Righteous Parenting

I have tried to be very general in these blog entries, trying to share my thoughts that are based in my religious beliefs, without including religion in them for the sake of avoiding misinterpretations or misrepresentations of the Church, but today’s topic is impossible for me to detach from my religious beliefs. Today I want to write about righteous parenting. 

If the love between a married couple flourishes and matures enough, it is natural that children come through their union, and what a great responsibility falls on that couple! You have a spiritual child of God in your arms, it is your responsibility to establish the foundation of someone's life in this world and God will hold you responsible for that individual. So, what are we supposed to do for the children that will inevitably come through us? Interestingly, in the account of Luke about the childhood of Jesus he wrote that Christ was "...subject unto [His parents]." (Luke 3:51). I don't think that it is mere coincidence that Jesus grew in so many aspects after "subjecting" Himself to His earthly parents. Just like Luke states about Joseph and Mary raising Jesus, God expects us to help Him in the endeavor of helping His children grow in wisdom, stature, favor with God and men.

Joseph and Mary, Mosiah, Alma, Nephi, Jacob, Adam and Eve, Lehi and Sariah, they are all great examples of righteous parents. Of all of them we read that they constantly prayed for their children, taught them of temporal things and spiritual things, and devoted themselves to their families. I particularly love the examples of Alma the Senior and his son Alma the younger, and Jacob and his son Enos. Both had the same issue, a son that had gone astray, but in both cases, we can read that the prodigal children returned to God, not by themselves, neither by friends or even angels, but returned to righteousness by the example and preaching of their parents. Enos states that his father taught him in all his knowledge and in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Alma the younger states that his father spoke to him about a Jesus Christ, a Son of God that would redeem the world. The righteousness of their parents was what ultimately saved their children and put them back in the road to eternal life.

What exactly should we teach our children? I believed it can be summarized in one thing. Teach them how to be disciples of Christ. Let me quote Nephi, but don't think of him as a prophet while you read this, instead, think of him as a parent, as a husband, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Nephi 25: 26) Nephi centered his life on Christ to make sure his children knew where to go, who to turn to. In the same way I believe a righteous parent should center his or her life around Christ and help his or her children to do the same thing because that way, just like Alma the younger and Enos, they will know who to turn to if they go astray, and they will know whose example to follow throughout their lives.

As a branch of teaching our children to follow Christ, it is also important to teach them to deny temptation. It is much less likely for people to go astray if they know how-to cast-off Satan. The skill is not easily obtained as most temptations from Satan will be directly tied to our own desires and our own will. So, to put away temptation, both our children and us should know how to deny ourselves. To quote Elder Holland on this matter:  "Perhaps that is why when a newborn baby was brought before the venerable Robert E. Lee and the hopeful parents asked for this legendary man’s advice, saying, “What should we teach this child? How should he make his way in the world?” the wise old general said, “Teach him to deny himself. Teach him to say no" (BYU speeches, The Will of the Father, Jeffrey R. Holland).