The 6-month-old infant probably didn't realize she was the reason 20 or so people were gathered in a sacred room at the Bountiful Utah Temple.

Eyes moistened as the officiator performed the ordinance eternally linking the little girl to her grateful adoptive parents.

That scenario is played out repeatedly at temples throughout the world as adopted children are sealed for time and all eternity to their adoptive parents.

In some cases involving adoption, the child is the result of an out-of-wedlock birth.

Such children, as stated in a letter dated June 15, 1998, by the First Presidency, "are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by parents who provide love, support, and all the blessings of the gospel.

"Every effort should be made in helping those who conceive out of wedlock to establish an eternal family relationship. When the probability of a successful marriage is unlikely, unwed parents should be encouraged to place the child for adoption, preferably through LDS [Family] Services." (Ensign, February 2002.)

The decision to place an infant for adoption can be a very emotional and wrenching one. There is an understandable desire for mothers to be with their sons or daughters. Those who take a long-term view, looking at what is best for their biological children for the eternities, are to be commended for their foresight and courage. Giving up their children for adoption is an act of selflessness and profound love.

The First Presidency letter affirms, "Placing the infant for adoption enables unwed parents to do what is best for the child and enhances the prospect for the blessings of the gospel in the lives of all concerned." (Ensign, April 1999.)

That's because the infant, when placed by LDS Family Services, goes to a home that has both a father and mother who are committed to the gospel.

As the inspired Proclamation on the Family notes, "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ." LDS Family Services, through prayer and devoted work, ensures that adopted children go to homes that embrace the gospel.

That fulfills the Proclamation on the Family's mandate that "Children are entitled . . . to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity."

They are placed in homes where parents realize they "have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live." (Proclamation on the Family).

To be best prepared spiritually and to deal with the temporal challenges of the world, children need both a father and a mother in the home. Studies indicate that children who grow up without their fathers are three times more likely to have a child out of wedlock, twice as likely to drop out of high school, and two to three times more likely to have emotional or behavioral problems. In addition, they often become the poorest of the poor. (See David Popenoe, "Life without Father, 1996, as reported in the Ensign, February, 2002.)

All children merit the kind of love that is found in families that adhere to the principles put forth in the Proclamation on the Family. Soon-to-be parents, ecclesiastical leaders, and, if need be, representatives from LDS Family Services need to work together to ensure that happens.