The commandment to multiply and replenish the Earth was emphasized so many times by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve because more children means more opportunities for God's children to receive bodies and have the experiences necessary for exaltation. Contrary to this encouragement from our leaders, the world often proposes an opposing plan. It teaches that couples should be selfish in their relationships and personal goals, placing them as a first priority instead of child rearing.
Procreation is sacred because it allows couples sealed in the temple to enter a partnership of creation with God. This is divine power sanctioned for Earth life, and the misused of this gift deeply offends our Heavenly Father and His plan of happiness.
There are several obvious reasons that procreation is reserved for man and wife. For starters, traditional marriage is the optimal setting to raise righteous children. It's also very easy to get hurt while using procreation in a relationship that's not as committed as a marriage. This is one of the reasons God wants us to save it for marriage, because it creates a certain vulnerability in a person that's very painful to break.
"We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed" basically rewords this concept in more concise words. God preserved the act of sexual intercourse for marriages.
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