Parents – Quote Catch

Proverbs 22: 6…Train a child in the way he should go, and when old he won’t depart from it.
1 Nephi 5:21…We should preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children by providing them with the scriptures
Moses 1: 4, 6, 7…We are children of God
Mosiah 24: 22…Teach children to give thanks to God
Mosiah 24: 8…Children follow their parent’s evil counsel
1 Nephi 17: 55…Honor parents, days long
Proverbs 3: 12…Punishment done in love
Ether 6: 17…Parents should teach children to walk humbly
1 Nephi 1: 1…Nephi born of goodly parents (father taught all he’d learned)
1 Nephi 8: 36-37…How a Parent should worry for the salvation of their children
1 Nephi 11: 17…Parent should love their children as God does
1 Nephi 17: 55…Honor thy parents so that thy days are long in the land
1 Nephi 18: 17…Parents can die by grief caused by children
2 Nephi 1: 14…Lehi pleads & trembles for his children’s righteousness
2 Nephi 1: 16…A parent’s desire is that children keep commandments
2 Nephi 1: 17…Parent do sorrow when children disobey.
2 Nephi 2: 28…Parent’s desire that children (1) Choose Christ (2) Listen to His commandments (3) Be faithful to His words (4) Choose eternal life
2 Nephi 2: 30…Use prophet’s words to counsel children; worry about eternal welfare of children’s souls
2 Nephi 4: 5…Bless your children, instruct them the correct road to follow
Hebrews 12: 6-7…Discipline children
2 Nephi 25: 23…Work diligently to persuade children & brothers to believe in Christ
Mosiah 1: 2-8…Teach your children worldly and spiritual knowledge so that they become men of understanding
Mosiah 1: 18…Obey your parents
Mosiah 13: 20…Honor Father and Mother and your days are long
Mosiah 10: 17…Children are greatly influenced by what their parents tell them
Psalms 127: 3-5…Have kids
Mosiah 13: 18…Don’t allow anyone (w/in your power that are inside your doors) fall into transgression
Mosiah 4: 15…Teach children to: (1) Walk in the ways of truth and soberness (2) Love one another (3) Serve one another
Mosiah 4: 14…If parents would teach children in home not to fight then there would be no fighting in the world
Mosiah 4: 14…Don’t let your children: (1) Go hungry (2) Go naked (3) Transgress the Laws of God (4) Fight & quarrel with one another (5) Serve the devil
Spencer W. Kimball, 1969 General Conference, “And who are to build these reservoirs? Is this not the reason that God gave to every child two parents? Who else but the forebears would clear the forests, plow the land, carve out the futures? Who else would set up the businesses, dig the canals, survey the territory? Who else would plant the orchards, start the vineyards, erect the homes? In his omniscience, our God gave to every child a father and mother to pioneer the way. And so it is those parents who sired them and bore them who are expected to lay foundations and to hold the hands through the tender years to build the barns and tanks and bins and reservoirs”
Spencer W. Kimball, 1969 General Conference, “Did not the Lord, speaking of parents, say, “And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord”? ()
Spencer W. Kimball, 1969 General Conference, “Is it not the work of the parents to build so their children can inhabit houses they did not build, eat the fruit from trees they did not plant and grapes from vines they did not start? Parents should be soberly about their life’s work of building reservoirs and helping to fill them for the children who are yet too small to hoe, or dig, or plow.”
Spencer W. Kimball, 1969 General Conference,”I am grateful to my parents, for they made reservoirs for my brothers, my sisters, and myself. They filled them with prayer habits, study, activities, positive services, and truth and righteousness. Every morning and every night, we knelt at our chairs with backs to the table and prayed, taking turns. When I was married, the habit persisted, and our new family continued the practice.”
Spencer W. Kimball, 1969 General Conference, “(referring to Lehi)…Though two of the brothers ignored those teachings, using their own free agency, yet Nephi and others of his brothers were strongly fortified and all their lives could draw heavily on the reservoir built and filled by worthy parents.”
Spencer W. Kimball, 1969 General Conference, “Jacob, another of the sons of Lehi drew heavily from the storage inherited from his father, and he passed the same to his son Enos, who bore testimony of it. () …I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man for he taught me in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and blessed be the name of my God for it…I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.”
Spencer W. Kimball, 1969 General Conference, “(referring to Children being influenced outside the home during the day)…How can you be sure they will not leave you and the simple faith in God? The answer was unmistakable. “We mend the damaged reservoir every night,” they said. “We teach our children positive righteousness so that the false philosophies do not take hold, and should any have taken lodgment in the day, we dislodge them at night. Our children are growing up in faith and righteousness in spite of the overwhelming pressures from outside.” Generally, cracked dams can be mended and saved, and sandbags can hold back the flood’ and reiterated truth, renewed prayer, gospel teachings, a flood of love, and parental interest can save the child and keep him on the right path.”
