Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nevada are asking members to oppose a November ballot measure that would establish a constitutional right to abortion in the state.
In a letter sent to local Church leaders, the U.S. Southwest Area Presidency said the Church opposes Question 6, formally known as the Right to Abortion Initiative. The letter was signed by Elder Michael A. Dunn, Elder Joaquin E. Costa and Elder Pedro X. Larreal, General Authority Seventies serving in the area presidency. Local leaders were instructed to read the message during worship services on the final two Sundays of September, according to reporting that confirmed the letter’s authenticity.
Church leaders said their position reflects the faith’s longstanding teachings on abortion and noted that while the Church maintains political neutrality regarding parties and individual candidates, it may take positions on issues it considers to have significant moral consequences. The letter also encouraged members who speak against the initiative to do so respectfully and with civility.
The Nevada announcement follows a similar message issued by Church leaders in Idaho, where the faith has also publicly opposed an abortion-related measure appearing on the November ballot.
Question 6 would amend the Nevada Constitution to establish a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability. After viability, the state could regulate abortion, but the amendment would protect access when a health care professional determines it is medically necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient.
Nevada voters have already considered the proposal once. In November 2024, Question 6 received approximately 64.4% support, compared with 35.6% opposition. Because Nevada requires citizen-initiated constitutional amendments to be approved in two successive general elections before taking effect, voters must approve the measure again in 2026 for it to become part of the state constitution.
The measure will appear on Nevada’s Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot.
Abortion is already legal in Nevada under existing state law. A licensed physician may perform an abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, while abortions after 24 weeks are permitted when a physician has reasonable cause to believe the procedure is necessary to preserve the life or health of the pregnant person, according to the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health.
Question 6 would differ by placing abortion protections directly in Nevada’s Constitution and using fetal viability, rather than a fixed 24-week threshold, as the point after which the state could generally regulate abortion.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that elective abortion for personal or social convenience is contrary to its religious teachings. Church policy, however, recognizes possible exceptions when a pregnancy results from rape or incest, when a physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy, or when a fetus has severe defects that would prevent the baby from surviving beyond birth. The Church says those circumstances do not automatically determine whether an abortion should occur and encourages members facing such decisions to seek prayerful guidance.
The Church has also stated that its members may participate in efforts to protect life and preserve religious liberty while maintaining its institutional neutrality toward political parties and candidates.
The Nevada action comes as abortion remains the subject of several statewide ballot measures following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which ended the federal constitutional right to abortion and returned greater authority over abortion law to individual states. In addition to Nevada, abortion-related measures are appearing before voters in other states during the 2026 election cycle.
Nevada has an estimated population of about 3.28 million people. The Church reports 181,842 members in the state organized into 339 congregations and 43 stakes.
If Question 6 receives majority approval for a second time in November, the abortion-rights amendment will be added to the Nevada Constitution under the state’s two-election process for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments.
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