June 13, 2010

Today I read Elder Robert D. Hales' talk, Our Duty to God: The Mission of Parents and Leaders to the the Rising Generation. I really liked this talk and it makes me really happy to read it and feel like I really am fulfilling my duty to God. I am passionate about parenting in the Lord's way and I felt reminded of the most important things I should be doing and reassured that I'm on the right track.

Elder Hales says, "Our duty to God... begins with... consistently and diligently living gospel principles at home." And another important part of our duty is "teaching our children the gospel and preparing them to participate fully in the Savior's restored church." He asks, "Do our children know what we know?" I hope that my children will know. They certainly will know of what I know by reading my journals, but I wish for them to not only know of what I know, but to know as I know. I want to share my faith with each one of them.

Elder Hales also talks of the importance of really understanding our children's hearts, of really being there with them. It means we are listening with spiritual ears, that we let them talk and ask questions and listen more! It means we're doing things with them, connecting through shared experiences together. He says we must act on the opportunities we have to "look into their eyes and tell them we love them and that Heavenly Father loves them" and "help them understand... who they are, and how fortunate they are to have come to this earth and to our home and to participate in the covenants we have taken in the temple to be a family forever."

I have a very strong testimony of and feelings about these things and hope my children will feel similar feelings. I loved Elder Hales' reminders that the greatest missionary work, family history work and the greatest rescue, activation that we will do will be within the walls of our own homes. I love my calling as a mother and I have no doubt that what goes on inside our home and family is the greatest work I could ever do.

My favorite part of this talk was a quote of a scripture in D&C 123:15, 17 that says, "There is much which lieth in futurity. Therefore, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then we may stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."