What to Teach Your Children

Lehi feared exceedingly because of his sons, Laman and Lemuel, for they would not follow his beckoning to join their family and partake of the fruit of the tree of life (symbolizing the love of God). Consequently, he spoke thus to them, as recorded by his son, Nephi,

"...And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea my father did preach unto them. And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord... (1 Nephi 8:37-38)"

It is interesting to note that at the end of his life, Nephi spoke about turning the hearts of his (and our) children toward Christ. He used the same adjectives (preach, prophesy, commandments/law) to accomplish turning hearts that his father had used. Notice below:

"...And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know... (2 Nephi 25:26)"

Nephi was an astounding prophet, and it is important to recognize that he was teaching at the end of his life those principles which his father displayed in speaking to his family while he was yet a youth. What we teach, exemplify, or how we act is vitally important, for it may influence our children their entire lives.

Elder Russell M Nelson addressed my stake on January 31st of this year, and gave the following list of what we should teach children. I feel it applicable to recite here.

Teach the children:

• that they are children of God with a divine nature
• to converse with the Lord in prayer, morning and evening
• about the Lord, Jesus Christ
• the significance of the Sacrament
• about Prophets, prophetic dispensations, and the succession of prophets
• of the importance of the restoration of the priesthood
• to honor their parents: make it easy for them to love you
• to focus their future on the temple
• to be worthy of a mission call
• the importance of tithing
• about the Word of Wisdom
• the importance of an education
• to be good citizens
• who they really are