Why doesn't the LDS Church pay for women to have children?

Question

Why is it that when the LDS church tells women not to wait to have children, they don't offer them any kind of financial support? Most of these young women are in their early twenties and have husbands going through school. The Church also tells women not to work outside the home, so, consequently many LDS women think it's okay to have lots of babies and be on medicaid until their husbands are out of school. Since when is it an LDS woman's divine right to have lots of babies on tax payers dollars just because she won't work outside the home like other American women? Shouldn't the Church step in to remedy this situation because having babies on other people's hard earned tax dollars seems like robbery, and if I remember right, thou shalt not steal is still a commandment...

Where do I get that from? From the fact that just three girls within my parents church have husbands in dental school and are on medicaid. Also, the church doesn't tell women to have children when they want to...it tells them NOT to wait

PS I have no problem with when women choose to have children as long as they do it with their money and not tax payers...

Answer 1

I am not Mormon but I live in Deer Valley Utah so I thought I would put my two sense on this its a personal choice when they decide or not to decide to have kids and to the person who says they build a billion dollar mall that is true but they do not use the church money known as tithing 10% of what they make the lds church also owns businesses such as retail insurance and so on and that money they use that for the billion dollar mall which im glad they are because maybe they will make dowtown salt lake a place where someone would want to go and when the lds church does something they do it right and make it look good

Answer 2

I personally think you have been misguided. The LDS church doesn't tell you that you HAVE to have kids right off, or even at all. They do encourage us to have children, as god's first commandment was multiply and replenish the earth. But in the end, it is completely up to the couple if they wish to have children.

Actually, they do offer financial support to those who need it. My mom was a single mother who worked hard, but we still couldn't make ends meet. Our bishop provided food for us, and even paid our rent on occasion. They also helped my mom find a job when she was unexpectedly let go. Perhaps you shouldn't talk about things you don't know about.

The church doesn't tell women NOT to work outside the home, but they encourage those who can be financially stable with one income to have stay at home mom's so the children can be around their mother more. I see nothing wrong with this. The church does not encourage people to do this if they cannot support their family however, as one of the things they tell us to do is stay out of debt.

Not all American women work outside the home, so you probably shouldn't use that as an example. I know plenty of non LDS American ladies who are stay at home moms, and I know plenty of LDS mom's who work. If a few LDS women are living on tax dollars, and you consider it robbery, you should also take into account all the other ladies and teenage mothers who are living on tax dollars who aren't LDS.

Your whole idea doesn't really make much sense, and it seems to me that you haven't properly researched the situation.


P.S.

Just because three girls in your parents church have husbands in dental school and are medicaid, doesn't mean all girls are in that situation. You shouldn't generalize, as that is a lot like stereo types, which usually aren't true, and its very much prejudice.

The church does actually tell women to wait until the right time, which is decided upon by the couple. I have never heard of them telling girls NOT to wait. Encouragement is different then telling. The church does not force us to have babies.

Answer 3

when they have said to "not wait" i can think of specific general conference talks with this in them. However, i remember them being about young couples not starting families for selfish reasons- ie: with the world now, less and less married couples are starting families because it is seen as a burden instead of a blessing. this is what they are warning against. the wordly mentality now is the longer you wait the better- you can live your life, and then when you are 30- 40, when you've done everything else you want to do, then if you feel like it, go ahead and have some kids.- that is what that comment is in reference to.that a family should not be an after thought, but a priority-the church has a strong stand on family. we believe the family is essential to Gods plan and lessons to be learned. but more importantly the blessings that do come from having a family, and the strength and happiness from it- this is why they say not to wait. the church does not promote debt- and as said so in many instances- even has free literature available in every ward on how to manage money, how to get out of debt- and the church has it's own welfare system. Members are encouraged to go through them before the state. And for many it's a personal choice whether or not to have kids and how many- the church cannot change that. Never have a heard that you will not get into heaven if you don't have kids right away, and if you don't have a minimum of four or whatever you consider a lot- never. as a matter of fact, i have never heard anything on how many children you should have- just that if you can have kids- you should-biologically or adoption. but like everything there is free agency. and i sincerly doubt that the lds church has anymore members on medicaid then any other religious denomination, and would be very interested in any reliable information stating otherwise.

