2018 Statistical Report From 2019 Gen Conf

[Michelle]

The correct number of children for Toast is 0. She stated in other posts that she is not married.

I won't keep harping on demographics. I think we are fast approaching, or have already reached, the point of no return. within 10 years" The Generation Not Born" (2007 forward) would be childbearing age and the downward trend of less children by choice will become a death spiral as population begins to decline. (It may happen sooner depending on a variety of factors.) The simple fact is that we can't make more 20-year-olds, we can only make babies, and we aren't making enough of those. Demographics can tell us the maximum number of people of a certain age going forward, but it can't tell us the minimum, only point to the trend. War, disease, famine, etc. can all lower a population, and quickly, but there is no way to grow a population but to start where you are at one baby at a time.

This is only one of many reasons that I believe Christ will return soon, otherwise there will be no one to meet Him when he arrives.

Final birth data for the USA: 2007 population 301.23 million, 4,316,233 million children born, The total fertility rate in the United States estimated for 2007 is 2.12 children per woman, which is the replacement fertility rate.
Final birth data for the USA: 2017 population 325.72 million, 3,855,500 million children born, The total fertility rate in the United States estimated for 2017 is 1.77 children per woman, which is below the replacement fertility rate of approximately 2.1.

https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/23550
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr ... 08-508.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/births.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demograph ... ted_States
https://www.multpl.com/united-states-po ... le/by-year
https://www.infoplease.com/us/births/li ... rates-year

[Shaffer89]

I come from family that was taught (correctly I should add) that you should have as many children as possible because: "3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
(Psalm 127)
Now even though I know that is true, I have never felt a real desire to have children. I have 1 and we may have more if my wife desires it but I have never felt especially interested in having children. My only reason to have more is because we have been commanded to, it is not through any intrinsic desire on my part. At a certain point in my life I came to terms with the idea that if I truly feel that way, and continue to feel that way after this life I may be perfectly contented to stay as an angel in the celestial kingdom and not inherit all of the wonderful blessings that an eternal posterity will bring.
I say this to explain that I think there is nothing wrong with not desiring children, it only becomes wrong if you think you can attain to Godhood without them. We are all free to choose the level of salvation we wish to attain to, for some the terrestrial will be enough, and the "burdens" of celestial living will not need to apply to them.