[blackhawkC17]

A bit off-topic, but can a Mormon explain the reason why Mormons have a lot of kids?

The simple answer would be religion, but even mainstream American Christians don't have kids at that level. I know a Mormon tech tycoon with 10 kids and another tycoon with 14 kids, lol

[mrkstu]

As one of eleven, I think it's a couple things.

One is Utah was a rural state until fairly recently, so big families and farming kind of go together.

Another is a bit more 'soft' doctrinal. The general teaching in the 60s/70s as other groups were losing their big families, the LDS/Mormon idea of the pre-existence of human spirits and the importance of the instruction to Adam and Eve to:

"Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it"

was taken as a literal instruction for members, with general counsel to avoid birth control and a prohibition on abortion.

My parents never tried anything beyond the rhythm method to control their family size.

Current generations still refrain from abortion (generally) but otherwise aren't too concerned about using artificial methods in limiting the size of their families, especially as the expense of big families has multiplied.

Still bigger than average, but the gap is much smaller, and shrinking.

[wwweston]

10 and 14 kids are outlier numbers by late 20th / 21st century Mormon standards. 4-6 is more common and 2-3 aren't uncommon.

There's probably a bit of ag heritage at work here (though the mountain west has definitely been leaving that behind for the last few decades).

The religious narrative is that it's (a) it's part of God's plan for your personal development & happiness and (b) it's a duty to give a good spiritual home with a father and mother part of the true faith to as many of God's children as possible.

It's probably objectively common (though hardly universal) that people report parenthood to be a crucible of personal growth and a source of meaning and satisfaction, and it's certainly arguable it's evolutionarily adaptive to be that way, so (a) checks out pretty well (though it's a little less clear how well particulars like "marry at 21" serve people).

(b) is as unfalsifiable as any faith, but much in the way one can say a faith discouraging reproduction is likely to have a lifespan close to a single generation, faiths that encourage it are likely to have better internal replacement and growth rates, which might be especially important if you're a minority faith with modest conversion success.

[youainti]

Happy to give it a go.

There is a lot of emphasis on the importance of family, including raising kids. This is because we believe that before living on this earth, our spirits lived in the presence of God, our Heavenly Father. This world is a place for us to learn and grow, and someday we hope to be able to return to Heaven. In this context, raising kids is both a part of personal development and a way to help others experience this life [0].

When it comes to how many children to have, the decision is left up to the couple [1]. Some of the factors that affect each family include cultural and personal preferences. I've know people who feel that a large family is a requirement for salvation. Others feel that they need a smaller family. In all cases the couple is expected to seek guidance from God. In my parent's case, they just kept having kids until they felt like their entire family was finally here (with a total of 8 kids). My wife and I have had some very personal experiences about when to have our children.

Hope that helps.

[0] https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/the-fam...

[1] https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-han...

[blackhawkC17]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I don't agree with the ideology, but can understand it.

[repeekad]

Mainstream American Christians probably aren’t as devoted to their religion as say Mormons or other more closed off sects. Devote Catholics absolutely have as many kids as they reasonably can, you’re right the simple answer is just religion. Lower birth rate is often associated with reduced religious affiliation, even atheists have more kids than “agnostics”.

[j16sdiz]

I guess that's a social issue?

People don't have to have kids because having kids are expensive and time-intensive.

When all your friends have lots of kids, those expense can be shared.

[spiderfarmer]

It's because religion wants to grow like a virus. Other explanations should be seen in this light.