Birth Control and Mormons Monday Mormon Myths & Truths #4

 

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2013

Birth Control and Mormons--Monday Mormon Myths and truths #4

THE REASON MORMONS HAVE BIG FAMILIES:
1. THE CHURCH TELLS THEM NOT TO USE BIRTH CONTROL
2. THE CHURCH HAS A MINIMUM OF 8 KIDS PER FAMILY

FALSE and FALSE

The reason Mormons have larger families than the average American family has nothing to do with birth control being prohibited (it's NOT). It has everything to do with our belief that children are a blessing and that married couples have a divine responsibility to assist in God's work by providing physical bodies for God's spirit children.

The Church's official position regarding birth control is stated in the book True to the Faith. Married LDS couples should "prayerfully decide how many children to have and when to have them. These decisions are between the husband and wife ONLY. Church members are highly counseled to consider such things as the physical and mental health of the mother and father and their ability to provide financially for the necessities of life. My daughter has an autistic child who is non-verbal; he is enough to successfully watch over and take care of. Imagine if she were required to have a minimum of eight children--NO WAY--

After I had my fourth and final child, we decided it was time to upgrade to a different vehicle, and we were in a financial position that we could purchase a Suburban. One of my very dear friends asked me if the Church gives families a Suburban after they have their fourth child--Boy--that might be an incentive, but the answer, of course, is NO--we are given no incentives, or told by any person in authority of the Church, that we are required to have a certain number of children.

I know many women who cannot physically have any children. For those women and men, my hearts go out to them--many of them are fortunate enough to adopt-My brother and sister-in-law adopted 4 bi-racial children, and they too were not given a Suburban, haha.

This brings up the subject of sex. I also was asked if we are only allowed to have "sex" if we are procreating. Is sex good and right, or is it evil and wrong? Apparently, many Mormons are having sex, and Utah has the highest birth rate of all states.

We can boil down everything that relates to Mormons' views on sexuality to three things:
1. The human body is sacred and divine, including its power to procreate
2. Marriage between a man and a woman is central to God's plan of happiness for HIS children and
3. The family is the fundamental unit of society

Therefore, sex between a married man and woman is Good. It brings children into married families, and it is a way to express love and total commitment between husband and wife.
Sex between unmarried people? Not so good, it can lead to pre-marriage pregnancy, single parenthood, abortion, adultery, divorce, mistrust, guilt, and sexually transmitted diseases.

The basic rule is that Mormons should not have sex before marriage, and abstinence before the wedding shows commitment and fidelity to your spouse. Many people tell me, "This is an ancient fashion way of thinking." 

Still, considering the millions of abortions, the high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, and that 40 percent of all US births are to single women. Think of the countless broken hearts and homes that result from sexual immorality. Adhering to the Mormon standard of sexual morality appears to be both a spiritual blessing and a social blessing.

SOME FACTS TO CONSIDER:
*Between 1973 and 2008, 50 million abortions were legally performed in the US, and four or every ten unintended pregnancies ended in abortion
*There are nineteen million new sexually transmitted diseases reported each year in the United States, and one in four sexually active teenage girls in the United States has a sexually transmitted disease.
*The US census bureau data shows that the birthrate for unmarried women has risen in each reported year from 43.8 percent in 19090 to 52.5 percent in 2008

So, call us "old-fashioned," but abstinence is the only way to stay clean and pure before marriage. Some may ask Why Wait? Isn't it better to have sex before marriage to see if you are physically compatible? 

In a 2010 study of 2,035 married couples across the nation. Researchers found that the couples who waited to have sex until married rated their current matrimonial relationship stability as 22 percent higher. Their marital satisfaction was 20 percent higher, and the sexual communication between them and their spouses was 12 percent higher than those married couples who had sex before marriage. Most Mormons believe waiting to have sexual relations until after we are married is key to a marriage based on a foundation of communication, trust, respect, shared goals, and social enjoyment. To me, it seems like it solidifies an already healthy relationship. The longer the couple waits, the better. From what I have seen, there is no lasting happiness in immorality. Here it may be a momentary pleasure for a time. It can seem like everything is wonderful. But it seems to quickly fade and become sour...love begins to die, bitterness, jealousy, anger and even hate can grow. Or not being allowed to serve or teach in the Church, the suspension of membership, or most severe, removal of Church membership through ex-communication.

We do believe sexual sin to be very serious, we also believe that God is merciful and that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ someone who has been sexually immoral can repent, change his or her behavior, recommit to follow Christ, and be totally forgiven for their sin.
I hope this has answered your questions, if not please feel free to email me and let me know what else needs to be cleared up.