Post # 30 –
Learn of Me- Help for Parents
Dear Family and
Friends
Today I was
thinking an awful lot about my children and my grandchildren and my great
grandchildren. We are living in such a fast-paced world with so many ways that Satan
can influence them. There are so many things of the world that draw their
attention Away from the most important things in this mortal life. Those things
are of the spiritual realm, things that will eventually take us back to our
Father in heaven to live with Him and our Savior – Jesus Christ.
We as adults,
not even parents specifically, must be so diligent in teaching our children and
all those children who are in our lives.
In this article
Bishop Burke talks about how he learned ‘some of life’s special lessons from a young boy
who was between the ages of 12-14. He mentions how we as parents have the
responsibility to teach our children- and may I add grandchildren and great grandchildren
and those children in our lives whom we are able to teach without offending
their parents with our teachings, we need to teach them about the Savior, Jesus
Christ and our Heavenly Father.
Through prayer, family scripture study and
family home evening we can teach them about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
He told about
this young man and how he had wished that his parents had cared about him. They
young man said that he knew his parents loved him, but he wasn’t sure that they
cared about him. Bishop Peterson said: “you know, to a young person there can
be a difference,” between knowing that your parents love you and knowing that
they care for you.
Help for Parents
Bishop H. Burke Peterson
First Counselor in the Presiding
Bishopric
Today
I would like to visit with the parents about some concerns I believe we share
together. As we read the newspapers, we become justifiably concerned over what
is happening around us. There is a growing concern among our people as we see
the prophecies of times past being unfolded before our very eyes. Some have a
feeling of frustration, anxiety, anger, and yes, even fear. But remember that
Paul, in his letters to Timothy, counseled: “For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7.)
May I suggest that the
steps we can take to dispel fear and bring peace and power are really very
simple. The teachings of the gospel are not complicated. They are not hard to
understand. They need not be confusing. Let us not be blinded by the craftiness
of men.
Nephi
once said that because of the simpleness of the way or the easiness of it,
there were many who perished. (See 1 Ne. 17:41.) Jacob put it another way when he said that
they became blinded because they were continually looking beyond the mark in
their search for answers. (See Jacob 4:14.) They didn’t believe in the simplicity of
the gospel teachings.
Yes, it is true that a
family beset with trials and concerns seems to be the constant pattern of our
mortal existence. However true this fact may be, it need not—it must not—have
an adverse influence in our lives. Children are saved and families are exalted
by participating in some very simple gospel experiences.
Let us listen to the
reassuring words of the Lord as we try to analyze what we can do. He said:
“But
learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward,
even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.” (D&C 59:23. Italics added.)
“Learn
of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall
have peace in me.” (D&C 19:23.)
Could this be our
answer? I find in these scriptures some very clear instructions and comforting
promises. May I discuss just one of many possibilities with you.
“Learn of me,” he
said, “and you shall have peace in me.” We’ve spoken often of where we can best
learn of him—of course it still is and always shall be in the home. This is the
main purpose for which the Lord established the organization of the family and
home—that therein we might teach each other, especially the little children, to
love the Savior and understand and live his teachings. As you consider the importance
of teaching your little ones, have you ever thought in depth on the following
scriptural passage?
“And
whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
“But
whoso shall offend one of these little ones which
believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his
neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matt. 18:5–6. Italics added.)
“Wo
unto them; because they have offended my little ones they
shall be severed from the ordinances of mine house.
“Their basket shall
not be full, their houses and their barns shall perish, and they themselves
shall be despised by those that flattered them.
“They
shall not have right to the priesthood, nor their posterity after them from
generation to generation.” (D&C 121:19–21.)
Might it not be an
offense of the greatest magnitude if we don’t teach them of Him, if we don’t
teach them to listen to His words and to walk in the meekness of His Spirit?
Let us ponder that in our hearts.
