JILL - I had heard that the Mormons want their members to have as many children as they can. Is that true? what if they dont want any children? also I was wondering if a woman is divorced and gets remarried and she owns her own home before she got remarried can she be the head of the home or do the Lds believe the man has to? also if the woman has children when she gets remarried do the lds believe the new husband is the father and believe the new husband has a right to tell the children what to do and what if their biological father is in the picture?

JOEL - The LDS doctrine believes in a pre-earth life where our spirits are waiting for bodies to unite with to begin our mortal life. So we are encouraged to have as many children as we can handle, so as many spirits as possible can be brought into families where the Gospel of Christ is taught.
A statement from our church leaders says:

“We seriously regret that there should exist a sentiment or feeling among any members of the Church to curtail the birth of their children. We have been commanded to multiply and replenish the earth that we may have joy and rejoicing in our posterity.
“Where husband and wife enjoy health and vigor and are free from impurities that would be entailed upon their posterity, it is contrary to the teachings of the Church artificially to curtail or prevent the birth of children. We believe that those who practice birth control will reap disappointment by and by.”(Letter to Bishops and Stake presidents, April 4, 1969)

The number of children a couple has is a very personal thing between the husband and wife and God. It all depends on the health of both parents and on the inspiration they receive from God.

The Church's Proclamation on the Family states:

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and the protection of their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners."

So it doesn't matter who owns the house, what matters is the family that lives in the house when considering the roles husbands and wives play in the family.
The man should always preside at the head of the family, but both parents are equal in importance and work things out together. The wife and children are not totally controled by the father. Like the jewish mother said in the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, "The husband is the head of the family, but the wife is the neck and can move the head any way she wants," :-)

In the case of divorce, the biological father will always be the father of his biological children unless he gives that up and allows them to be legally adpoted by the new husband of the mother. Divorce can bring up interseting situations when children are involved, so how the new husband treats the children has to be looked at on a case by case basis. If the children are living with him and the mother, he might play some kind of fatherly role, but only to the extent that the biological father would agree with, keeping in mind the best interest of the children.

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