Quiverfull

I just found an article today that is not exactly new, but I found interesting in the issues it raises. The article concerns a movement amongst Fundamentalist Christians called the Quiverfull movement. The name comes from Psalms 127:3-5

“Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like
arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be
put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.”

In essence, and I don’t mean to over-simplify, the goal is for each family to squeeze out as many God-fearing Christian kids at possible. There are a couple things that make this interesting to me as a lapsed mormon.
First, I am old enough to remember when mormons thought that it was their sacred duty to multiply and replenish Utah. I think every one of my aunts and uncles had either 5 or 6 kids. Mom and Dad had 6. There was a time when most mormons believed that family planning was unnecessary, because Heavenly Father would give you as many kids as you needed and could raise.

Second, I am somewhat saddened by the one size fits all mentality of this movement. As if every family was capable of effectively raising 10 or 12 kids. I think my parents did ok, but two of my aunts had mental breakdowns, one resulting in suicide. One of my uncles drank constantly, and rarely made enough money to raise his quiver.

Third, is the political overtones of the movement. Raising up not only Christians, but Christian voters.

” But if just 8 million American Christian couples began supplying
more “arrows for the war” by having six children or more, they
propose, the Christian-right ranks could rise to 550 million within
a century”

But really, the phrase that REALLY caught my eye was this quote by one of these mothers.

One night after the birth of her fourth child–their third “oops”
baby due to birth-control failures–when the prospect of tuition for
four consumed husband Christopher and their pastor was urging
vasectomy, Christopher saw a warrior angel in his dream. A “large,
worrying warrior angel” with a flaming sword that he pointed at
Christopher’s genitals, telling him, “Do not change God’s plan.”

Based on this quote, it seems that the Mormon God REALLY IS the same as the Christian God. Because he is still sending angels with flaming swords telling men to have more sex, just like he did to Joseph Smith.

The more things change…