Birth control

In Mormon belief, if a couple is able to have children, then generally it is their privilege to bring them into the world. Reflecting on the first commandment given to Adam and Eve, Mormons believe that we are commanded to multiply and replenish the earth, to bring children into the world. Since Mormons believe that we all lived as spirits before we came to earth, to have children is to provide bodies for other spirit children of our Heavenly Father, so they can also experience mortality.

Bearing and raising children is a sacred responsibility. Church leaders encourage couples not to procrastinate having children for selfish reasons. To have a family is a very high priority in the Mormon faith and children should be viewed as a blessing.

However, there exist exceptional circumstances, in the view of which it is understood that the question of how many children to have, when to have them, and even if to have them, is a private issue between the husband, the wife, and the Lord. These exceptional circumstances include health problems which may make having children difficult or even impossible. There may be factors that make having children later rather than sooner a necessity. The health of the mother should always be a priority in any decision made by the couple. Again, this is a private matter and a matter for prayer.

Couples should also remember that the purpose of sexual relations is not only to have children, but to come closer as a couple.

Hence, birth control is not banned by the Church, nor is it at all considered to be the same as abortion, though the decision to use it is a matter that the couple should consider prayerfully.