church's approach in Nevada mirrors what happened in Idaho just days earlier. Latter-day Saint leaders there opposed the state's Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act, which is set to appear on Idaho's 2026 ballot and would likewise establish a state right to abortion, according to Deseret News. That Idaho letter, read from the pulpit during worship services for two Sundays, was signed by the church's U.S. Central Area Presidency — Elders José A. Teixeira, Ricardo P. Giménez, Karl Hirst and James Fantone.
Idaho's measure, formally known as Proposition 1, would create a right to abortion before fetal viability and allow abortion after viability in a defined medical emergency involving the pregnant woman's life or health, per IdahoNews.com. That measure also touches on contraception, fertility treatment, prenatal care and postpartum care, the station reports — a broader scope than Nevada's more narrowly framed Question 6.
The Church's Stated Position on Abortion
The church has directed members to read its official stance on abortion as part of the opposition campaign. Church leadership maintains it stays neutral regarding political parties and candidates but says it does address issues it believes carry significant moral consequences, a position IdahoNews.com's report also lays out. Per Deseret News, the church's policy opposes elective abortion for personal or social convenience but identifies possible exceptions involving rape or incest, serious jeopardy to the mother's life or health, or severe fetal defects.
In joining individuals and organizations working against Nevada's initiative, the church is positioning itself as one voice among several in a debate that will ultimately be decided at the ballot box next year. Nevada voters will get the final say on whether Question 6 becomes part of the state constitution when it appears again in 2026.