Boyd K. Packer, “Young people wonder “why?”…Why are we commanded to do some things, and why are we commanded not to do other things? A knowledge of the plan of happiness…can give young minds a “why”…You will not be with (your) children at the time of their temptations. At those dangerous moments, they must depend on their own resources. If they can locate themselves within the framework of the gospel plan, they will be immensely strengthened….The plan is worthy of repetition over and over again. Then the purpose of life, the reality of the Redeemer, and the reason for the commandments will stay with them….their gospel study, their life experiences, will add to an ever-growing witness of the Christ, of the Atonement, of the restoration of the gospel” address to religious educators, 10 Aug 1993
Elder Robert D. Hales, April 1999 General Conference, “Every family can be strengthened in one way or another if the Spirit of the Lord is brought into our homes and we teach by His example….Act with faith; don’t react with fear. When our teenagers begin testing family values, parents need to go to the Lord for guidance on the specific needs of each family member. This is the time for added love and support and to reinforce your teachings on how to make choices. It is frightening to allow our children to learn from the mistakes they may make, but their willingness to choose the Lord’s way and family values is greater when the choice comes form within than when we attempt to force those values upon them. The Lord’s way of love and acceptance is better than Satan’s way of force and coercion, especially in rearing teenagers.”
“While we may despair when, after all we can do, some of our children stray from the path of righteousness, the words of Orson F. Whitney can comfort us: “Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving (mother’s and) father’s heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for (our) careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with (our) faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God” (quoting Joseph Smith, in Conference Report, April 1929, 110.)
Elder Richard G. Scott, Ensign May 1993, 34, “Some of you have children who do not respond to you, choosing entirely different paths. Father in Heaven has repeatedly had that same experience. While some of His children have used His gift of agency to make choices against His counsel, He continues to love them. Yet, I am sure, He has never blamed Himself for their unwise choices.”
.Elder Joe J. Christiansen, Ensign Nov 1993, “Do not be afraid to set clear moral standards and guidelines. Be sure to say no when it is needed….Let (your children) know that there are some things that, as members of your family, you simply do not do. Some parents seem to be almost pathologically concerned about their children’s popularity and social acceptance and go along with many things that are really against their better judgment, such as expensive fads, immodest clothes, late hours, dating before age sixteen, R-rated movies, and so on. For children and parents, standing up for what is right my be lonely at times. There may be evenings alone, parties missed, and movies which go unseen. It may not always be fun. But parenting is not a popularity contest.”
“And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference Oct 1995, “You parents, love your children. Cherish them. They are so precious. They are so very, very important. They are the future. You need more than your own wisdom in rearing them. You need the help of the Lord. Pray for that help and follow the inspiration which you receive.”
…After Lehi spoke to his two rebellious kids with power and authority, he had to “dwell in a tent” to calm down
Children Are Dogs – Teenagers Are Cats (Author Unknown)I just realized that while children are dogs … loyal and affectionate … teenagers are CATS. You feed it, train it, boss it around. It puts its head on your knee and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting. It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it. Then around age 13, your adoring little puppy turns into a big old cat… When you tell it to come inside, it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor. Instead of dogging your footsteps, it disappears. You won’t see it again until it gets hungry… then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen long enough to turn its nose up at whatever you’re serving. When you reach out to ruffle its head, in that old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you, then gives you a blank stare, as if trying to remember where it has seen you before. You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it. It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed. It won’t go on family outings. Since you’re the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong. Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave. Only now you’re dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result. Call it, and it runs away. Tell it to sit, and it jumps on the counter. The more you go toward it, wringing your hands, the more it moves away. Instead of continuing to act like a dog owner, you can learn to behave like a cat owner. Put a dish of food near the door, and let it come to you. But remember that a cat needs your help and your affection too. Sit still, and it will come, seeking that warm, comforting lap it has not entirely forgotten. Be there to open the door for it. One day your grown-up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, “You’ve been on your feet all day. Let me get those dishes for you.”Then you’ll realize your cat is a dog again.
“The critical determinant of the quality of your relationships is the amount of time that you spend face-to-face with the people you love, and who love you in return.” Eat That Frog, Brian Tracy, Page 52
Alma 53:20-21… And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. 21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.