Answer 4

First, the church does not tell women to do anything. What we do is what we CHOOSE to do.

Second, the church does NOT like anyone going on public support, unless there's no other way. I don't know that much about medic-aid, but if they are on it, while their husbands are in school, then at some point he will no longer be in school and will be a productive tax-paying citizen with HEALTH INSURANCE.

Third, more and more LDS women are choosing to work outside the home and more and more non-LDS women are choosing to be SAHMs. Think what a great place this world would be if there were more SAHMs.

Answer 5

Well I am not against them on Medicaid, if they need that. Health care is expensive. The church takes care of its own.
If they are married they can have all the children they want, but I would prefer if they think about affording them. If the husbands are in college then it's okay. They do need an education to get a good job. LDS do have social services, they do help you pay the rent and have a bishops storehouse for food.

Answer 6

OH HO you they do not!! NOT officially anyway. It was once popular to say that the life of a baby begins when the mother can feel it kicking in the womb, and not before. Officially not-quite-fully-human until movement. Some said it's 14 days after, when the egg implants itself into human flesh. Still others say its not until a life takes its first breath. Fact: The LDS has no official position on the moment that human life begins. Officially. ...You'd think with that cushy prophecy skills job, Monson would know whether to tell members you are killing a living human being, or... maybe not. Whichever! Unofficially, I'm sure there are many mormons which believe life begins at conception. And thank God. *Regardless, its not really an issue to them, because until a physical body has taken breath, mormonism preaches that soul has not experienced life on this earth and the mormon god will simply place that soul into another body. This one wasn't going to live? Oops. Next! How utterly horrible of such a god! We know ex-Mass governor Romney certainly believes in abortion. Just... not for TBM spirit babies. Like his church, will he conveniently remain silent on the remaining tough moral issues of today when he runs for president of the USA? Just try it.

Answer 7

What a load of garbage! I don't know where you get your made up facts, but the LDS church does not tell women when to and when not to have children. IF the man and wife decide to have kids right away, well then it will be a hard road. But NEVER in my 17 years as a Mormon have I EVER heard this.

AND...my church tells its member NOT to go on state welfare. That the church will pay their bills and supply their groceries instead. The church cans all of the own food all over the world to help its poor.

I have been married for 16 years and have only discussed having children with my husband. This is no one elses business.

Answer 8

The LDS church does provide relief to families who cannot support themselves. It is everyones personal choice when to have children. There is nothing in the LDS church that says you have to have children ASAP. However, many young LDS women choose to do that. Do you have a problem with that choice? And where are you getting the idea that there are a ton of young LDS families on Medicaid, do you have a source for that claim?

Yes there is a sect that calls themselves Mormon, but is in no way associated with the LDS church which practices polygamy, the women have many children, and about one half of the towns where they live is on food stamps and Medicaid. But this has nothing to do with the LDS church which you are attacking in your questions.

Marcia: Do you know where the money for the shopping mall project in downtown is coming from? I guess not. It is not coming from tithing money at all. Deseret Management and other subsidiaries are companies affiliated with the LDS church, but they are taxed corporations that do not use tithing money. This is where that money is coming from. Also, members choose to pay tithing A) because it is a commandment, and B) because they like to be able to have a church to go to and a temple to go to as well. T

Answer 9

"many LDS women think it's okay to have lots of babies and be on medicaid until their husbands are out of school."

------Clearly some do, but I don't think it's the majority by any means.

The church teaches self reliance....not to go on Medicaid. These women are clearly not adhering to the churches counsel in terms of staying self reliant.

Joseph Smith said "we teach men correct principals and let them govern themselves". Getting aid from the church isn't a prinicpal of self reliance either.

Medicaid is a really bad run government program....but it's not stealing. Talk to the politicians about that one. If they're sending you a check, you're not stealing it.

Answer 10

So you are going to assume that 3 women that you know second hand represent a church of 13 million?