Chapter 2
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The father is seldom prepared, with his failing faculties, to properly
bring up his young family. These children have peculiar traits of
character, which constantly need a counteracting influence, or they
will go to certain ruin. They are not educated aright. Their discipline
has too often been of the fitful impulsive kind by reason of his age. The
father has been susceptible of changeable feelings. At one time over
indulgent, while at another he is unwarrantably severe. Every thing
in some such families is wrong, and domestic wretchedness is greatly
increased. Thus a class of beings have been thrown upon the world as
a burden to society. Their parents were accountable in a great degree
for the characters developed by their children, which are transmitted
from generation to generation.
Those who increase their number of children, when if they con-
sulted reason, they must know that physical and mental weakness
must be their inheritance, are transgressors of the last six precepts of
God’s law, which specify the duty of man to his fellow man. They
do their part in increasing the degeneracy of the race, and in sinking
society lower, thus injuring their neighbor. If God thus regards the
rights of neighbors, has he no care in regard to closer, and more sacred
relationship? If not a sparrow falls to the ground without his notice,
will he be unmindful of the children born into the world, diseased
physically and mentally, suffering in a greater or less degree, all their
lives? Will he not call parents to an account, to whom he has given
reasoning powers, for putting these higher faculties in the background,
and becoming slaves to passion, when, as the result, generations must
bear the mark of their physical, mental, and moral deficiencies? In
addition to the suffering they entail upon their children, they have no
portion but poverty to leave to their pitiful flock. They cannot educate
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them, and many do not see the necessity, neither could they if they
did, find time to train them, and instruct them, and lessen, as much as
possible, the wretched inheritance transmitted to them. Parents should
not increase their families any faster than they know that their children
can be well cared for, and educated. A child in the mother’s arms from
year to year is great injustice to her. It lessens, and often destroys,
social enjoyment, and increases domestic wretchedness. It robs their
children of that care, education, and happiness, which parents should
feel it their duty to bestow upon them.