My eyes were opened this week to see the importance of family and having children. I had always know it was important because I grew up with my parents reading my the words of President Kimball and other prophets who told us that we should welcome children into our homes, and that family was the most important. But this week I learned why they said that years ago. We studied about the decline in fertility rate, and how it has affected the world. With the baby boom after WWII fear arose that the world would become overpopulated and people would starve. The amount of babies born each year declined significantly. Most people now only want one, or maybe two children, or none at all. The average family is 1 child. We talked about what would likely happen if this continues and who it would affect. Children will grow up without the value of family being most important. Education and work-individualism-come first. They will not have uncles and aunts, neices and nephews, cousins, or brothers and sister.The children will be left to carry a very heavy load because there will not be as many able workers. The boomers generation will retire and the new generation will have the responsibility to support them. Parents and grandparents will not be able to retire until they are older because their will not be enough workers and money to support them. Educated people will be in high demand. These are just a few of the consequences. That is just some of the affects on the children. The neat thing is that the Lord knew what would happen all along and that is why he counceled us through his prophets years earlier, before the problems started.
President Spencer W Kimball said:
"You did not come on
earth just to “eat, drink and be merry.” You came knowing full well your
responsibilities. You came to get for yourself a mortal body that could become
perfected, immortalized, and you understood that you were to act in partnership
with God in providing bodies for other spirits equally anxious to come to the
earth for righteous purposes. And so you will not postpone parenthood. There
will be rationalists who will name to you numerous reasons for postponement. Of
course, it will be harder to get your college degrees or your financial start
with a family, but strength like yours will be undaunted in the face of
difficult obstacles.
“Have your family as the Lord intended. Of course it
is expensive, but you will find a way, and besides, it is often those children
who grow up with responsibility and hardships who carry on the world’s work.
And, John and Mary, do not limit your family as the world does. I am wondering
now where I might have been had my parents decided arbitrarily that one or two
children would be enough, or that three or four would be all they could
support, or that even five would be the limit; for I was the sixth of eleven
children. Don’t think you will love the later ones less or have few material
things for them. Perhaps like Jacob, you might love the eleventh one most.
Young people, have your family, love them, sacrifice for them, teach them
righteousness, and you will be blessed and happy all the days of your eternal
lives.“
To watch it you can go to:
http://byutv.org/watch/59b6b917-984a-478f-93b1-521a647779c4/new-economic-reality-demographic-winter-part-1
