Death of a Child

If you are grieving a child, we are sorry for your loss. No short answer can hold everything your child means to you. Here you can read about the Savior's compassion and the scriptural promises concerning little children, with room for sorrow and questions that remain.

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A Father Speaks About Losing a Child

In Because I Live, Ye Shall Live Also, Elder Shayne M. Bowen speaks directly to parents who have lost a child. He describes the death of his infant son and his own sorrow, guilt, and eventual hope in Jesus Christ. The account includes details of the death. You can choose the transcript, skip those details, or leave the message for another day.

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General conference video and text

Because I Live, Ye Shall Live Also

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · October 2012

He also recalls teaching Moroni 8 to a mother grieving a child who died without baptism. Read that passage with the study below: the teaching about little children addresses Christ's mercy and salvation. It does not supply an explanation for your own child's death.

Elder Bowen distinguishes his experience from what his wife felt and describes love that continued after loss. His account is one father's testimony. You do not need to experience the same feelings, draw the same personal conclusions, or follow the same course of grieving to be welcome here.

What Scripture Says About Little Children

Moroni 8:8-12, 19 teaches that little children are alive in Christ through His mercy and do not need baptism or repentance. Their salvation is not lost because they died without baptism.

Doctrine and Covenants 137:10 teaches that children who die before the age of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom. The promise concerns their salvation; it does not explain why a child died or ask a family to feel less sorrow.

When the Child You Lost Was Older

A parent's love does not end at a particular birthday. If your child was a teenager or adult, the verses about little children do not directly answer every question you may have about their eternal future. Doctrine and Covenants 137:7-9 also teaches that God considers people's works and the desires of their hearts. You do not have to settle your child's eternal future yourself. These verses invite trust in God's judgment, which takes account of more than any of us can see.

Stay beside someone who is grieving

A quiet companion stays beside someone who is grieving. Consider the care we can offer without rushing sorrow.

Romans 12:15

Read “Stay beside someone who is grieving” in Jesus Christ →

Christ's Compassion Is a Place to Begin

Alma 7:11-13 describes the Savior bearing pains, sicknesses, and infirmities so He would know how to help His people. This teaching offers a foundation for turning toward Him with sorrow as well as trust.

These promises need not become a demand to feel better immediately. You can bring a prayer of gratitude, a question, or simply the words that today is hard. You do not need to meet a timetable for grief or accept an explanation for the death that these scriptures do not give.

For Someone Supporting the Family

Consider asking what would help this week: a meal, an errand, quiet company, or space. Let the family lead when speaking about their child. Avoid making the death into a lesson they are expected to accept. Offer help you can follow through on, and ask before sharing their story with others.

When Hope and Tears Come Together

In John 11:17-36, Martha speaks to Jesus about her brother's death, and Jesus later weeps with those who are grieving. The account holds His promise of resurrection alongside real sorrow. As you read, notice that the people He loves are able to speak their hurt aloud.

This story does not promise that a family's loss will be reversed in this life. It offers a way to think about compassion: being present with someone matters, even when you cannot explain what happened.

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When a Sibling Is Grieving Too

In The Grave Has No Victory, Sister Reyna I. Aburto remembers losing her older brother in an earthquake when she was nine. She describes the questions and longing she carried and how she later understood her hope through Jesus Christ's Resurrection. Her message may be meaningful when a family is also trying to understand the sorrow of surviving siblings.

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General conference video and text

The Grave Has No Victory

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · April 2021

She places her memories alongside Mary Magdalene's grief and witness of the risen Savior. As you read, allow both parts of the message to stand: missing someone deeply and believing in resurrection. Her remembered experience does not prescribe what another child should imagine or feel.

The Church's Grief and Loss guidance encourages listening and continued support. A surviving sibling may want to talk, remember quietly, or return to ordinary activities. Ask what would help, and seek qualified support when needed.

A gentle invitation to remember

If welcome, ask whether someone would like to share a memory, look at a photograph, or have quiet company. There is no required activity or public expression. Adults can make room for different responses without asking children to reassure them or explain the loss.

Resources for the Days Ahead

• Grief and Loss: Church counseling guidance for people offering support. It encourages listening, respect for individual grieving, and continued care after the first days of loss.
• Mosiah 18:8-10: a covenant to share burdens and mourn with others. A useful passage to read with someone who wants to help but does not know what to say.
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 42-44: Paul's teaching about resurrection through Christ, for a day when you want to study the hope behind this belief.

A Gentle Study for Parents and Those Beside Them

Let the passages answer their own questions

The passages about little children above address salvation and Christ's mercy. The account of Lazarus addresses sorrow and the Savior's power over death. They do not explain the cause of a particular loss. Keeping those distinctions can protect a grieving family from explanations that scripture itself does not give.

When two people grieve differently

The companion artworks show both an individual father and parents together. As an invitation for reflection, consider that shared loss does not require identical words, feelings, or ways of remembering. You might ask whether the person beside you wants company, conversation, or quiet, and be willing to hear a different answer tomorrow.

If you would like to explore prayer, remembrance, and receiving help at your own pace, continue with Grief and Faith.

Remembering without pressure

If it feels welcome, a family might keep a photograph, tell a story, or mark a meaningful day in a way that honors their child. There is no obligation to make grief public or to turn remembrance into a testimony for others. Friends can ask permission before offering a memorial gesture or sharing a story.

If I can only read a little today

Choose one of the short passages already linked, or simply read the opening paragraph. You do not need to finish the study. The resources remain here for another day, and seeking company or practical support may be the more useful next step.

Turn to God before the day begins

A man pauses to pray before the day begins. Continue with an invitation to bring our concerns to the Father.

Matthew 6:6–8

Read “Turn to God before the day begins” in Jesus Christ →

Questions for Quiet Reflection

Where would you like to go next?

Explore resurrection when you feel ready

Read more about life after death at your own pace. It is all right if comfort takes time.

Receive support while carrying grief

Consider spiritual hope and practical help together; there is no deadline to continue.