Mormon fertility; a survey of student opinion.

Abstract

Mormon fertility is responsive to both religious and socioeconomic pressures; while maintaining itself at a level significantly above that of the rest of the nation, it is, at the same time, paralleling the general downward trend. Sampled Mormon university students desire larger families than do non-Mormons by about 50 per cent, but families smaller, nevertheless, than those that they came from. Slightly over half believe in birth control within marriage, a figure that is probably higher than for their ancestors but lower than for contemporary non-Mormons. The expense of child-rearing is given as the major reason for wainting to limit the family.