“Your last will and testament is the wrong place to do your parenting.” Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 33
“Controllers can devastate their children’s lives, dangling money like a carrot on a stick to ‘encourage children to go to the right school, get the right job, or marry the right person.” Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 47
“A parent’s first responsibility to his or her children is ingrained as deeply as any other moral imperative: for the protection, the provision and the maintenance of life.” Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 75
“The great forbidden zone of family conversation is nearly always money. ‘There’s a toxicity and secrecy around money in many families,’ says Charles Collier, senior philanthropic advisor at Harvard University and author of Wealth and Families (Harvard University, 2001). ‘As a result, parents fail to provide their kids with any type of financial education- how to invest, say, or how to use a credit card- or to prepare them for the decisions they may have to make about their fortunes. Plus, in many cases, parents are too busy making money and managing their assets to think much about the effect it all will have on the kids.’” Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 90
“No longer can anyone leader, either man or woman- or for that matter, any parent- attempt to provide what is so desperately needed in the lives of our families and Church members. If we are to succeed in leading our Heavenly Father’s children toward eternal life, we must counsel together and help each other.” Counseling with Our Councils M. Russell Ballard, Page viii
“What’s even more disheartening is the way our fixation on deficits affects young people in the home and classroom. In every culture we have studied, the overwhelming majority of parents (77% in the United States) think that a student’s lowest grades deserve the most time and attention. Parents and teachers reward excellence with apathy instead of investing more time in the areas where a child has the most potential for greatness.” StrengthsFinder 2.0 (Tom Rath) Kindle Location 193-96
“We can be reasonably active, meeting-going Latter-day Saints, but if we do not live lives of gospel integrity and convey to our children powerful, heartfelt convictions regarding the truthfulness of the Restoration and the divine guidance of the Church from the First Vision to this very hour, then those children may, to our regret but not surprise, turn out not to be visibly active, meeting-going Latter-day Saints or sometimes anything close to it.” Broken Things to Mend (Jeffrey R. Holland) Kindle Loc. 165-68
“Moms and dads can do everything right and yet have children who stray. Moral agency still obtains. But even in such painful hours, it will be comforting for you to know that your children knew of your abiding faith in Christ, in His true Church, in the keys of the priesthood, and in those who hold them. It will be comforting then for you to know that if your children choose to leave the straight and narrow way, they leave it very conscious that their parents were firmly in it. Furthermore, they will be much more likely to return to that path when they come to themselves (see) and recall the loving example and gentle teachings you offered them there.” Broken Things to Mend (Jeffrey R. Holland) Kindle Loc. 185-89
“Nephi-like, might we ask ourselves, what do our children know? From us?Personally? Do our children know that we love the scriptures? Do they see us reading them and marking them and clinging to them in daily life? Have our children ever unexpectedly opened a closed door and found us on our knees in prayer? Have they heard us not only pray with them but also pray for them out of nothing more than sheer parental love? Do our children know we believe in fasting as something more than an obligatory first-Sunday-of-the-month hardship? Do they know that we have fasted for them and for their future on days about which they knew nothing? Do they know we love being in the temple, not least because it provides a bond to them that neither death nor the legions of hell can break? Do they know we love and sustain local and general leaders, imperfect as they are, for their willingness to accept callings they did not seek in order to preserve a standard of righteousness they did not create? Do those children know that we love God with all our heart and that we long to see the face—and fall at the feet—of His Only Begotten Son? I pray that they know this.” Broken Things to Mend (Jeffrey R. Holland) Kindle Loc. 193-201
“President David O. McKay once said, “No greater responsibility can rest upon any man [or woman] than to be a teacher of God’s children.” Broken Things to Mend (Jeffrey R. Holland) Kindle Loc. 519-20
“Parental love, family activity, gentle teaching, and respectful conversation—sweet time together—can help keep the generations close and build bonds that will never be broken.” Broken Things to Mend (Jeffrey R. Holland) Kindle Loc. 1300-1301
“But both research and experience show that parental love and a happy home is the strongest defense our children have against anything the lords of darkness can throw at them.” Broken Things to Mend (Jeffrey R. Holland) Kindle Loc. 1302-3
“When we are little, we learn how to feel about ourselves and about life by the reactions of the adults around us.” You Can Heal Your Life (Louise Hay) Page 17
“If we were to take a three-year-old child and put him in the middle of the room, and you and I were to start yelling at the child, telling him how stupid he was, how he could never do anything right, how he should do this, and shouldn’t do that, and look at the mess he made; and maybe hit him a few times, we would end up with a frightened little child who sits docilely in the corner, or who tears up the place. The child will go one of these two ways, but we will never know the potential of that child. If we take the same little child and tell him how much we love him, how much we care, that we love the way he looks and love how bright and clever he is, that we love the way he does things, and that it’s okay for him to make mistakes as he learns — and that we will always be there for him no matter what — then the potential that comes out of that child will blow your mind!” You Can Heal Your Life (Louise Hay) Page 28
