week 1: where'd all the babies go?

This week in class my mind was opened to new information and startling statistics regarding the family. In our world today, there are more babies being born in cohabited households and to single mothers and less babies being born into complete family units. The view on the family has been altered over the years, with its sacredness decreasing dramatically. In the world today marriage is being delayed, the average ages to marry are 26 for women and 28 for men. This is the statistic that has the most influence on all the other trends occurring regarding the family. Because marriage is being delayed the number of people living alone is increasing, unwed mothers are more common, and the number of children born is slowly decreasing. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we are commanded to get married and have children, in that order. If we follow those instructions we are promised countless blessings and eternal happiness. An apostle of the church, Elder L. Tom Perry once said, "Family is the center of life." If we center our lives around creating a functional and happy family unit, we will have greater happiness. Think about your family. What would you be without them? Life just wouldn't be the same. Families are essential to happiness in this life.