Raising Children to the Lord

My wife spoke on this last week at Church and this week at Stake Conference.  She said "children ask, 'how do I know God is real?".  Parents can take their children to the temple where they can see something concrete- "the House of God" and then they can feel and recognize His Spirit there.  

Before, we left it up to the Church programs to take our children to the temple.  Before, children would see their parents go to the temple.  Today, parents should take their children with them from time to time.

Scripture records 2 events of Jesus Christ's childhood.  Both involve the Temple.  The first is when Mary and Joseph present Jesus at 8 days old in the temple.  The second is when Jesus is found at age 12 to be asking and answering questions in the temple; doing His Father's work.

Also, parents must provide a good example of gospel living.  We must be found following  the prophet, praying together, reading scriptures, FHE ect. We should also magnify our Church callings and participate in charitable service.  If we don't take the gospel of Christ or the words of the Living Prophet serious, why should they?

Lastly, we have had children with learning challenges. Devin was dyslexic, Faith had speech delay, and Claire is reading delayed.  Instead of settling that our children will just have a learning disability in these areas, we identified their areas of weakness, and then we provided extra targeted  tutoring and therapy in those areas. Now these weaknesses have become strengths.  Devin writes stories. Faith won't stop debating us, and Claire is just finishing reading the Book of Mormon before she turns 8. 

In the same way children can have learning challenges, they can also have spiritual weaknesses.  Instead of giving up and settling that our children will never develop their own testimony, we can identify their weakness and provide targeted spiritual training and tutoring through Family Home Evenings, Christian service activities, and the help of Home Teachers and youth advisors.