As
we consider how we might better learn of Him and teach of Him, may I suggest
one of the great blessings your family may be missing out on is the simple
experience of reading the scriptures together daily. We read in Deuteronomy
6:6–7 [Deut. 6:6–7], “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in
thine heart:
“And thou shalt teach
them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in
thine house.”
This is
something that I believe that as a parent I have failed miserably to have family
scripture study every day. Because it says here in this verse that I should
have taught them diligently of the scriptures and I should have talked about the
scriptures and what was being taught therein to my family – especially my
children. I hope they can forgive e someday.
As I have traveled to
the stakes of the Church, I have found many dedicated parents who gather their
families about them daily to study the revelations of the Lord as recorded in
the holy scriptures. I remember one family of 12 children who studied together
daily in two groups, one for the older children and another for the younger
children in their family. Think of the time and effort this has taken over the
years. Think how the blessings to this family have multiplied, as many of their
children have now reached adulthood and are raising young families of their
own.
Oh, how I wish now, that I had done better in
teaching my children more about my Heavenly Father and in His Only Begotten
Son, Jesus Christ. I should have somehow made sure that they knew Them (
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ) well and that they loved Them, that they knew
They (Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ) love each one of them too! I hope and
pray that I can be forgiven of this at some point in my life or in the life to
come😊
I was in another home where
ten children, all young, were given a daily treat of the scriptures. I know of
a mother, alone, with four children. She has them get ready early for bed and
reads to them from the scriptures before they go to sleep each night. What a
blessing for thoughtful parents to shower on their most important
responsibility, their little ones. There shouldn’t be—there mustn’t be—one
family in this Church that doesn’t take the time to read from the scriptures
every day. Every family can do it in their own way. I have a testimony of this.
May I relate a
personal experience from the Peterson family. Several years ago after wrestling
with the problem for some time, my wife and I, sensing the urgency of our
parental charge, devised a new battle plan. You see, up to that point, Satan
had been winning the battle of “Should we or should we not read the scriptures
together in the Peterson home?” We had tried off and on for years with no
sustained success. Our big problem was that someone or something always
interrupted our schedule. With a 17-year spread in our children’s ages, we felt
we had a special challenge.
I am afraid I was
not as well disciplined as this family. Prayer and scripture study were not of
the highest priority as they should have been in my home as my children were
growing up and I regret it now because all of my children have fallen away from
the teachings that I had thought they had a strong testimony of as they were
growing up.
As
we studied and prayed over it, we concluded that the best time for our family
of girls to read would be when no one else wanted our time. Since the older
girls had to be in seminary by 7:00 A.M., our controllable time had to be early. We
decided on 6:15 in the morning. We knew it would be a challenge to get teenage
support. The idea was good, but its implementation was most difficult and it
still is. Our family is still struggling.
This would have been very hard to do, my children all would have
slept right through the scripture study. I think it amazing how this family didn’t
give up when clearly their children did not want to be up that early. I remember taking one of my boys to seminary
early in the morning and I was so excited and had such great hopes for him. Then
I found out that I would drop him off to seminary at the church – he would go
in one door and as soon as I drove away he would go out the other door to his friend’s
house.
Our great new plan had
its birth one hot August day in Phoenix, Arizona. My wife suggested we give
them a whole month to think about it and prepare for it. We went about their
mental preparation in a very positive way. The plan was to start the first day
of school in early September. To their protests that it was impossible to have
their heads all filled with rollers in time, or that it was not likely they
would feel happy so early in the morning, or that they might be late to
seminary, or not have time to eat breakfast either, we replied very cheerfully
that we knew they were clever enough to cope with any minor problems that might
arise.
At its announcement,
we also told the girls we had been praying for guidance in this family problem.
This made it easier, because they had been schooled in prayer and had been
taught not to question its results.
The historic first
morning finally came. My wife and I got up a little early so we would be sure
to be wide awake and happy. Our initial approach must meet with success. We
entered each bedroom singing and happy at the thought of the prospects before
us. Purposely we went to one special bedroom first. Here slept a daughter who would
be able to get up early but who couldn’t wake up before noon. We sat her up in
bed and then went to the others and started them all into the family room. Some
stumbled, some fell, some had to be carried in, some slept through that first
morning—and I might say through subsequent mornings too.
