HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
Parents loving each other helps them love and care for their children, because when parents do love each other it shows their children what love is and how it's supposed to feel when someone does love you. It also shows parents how patience works with their spouse and children.
According to the Proclamation, parents have a sacred duty to do five things:
rear their children in love and righteousness
provide for their physical and spiritual needs
teach them to love and serve one another
teach them to observe the commandments of God
teach them to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live
Parents are not going to be held accountable for how their children turned out, but on whether or not the parents "discharged" those duties. Why is that an important principle to understand? When we teach our children to love and choose righteousness, they can become the people that you raise them to be. Love is something that is shown through acts of service. I think it's really important that parents show affections towards each other and their kids. It really shows what love is and how to interpret it. When you teach your children righteousness, it shows through example of you and the people that are around your children. That's why you should always have good wholesome people around you and your family. Continuing to attend your regular church meetings with your children is important, because it shows them how much the gospel means in your lives. Righteousness is a choice, so when that choice is becoming more grey, you know that your way is wrong. Showing your good example to your kids can lead them to do what is right.
Teaching your kids the commandments of God is really important, when striving to become more and more like Christ these commandments are important to obey them. Showing them again through example is a way teach them to live the commandments. When you do have a family of your own it really is important to emphasize the importance of the gospel, how important it is to you and your family. Do you want it to be the center of the home? If you do want that than the most important thing to do is not only have those church activities and attending those meetings. But just as the prophet said, to have those teachings in the walls of your own home. Understanding the commandments as a kid is very difficult, so teaching them is going to take patience and and understanding of the thought process of your kids. I had grown into a family that never really taught much in the walls of our own home, so most of my understanding of the gospel was from the teachings at church and my personal study as a teen. I can say that the example my mom had on me was important.
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