This past week in my family relations class we discussed the decreasing fertility rates and the problems that are coming because of that. But what stuck out to me the most was what they predict is the only way to solve the problem, and that is the family. The reverence and honor for the value and virtue of the family has certainly decreased. God ordained marriage between a man and a women, and for them to bear and raise children together. So many people are choosing not to have children though for reasons such as school, money, social status, selfishness, lack of faith, fear, etc.

Something that has really hit me this past week is how precious life really is. A very dear friend of mine got in a really bad accident the end of last week that should have killed her. It is a miracle that she is alive. I got to go and visit her at the hospital and she still has at least three weeks she has to be in there, but she is alive and that is all that really matters to me. Not only is the life precious of those loved ones we have in this life, but just think about what if the parents of our loved ones or our own parents had just chosen not to have children. My grandmother’s mother was told after her first child not to have any more because she had a serious heart condition that would not be able to bear any more births. My grandmother was number 7 in her family. My Great-grandma trusted in God to fulfill part of the plan that He had sent her here for, and because of that she has hundreds of posterity now - including myself. If my great grandmother would not have had children because of health reasons or what a doctor had told her I would not be here today. Something I know is that God has a plan for each and every one of us, and He is going to help us accomplish it, if we choose to allow Him to and do our part. I believe that our decision to have children (or not to) affects more than just the parents. Over a period of time it will affect the human population of the earth.

I agree with the researchers’ prediction that strengthening the family unit is the solution for this increasing problem. In the Family Proclamation to the World it states, “The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife… Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children.” God has given men and women the power to create life, to bring children into this world, to love them and raise them. He has ordained marriage between one man and one women, which is the way it is meant to be. Children have the right to be able to have both a mother and a father as both roles are important in the lives of children. The possibility of children who only had a mother, or only a father, or same sex parents getting involved in drugs, gangs, suicides, abuse, etc. are much higher than when they are able to have both parents teaching them and setting an example for them. Men and women are equal but with different, important roles. Being able to grow up in a home with a mother and father who love each other, and a bunch of siblings has been a huge blessing in my life and has certainly impacted my life and the person I am becoming. From personal experience I know that strengthening the family truly can solve the population issues along with many others. Everything begins in the home, when that is strong the rest will follow.