Little by little, we
have learned over the years what reading the scriptures 15 minutes each morning
can do for our family. You should know that we don’t try to discuss and
understand each point we read. We try to pick out only a couple of thoughts
each morning to digest. You should also know we still have to struggle with the
plan’s performance, even though we now have only two children at our home.
We even tried
to read one verse of scripture each day and struggled to do that. We tried to
have each child read one verse, but that didn’t last long either, we tried
early mornings as well as trying to read just before bed time. This one worked
the best when my children were little but as they grew up they stopped getting
out of bed and rather than make it too difficult for all concerned, I am afraid
I simply just gave up.
So, please learn from my example of what not to do☹ Yes, do your best to be more like the families from this
article. Then you maybe wont be feeling like I do years after your children have
grown and left home, that you wished that you too, had done a better job at
teaching your children about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I do want you to know that I have not given up on teaching my children to know and love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ .-- I am hoping I can still help each of them find their way back to His teachings so they can apply them in their lives and have more peace in their lives and in the lives of their children.
Even though they have all grown and have lives of their own. I still try to teach them by example and sharing what is important to me in my life and hopefully I am making some type of an impression on each of them, because I also know that there will come a time -- in the not to far off future that we will need Jesus Christ in our olives because no one or nothing else will or can help us to get through it.
Can
you imagine how a parent would feel to ask a little girl, “What did King
Benjamin mean when he said, ‘When ye are in the service of your fellow beings
ye are only in the service of your God’?” (Mosiah 2:17.) And she would respond, “I suppose he means
that I shouldn’t be selfish and should do little things for my sisters because
it makes Heavenly Father happy—and Daddy, I want him to be happy with me, so
I’m going to try harder.” Innumerable are the blessings that will accrue to the
family that persists in this noble effort of reading the scriptures together
daily.
Remember
he said, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my
Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.” (D&C 19:23.)
This is a peace that
surpasseth all understanding, a peace and a security that will support us
through any time and any trial, a peace that will dispel the spirit of fear in
a confused world.
I have had this
peace about me ever since my diagnosis. It is a peace that can have only come
from the Lord, there is no earthly peace like unto it. I am not worried about
having stage IV breast cancer, or having lympedema, I just adapt to my new way
of life and have peace in my soul. It is a peace that I wish that I could pass
on to my children. They all seem to be stressed out about one thing or another
in their life – especially money, or the lack there of.
May
the Lord bless us with the understanding and dedication not to offend his
little ones. May he strengthen us with a resolve to teach them of him in our
homes through the simple experiences of the gospel. May he bless us to
understand his words: “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” (D&C 38:30.)
In
the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. If you want to read the entire article you can read it here: https://www.lds.org/ensign/1975/05/help-for-parents?lang=eng
So, this is another part of our being prepared in this life, to
teach our children to love their Heavenly Father and His Only Begotten Son,
Jesus Christ. They can only learn to love Them (Heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ) if they are taught about Them (Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ) and of Their
(Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ) great love for each of them. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love each one
of us so very much and they want each of us to return to live with Them (Heavenly
Father and Jesus Christ) again someday.
They (Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ) will help us, They (Heavenly
Father and Jesus Christ) have not left us here to complete our mortal mission on
our own, They are ever waiting for us to call on Them through prayer to help us
– to lead and guide us through the Holy Ghost. We only need to learn to listen
for the still small voice and then heed its impressions that we feel – to act
on those impressions when they come to us.
So, my dear Family and Friends, please teach your children while
you have them with you and can be an influence for good in their lives. Teach them
through prayer, scripture study and family home evening. Teach them to love their
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Teach the to walk in Their ways (Heavenly
Father and Jesus Christ) and not in the ways of the world. You all have a
wonderful week and remember to get into the scriptures with your family – it will
be worth the effort!
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