Just Breath: How many Children will I have?

Hello my Friends, it is a privilege to engage in this discussion with you.

I can see you sitting there at your desk, or in these pews, or in the library,

or in your youth Sunday school classroom and the teacher has just asked

you to make your goals for the next 25 years. Young people all over, have

to consider the most important of questions. One of them lurking around in

there is the question, “how many kids do I want to have?”

This question comes in many forms.

“How many kids do I want to have?”

“How many kids will I have?”

“Should I even have any kids?”

Here is a little secret. Just Breath. I want you to relax. Take in a deep breath

if you have to. I even want you for a second to forget about the pressure that

some will give you when they ask, “so when are you going to have kids?” or

“how many kids are you going to have?” (Another form of that question.)

Those decisions will come in time, but it isn’t supposed to be number 172 on your

bucket list, “Oh yeah, I’ll have kids someday.” No. This is not the attitude I want you to

walk out of here today in Family Relations 101. I want you to walk away calm enough to

understand the importance of having children in your life. I won’t dictate your life,

or tell you how many kids you should have. That it is not my job, my job is to help

you understand the principle, and then you and your future spouse, and especially

the Lord can help you make that important decision.

Now that I got your attention let’s dive in together on this subject.

Around the world today there has been a huge discussion on two things,

“Global Warming,” no I’m just kidding, if you want to know about that I am not

the right person to talk to. The two things are, “overpopulation,”

or the other side of the facts, “depopulation.” Both have crept into society, our homes,

and sadly our own beliefs. When I was in middle school it was all about overpopulation.

One day the world was going to have too many people,

and there would not be anything left for us. Even in the movies this was a popular idea.

Now this week in college I come to learn that, according to the statistics, we may be

heading into the direction of depopulating the planet. Friends, this should not in the

least concern you.

Yes one day you will be faced with the question(s), “When will I have kids?”

and “How many am I going to have?” These are to be looked at as

thought provoking questions, not the “end of the world” kind.

These are not to provoke fear or self-doubt, but opportunity and responsibility.

When I was going to get married, there was a lot of talk about “giving up.”

Are you ready to give up your life, your own time,

your future to a committed

relationship? This topic continued after being married.

What I have been able to learn is this thus far my young friends,

It is not about what I am giving up, rather it is what I am willing to give.

When I give my all to my Marriage, to my Family, that is beyond “worth it.”

The same is with having children. It isn’t about what I’m giving up,

sure it may play a role, but it is more about, what I am I going to give,

so that this child, so that these kids, can have a good life.

A documentary called the Demographic Winter has brought some

unique insights to the topic we have been discussing today.

In Part two of this documentary in one of the interviews one man said

that his response to the naysayers about the future and

how having so many children will cause harm,

and there will be more problems in the world, was this,

and I am paraphrasing, “My kids will grow up, and

they will make the difference and be the heroes so

the world doesn’t have more problems,

they will help find the solutions and even be the solutions themselves.”

Don’t think that having children is a death sentence,

there is joy in having children, and there are

unique blessings that come only with having children. Just breath.

The Family is the most important basic unit of society,

and marriage is at the heart of it. We need to defend it, and help it prosper.

We will shape the future with that mentality.

Lehi, a prophet in The Book of Mormon was troubled

about the future of his posterity. But he did not fear,

he was completing his responsibility when he said,

“I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons,

in the last days of my probation;

and I have chosen the good part,

according to the words of the prophet.

And I have none other object save it be

the everlasting welfare of your souls, Amen.”

(2 Nephi 2: 30 emphasis added.) Lehi cared about his family.

Just breath my young friends.

Having children is an opportunity, a responsibility,

but also a joyous blessing. Do not let the number of how many kids you should

have trouble you. Do not let the world bring you down

and tell you that it is not worth it.

People are having less and less children because of these kind of thoughts.

There is not a rush for you to have 12 tribes of Israel,

but there is a push for you to thoughtfully think of the future

and your role in it as a Husband and Father for you young men,

and as a Wife and Mother for you young women.

So whether you have two, six, eight, or even 10 kids,

whatever you are able to have, they will be a

blessing unto you in unimaginable ways. You have the power to shape the future.

Just breath, everything is going to be alright, the Family is what Eternity is all about,

and in this you have the potential to raise a righteous posterity, that will,

because of you and your example make the world a much better place.

Just breath.