Jeremy and I were asked to speak on the subject of how to strengthen families. I thought of how we discussed in detail what our goals would be for our children long before they were born. we wrote them down on a little note and taped it on our bathroom wall. our main goal was that we would help our children to have their own personal relationship with God. after praying and discussing on how to do this we wrote these two things underneath:
1. teach them to pray and make sure they said personal prayer morning and night.
2. make sure they have their own personal scripture study each day and we would read together as a family daily.
We aren’t perfect at a lot of things ,but consistent daily scripture study and prayer is something we come pretty close to being perfect at. I love the scriptures, for me they are the gateway to revelation. Just this week I have received answers to my questions regarding a particular child while studying the scriptures and I received an answer to a concern I’ve had for many years. These experiences are like manna to my soul and help build a relationship with God, whom I cannot remember or see, but who clearly communicates with me. I can hear His voice and feel His love as I read and ponder His words .”Thy words were found, and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart”..
The scriptures are the only parenting book that has all the answers. Because every family is unique and the path for each family will be different we will need the scriptures as our guide. I think it profound that the after traveling in the wilderness for days father Lehi sent his sons into a very dangerous situation to retrieve the brass plates. Scriptures were worth risking their lives for . I feel families and individuals will surely die spiritually if we are not in the scriptures each day. There is a power in the words of the Lord as recorded by ancient prophets for us that will protect us from the evils of this world. As some of the children of Israel who were filled with poison from venomous snake bites and thought it to simple a thing to look at a staff to be healed, we may overlook the importance of daily scriptures study because it is a simple thing to do. But, as the children of Israel who had enough faith to just look, when we look at the words of the Lord contained in the scriptures our hearts will be healed, we will see things with an eternal perspective, and we will be safe from the poison all around us. I know from my own experience that these things are true. Those moments when revelation has flowed for my me and my family from being in the scriptures could come in no other way . Abraham was commanded to kill his only son Isaac, Lehi was commanded to leave his home and to take his family into a dessert, Esther was commanded to risk her life by confronting her husband, how did they know? Each of us will have different struggles to face in our family. We cannot look to the world or even our righteous peers for direction because sometimes the will of the Lord for me and for you is different. We will need to know the voice of the spirit in a clear and unmistakable way to fulfill our purpose. I know that our children have come to recognize and understand the promptings of the spirit because we study the scriptures with them. Along with prayer, It is the most important thing we choose to do each day. I have seen the fruits of keeping this commandment and they are sweet and precious beyond anything else this world has to offer.
