the Family states,Sex is a powerful drive, and for most of human history it was firmly linked to marriage and childbearing. Only relatively recently has the act of sex commonly been divorced from marriage and procreation. Modern contraceptive inventions have given many an exaggerated sense of safety and prompted more people than ever before to move sexual expression outside the marriage boundary. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints In the largest denomination of Mormonism the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), teachings on birth control have changed over the course of its history going from condemning it as sinful to allowing it. The current church stance as of 2023 is that "decisions about birth control and the consequences of those decisions rest solely with each married couple" and that they should consider "the physical and mental health of the mother and father and their capacity to provide the basic necessities of life for their children" when planning a family. The LDS Church opposes elective abortion "for personal or social convenience" but states that abortion could be an acceptable option in cases of rape, incest, danger to the health or life of the mother, or where the fetus has been diagnosed with "severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth". The church "discourages surgical sterilization as an elective form of birth control". Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses allow married couples to use birth control: Jesus did not command his followers to have or not to have children. Neither did any of Jesus’ disciples issue any such directive. Nowhere does the Bible explicitly condemn birth control. In this matter, the principle outlined at Romans 14:12 applies: "Each of us will render an account for himself to God." Married couples, therefore, are free to decide for themselves whether they will raise a family or not. They may also decide how many children they will have and when they will have them. If a husband and wife choose to use a nonabortive form of contraception to avoid pregnancy, that is their personal decision and responsibility. No one should judge them. See also Catholic theology of the body Christianity and abortion Religion and HIV/AIDS References External links Roman Catholic "Contraception: Why Not?" by Janet E. Smith Website for Catholics Against Contraception Document from the United States Catholic Council of Bishop's November 2006 on the married life and