When I was a little kid, I always wanted to have a brother. In my family there is just me, my sister, and our parents. I used to pretend that I had a brother, kind of like an imaginary friend but an imaginary brother. I remember one time that me and my sister were playing around with the bathroom door, locking each other in, but because one of us was inside we could unlock it. Then I decided to lock my imaginary brother inside. So I locked the door, went outside, and pulled the door shut. Obviously because there was no one inside, the door locked and we couldn't get back in. I was so embarrassed! We waited until my dad got home and i just remember being so ashamed of myself. That was about the point I stopped imagining I had a brother.
Ever since then however, I always wanted to have about three kids after I was married. I wanted my kids to be able to have more siblings then I did. Don't get me wrong, I loved my childhood and wouldn't change it for anything. I have just always felt like three kids was perfect for my family. Recently however I have been learning about the benefits of having a larger family, both for the family, and for society. Many people think "the world is over populated," or "life ends when you have a kid." However, both of these are not correct.
Anyone who has studied the population of the world should know that to maintain a society, the fertility rate needs to be 2.13. Meaning that the average woman in her life time needs to have 2.13 children. If that number is higher, the society or nation will grow. If it is lower the opposite occurs. In the United States we are at about 1.9, which means in the future we will have fewer and fewer people, even with immigrants. Good, right? Wrong. With less people there are less workers, less people to stock the grocery store or less people to even make food. Less thinkers to invent the next smartphone or the hover car you really want. Less people to take care of you when you are old. But not only that, if we are not having kids, we are not following God's commandments. Now before anyone gets offended and say that it's our own choice, let me give you my reasoning.
Here is a quote from President Brigham young, a Prophet of God. "There are multitudes of pure and holy spirits waiting to take tabernacles, now what is our duty?—To prepare tabernacles for them; to take a course that will not tend to drive those spirits into the families of the wicked, where they will be trained in wickedness, debauchery, and every species of crime. It is the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can." It is our duty to have children.
Another example is this video on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint's website. https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-03-006-having-children-in-faith?lang=eng
The video is called Having Children in Faith. Neil L. Anderson, a modern Prophet, talks in the video about having children. He says that having children or a family is what the Lord gave us time for. He didn't give us our time to build our career or to play video games or anything in between, but to build our families. I encourage you to watch the video, and counsel with the Lord to know how many kids to have, and when the best time is to have them. Oh and fun fact, I know one of the couples in the video. They are not actors, they are real life parents who needed faith to have children. They are an example to me on following God, no matter what.
I know for myself that families are important, and central to God's plan, and having children, with faith in God, will bring you, and me, and everyone more happiness than we can comprehend.
Ever since then however, I always wanted to have about three kids after I was married. I wanted my kids to be able to have more siblings then I did. Don't get me wrong, I loved my childhood and wouldn't change it for anything. I have just always felt like three kids was perfect for my family. Recently however I have been learning about the benefits of having a larger family, both for the family, and for society. Many people think "the world is over populated," or "life ends when you have a kid." However, both of these are not correct.
Anyone who has studied the population of the world should know that to maintain a society, the fertility rate needs to be 2.13. Meaning that the average woman in her life time needs to have 2.13 children. If that number is higher, the society or nation will grow. If it is lower the opposite occurs. In the United States we are at about 1.9, which means in the future we will have fewer and fewer people, even with immigrants. Good, right? Wrong. With less people there are less workers, less people to stock the grocery store or less people to even make food. Less thinkers to invent the next smartphone or the hover car you really want. Less people to take care of you when you are old. But not only that, if we are not having kids, we are not following God's commandments. Now before anyone gets offended and say that it's our own choice, let me give you my reasoning.
Here is a quote from President Brigham young, a Prophet of God. "There are multitudes of pure and holy spirits waiting to take tabernacles, now what is our duty?—To prepare tabernacles for them; to take a course that will not tend to drive those spirits into the families of the wicked, where they will be trained in wickedness, debauchery, and every species of crime. It is the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can." It is our duty to have children.
Another example is this video on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint's website. https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-03-006-having-children-in-faith?lang=eng
The video is called Having Children in Faith. Neil L. Anderson, a modern Prophet, talks in the video about having children. He says that having children or a family is what the Lord gave us time for. He didn't give us our time to build our career or to play video games or anything in between, but to build our families. I encourage you to watch the video, and counsel with the Lord to know how many kids to have, and when the best time is to have them. Oh and fun fact, I know one of the couples in the video. They are not actors, they are real life parents who needed faith to have children. They are an example to me on following God, no matter what.
I know for myself that families are important, and central to God's plan, and having children, with faith in God, will bring you, and me, and everyone more happiness than we can comprehend.