The LDS Church recently put out a statement concerning Euthanasia (probably due to questions related to Brittany Maynard.)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the sanctity of human life, and is therefore opposed to euthanasia. Euthanasia is defined as deliberately putting to death a person who is suffering from an incurable condition or disease. Such a deliberate act ends life immediately through, for example, frequently-termed assisted suicide. Ending a life in such a manner is a violation of the commandments of God.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not believe that allowing a person to die from natural causes by removing a patient from artificial means of life support, as in the case of a long-term illness, falls within the definition of euthanasia. When dying from such an illness or an accident becomes inevitable, it should be seen as a blessing and a purposeful part of eternal existence. Members should not feel obligated to extend mortal life by means that are unreasonable. These judgments are best made by family members after receiving wise and competent medical advice and seeking divine guidance through fasting and prayer.
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Discuss.
Wheat & Tares 
Unfortunately, like many other statements from the church, including the one attempting to define apostasy, this one raises more questions than it answers.
1. I do not believe that sanctity of human life and euthanasia are necessarily on two ends of the spectrum
2. Doctors regularly engage in treatment that kills patients out of making the end of their life more comfortable.
3. Where is that line drawn.
4. Obviously the laws they are talking about are murder
5. When was the last time anyone had action taken against them by the church for doing that
6. Is there a contradiction in the statement about not extending life unreasonably and the whole idea of not supporting euthanasia.
Although this statement became popular on Facebook around the time Brittany Maynard was in the news, it has been online since at least August if 2012. See the link below to the Internet Archive’s saved copy.
https://web.archive.org/web/20120807185721/http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/official-statement/euthanasia-and-prolonging-life
I believe the church has no business in my bedroom, in my childbirth/operating room and absolutely none in my deathbed. They can leave my funeral arrangements alone, too.
Livinginzion,
But isn’t that the role of organized religion? Mormonism is hardly the first to define the boundaries of major life events.
In earlier times, some bishops and stake presidents took it upon themselves to regulate behavior “in the bedroom.” After some years of such intrusive questions during temple recommend interviews, the Church finally learned of it and told them to stop.
In earlier times, the church (the GAs) very prominently tried to control our choices regarding how often and how much to procreate. They repeatedly preached that there were no justifications for limiting the number and timing of our children–especially by prophylactic means. How often did we hear that the COMMANDMENT was “multiply and replenish the earth?” That phrase made no sense when directed at Adam and Eve anyway.
Eventually, they became “enlightened.”
Now, they equivocate on what are appropriate methods to end irrevocable suffering–as if starvation is not assisted death!
While Gilgamesh is correct that “organized” religion (and certainly, the Mormon religion) has always attempted to play the role of controlling our choices/decisions/actions (and not just regarding “major life events”), all of them (religions) should only attempt to affect the intent of our hearts and the nature of our character and stop being so didactic and proscriptive. For examples, see the Sermon on the Mount.
Quite a bit of the LDS population WANT the brethren to give them “the” answer on everything.
I was already aware of the statement. There are a number of such statements on the newsroom site that serve as a resource for the media on a number of topics.
Laws in Britain are somewhat different, but it is a topic that is debated frequently in recent times, and there’s an “assisted dying” bill (not yet passed) working it’s way through parliament at the moment (http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2014-15/assisteddying.html) and an “assisted suicide” bill making its way through the Scottish parliament (http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/69604.aspx). Yes, Scotland has a separate legal system.