Size Matters

Paul R. Ehrlich (who wrote the book Population Bomb) was in the film, Demographic Winter & Demographic Bomb (2009).  He basically stated that having five children is like robbing a bank because the more children a person has, the less others can have because of the lack of resources. 

I disagree with him for a number of reasons.  I'm mainly passionate about this topic because I come from a family of five children.  Although I am currently unmarried, at some point I plan to have as many children that is right for my family.  Ehrlich had a lot of predictions in in his book about the state of our world if we continue on the same path of population growth.  He said that this earth couldn't handle 4 billion people, however the population of the world today is about 6 million people and yet we still are managing to find resources.  He was wrong about this prediction, which makes me believe that he was wrong about the number of children a family should have as well.

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.“

 - President Spencer W. Kimball (in an open letter to all young couples, found here in the Ensign, June 1975)

Being from a family of five, I have a first person experience of how the number of children has affected all of our lives.  My brothers and I are all twos years apart.  My parents thought they were done having children at four.  Six years later however, they felt like there was someone missing, so they decided to have one more child.  If they hadn't decided this, I would not have my beautiful little sister.  She is an example to me and she is my best friend.  Not only did it effect our family's lives, but it would have effected each and every life that she has been a apart of so far.  

Family size should be a prayerful decision between you, your spouse, and the Lord.  No family is the same.  Some families will have many children, others can only handle a few.  It is extremely important not to judge others in their decisions about family size because we never know what their situation might be.  However, I do know that children are a true blessing and they add to this beautiful world, not take away from it.