Why LDS Families Stopped Adopting (And How We're Fixing It)

When LDS Family Services stopped providing adoption services in 2014, something unexpected happened - the number of Latter-day Saint adoptions plummeted by two-thirds. In this inaugural episode, Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam tackle the three main barriers preventing LDS families from adopting: not knowing how to start, financial concerns, and fears about loving a non-biological child. Donna shares her decades of experience helping over 2,000 families through adoption, while Nathan reveals how they're using AI technology to revolutionize the matching process. You'll hear the heartbreaking story of an 80-year-old church member searching for her biological family and discover why birth mothers specifically seek out LDS families. This episode launches a mission to reconnect faithful families with children who need them, creating eternal bonds that extend far beyond this life. If you've ever wondered about adoption or know someone who has, this conversation will change how you think about building families through faith.