As a mother, I always have the best intentions of teaching my children. I try to have scripture study and family home evenings. I try to attend church activities and find teaching moments in our daily lives. Somedays I find myself using the excuse of my children being so young, that they don't really know what I'm teaching them anyway. I was reading the Ensign last month and there was a quote that really spoke to me.
"We have the greatest opportunity with the young. The best time to teach is early, while children are still immune to the temptations of their mortal enemy and long before the words of truth may be harder for them to hear in the noise of their personal struggles.
A wise parent would never miss a chance to gather children to learn of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Such moments are so rare in comparison with the efforts of the enemy. For every hour the power of doctrine is introduced into a child’s life, there may be hundreds of hours of messages and images denying or ignoring the saving truths.
The question should not be whether we are too tired to prepare to teach doctrine or whether it would be better to draw a child closer by just having fun or whether the child is beginning to think that we preach too much. The question must be, “With so little time and so few opportunities, what words of doctrine from me will fortify them against the attacks on their faith which are sure to come?” The words you speak today may be the ones they remember. And today will soon be gone. "
-Henry B. Eyring
April 2009 Ensign
Too often I feel like I didn't spend the proper time preparing Family home evenings and I just throw somehting together and call it good. "Atleast we did it." Many nights I really do feel to tired or too busy. I can find the time if it is a priority. To really seek the kingdom of God first we must place our energy and time into it. Our children really are treasures. I know that as we replace the good in our lives with things that are better, and truly essential that we will be blessed. We have the choice to choose obedience. We can choose to read our scriptures daily and to keep the commandments and to serve others. As we choose obedients to the commandments I know we can find true joy and our families will be blessed.
