Aspiration
Those who do not aspire to a big family do not aspire to greatness.
You might say, what about those corporate types, the big founders like Bezos? Surely that guy has ambition for greatness out the wazoo.
No, surely not. His ambition is not for greatness.
Anyone who is solely trying to make it big with consumers and customers and wealth (or the academy or government or military rank) is someone who is looking for others to validate their status. Its just an extremely complicated form of credential seeking. (That is the biggest problem with meritocracy, by the way. It teaches people that the highest scope for their ambition is to please some procedure or some evaluator. Which means that by definition it teaches them to not be great.) Is it a coincidence that Elon Musk has 6 or 7 kids last time I checked?
Filed under: We transcend your bourgeois categories | No Tag
Rozy
December 11, 2020
YES! I’ve often wondered if one of the ways we’ll have to give an account of our lives at the judgement bar (or a question we’ll be asked) is something about how many of our spirit brothers and sisters were we willing to give an opportunity for a mortal body and experience. I think I remember Sister Julie B. Beck saying something in General Conference about being judged on the desires of our hearts in relation to how many children we wanted, not how many we actually gave birth to.
We so blithely say, in SS and Primary, etc., that we come to earth to gain a body and be tested, then turn around and deny others that opportunity by limiting our families. (No judgement here on those who can’t!) We should be seeing lots more large families in the church. So sad! Children truly are an heritage of the Lord.
IAW
December 11, 2020
So – what about those of us who just kinda wound up with large families? I can’t recall really aspiring to 10 kids – it just kinda happened over time.
Bookslinger
December 11, 2020
An atheist (or an agnostic, I’m not sure), in a talk about cosmology, The Big Bang, galaxy/star/planet formation, etc., said “The purpose of the universe is to turn hydrogen into people.”
That statement is more true, and more religious, than he thought.
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Which is greater, making money and things, or making people?
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And yes, this is a delicate topic that needs to include big-picture discussions in relation to those who are unable, for whatever reasons, to have spouse and children.
The spouse-less and child-less are not necessarily cut off. Yet, that conclusion is often jumped to, when the whole story is not repeated along with the standard emphasis on marriage and children.
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A secondary misunderstanding is that the highest calling (of parenthood) is the only calling, which I’ve seen damage marriages and entire famlies when one spouse
Bookslinger
December 11, 2020
overly focuses on the children to the neglect/detriment of their relationship with the spouee.
Bookslinger
December 11, 2020
Ivan:
“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/103-be-not-afraid-of-greatness-some-are-born-great-some
G.
December 11, 2020
Books,
You stole the quote I was going to use!
JRL in AZ
December 11, 2020
I never aspired to 8 kids. But I was taught by my parents’ example, and by my relationships with 10 siblings, to want children. Lots of children. People are the most interesting thing in the universe, and having your own people is the most fascinating thing ever. So my wife and I agreed that we wanted kids, and just kind of followed our feelings and the guidance of the Spirit about when it was time for another. And after the 8th came, the feelings and the Spirit stopped prompting us in that direction. And so we have 8.
But, yes, having a large family should be the aspiration of every person. I mourn for those that desire that blessing but do not have it yet. And I trust that they will in the future. Because, as God knows, having your own people is the greatest blessing.
Zen
December 12, 2020
I remember years ago, my parents had 6 kids at the time, and I remember we were all sitting at dinner, and someone commented that it felt like someone was missing. And we all felt it. Shortly thereafter, my last two siblings came along, and we all felt like we were all here.
Bookslinger
December 12, 2020
JRL/Zen, shades of Saturday’s Warrior.
JRL in AZ
December 13, 2020
Zen: That happened to my family a couple of times when I was growing up – it was when we were gathering for family prayer. My parents ended up with 12. And it has happened to me and my wife and our kids a few times as well, also at family prayer time. It’s a real thing. Another reason to gather regularly for family prayer, I guess…