Out of Wedlock

Other

Excerpt from an April 1930 General Conference talk by Sylvester Q. Cannon: ¹

BENEFITS OF HIGH MORAL STANDARDS 

Now what are the evidences as to the benefits of the observance by the Latter-day Saints of high moral standards as compared with other people ? I would like to take the opportunity to give you certain government statistics. The Church does not keep record of births out of wedlock, but the government records for Utah and Idaho, where the majority of the Latter-day Saints live, as compared with the rest of the United States, show that the illegitimate birth rate in each of these two states is less than one-third. And that is true also of still-births out of wedlock. Is that any evidence to you as to the benefits of the observance of the declarations of God and the teachings by the leaders