“It is imperative for our freedom to understand that our parents were doing the best they could with the understanding, awareness, and knowledge they had.” You Can Heal Your Life (Louise Hay) Page 29
“How much do you know about your parents’ childhoods, especially before the age of ten? If it’s still possible for you to find out, ask them. If you’re able to find out about your parents’ childhoods, you will more easily understand why they did what they did. Understanding will bring you compassion. If you don’t know and can’t find out, try to imagine what it must have been like for them. What kind of childhood would create an adult like that? You need this knowledge for your own freedom. You can’t free yourself until you free them. You can’t forgive yourself until you forgive them. If you demand perfection from them, you will demand perfection from yourself, and you will be miserable all your life.” You Can Heal Your Life (Louise Hay) Page 29
“Don’t trust strangers” may be good advice for a small child, but for an adult, to continue this belief will only create isolation and loneliness.” You Can Heal Your Life (Louise Hay) Page 35
“If we were taught as a child that the world is a frightening place, then everything we hear that fits that belief we will accept as true for us. The same is true for “Don’t trust strangers,” “Don’t go out at night,” or “People cheat you.” On the other hand, if we were taught early in life that the world is a safe place, then we would hold other beliefs. We could easily accept that love is everywhere, and people are so friendly, and I always have whatever I need.” You Can Heal Your Life (Louise Hay) Page 35
“…No other experiences of life draw us nearer to heaven than those that exist between happy parents and happy children.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Nov. 1994, 54)
Jacob 2:43… Wherefore, ye shall remember your children, how that ye have grieved their hearts because of the example that ye have set before them; and also, remember that ye may, because of your filthiness, bring your children unto destruction, and their sins be heaped upon your heads at the last day.
“Kobe likes to say that he learned 90 percent of what he knows about leadership from watching me in action. “It’s not just a basketball way of leadership,” he says, “but a philosophy of how to live. Being present and enjoying each moment as it comes. Letting my children develop at their own pace and not trying to force them into doing something they’re not really comfortable with, but just nurturing and guiding them along. I learned that all from Phil.” Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success (Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty) Page 316
“Lonsdorf, Eberly, and Pusey found consistent sex differences in how young female and young male chimps learn from their elders. Girl chimps pay close attention to the adult (usually a parent) who is showing them the procedure. Girl chimps then do just what the adult showed them: she breaks off a branch, cuts it to the same length as the adult had done, strips the leaves as the adult had done, and so forth. But the young males ignore the grown-ups; they prefer to run off and wrestle with other young male chimps, or to swing from trees.” Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men (Leonard Sax) Page 23
“Louv provides a compendium of research demonstrating that when there is a profound imbalance in a child’s early experiences—when nature has been replaced by computer screens and fancy indoor toys—the result is an increased risk for attention deficit disorder. For example, Louv cites a Swedish study in which researchers compared children in two different day-care facilities. One facility was surrounded by tall buildings, with a brick pathway. The other was set in an orchard surrounded by woods and was adjacent to an overgrown garden; at this facility, children were encouraged to play outdoors in all kinds of weather. The researchers found that “children in the ‘green’ daycare had better motor coordination and more ability to concentrate.”37 Similarly, researchers at the University of Illinois have found that putting children in an outdoor environment, where they can actually put their hands in the dirt and feel and smell real stuff, as opposed to interacting with sophisticated computer simulations, is helpful in treating ADHD.38 Ironically, the outdoor alternative is cheaper than the program with the fancy computers. Boys are at least three times as likely to be treated for ADHD compared with girls, and the rates of diagnosis of ADHD for both girls and boys have soared over the past two decades.39 One wonders to what extent the shift from Wissenschaft to Kenntnis may have contributed to the explosion in the numbers of children being treated for ADHD.” Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men (Leonard Sax) Page 31
“One in four white boys with college-educated parents today cannot read at a basic level of proficiency, compared with only one in sixteen white girls.47 To repeat: • Fourth-grade boys are doing slightly better in reading and writing than they were twenty years ago. Twelfth-grade boys are doing worse in reading and writing than they were twenty years ago.” Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men (Leonard Sax) Page 37
The Story of William and his Children
“If you have a child who has habits that irritate you, I will guarantee that they are your habits. Children learn only by imitating the adults around them. Clear it within you, and you’ll find that they change automatically.” You Can Heal Your Life (Louise Hay)Page 101
“We parents are to blame for some of this because it started out as a way to entertain our kids. We justified it by saying they were developing their hand/eye coordination. They were home, we knew what they were doing, they were out of our hair and not causing trouble. Now they are in their twenties and we are scratching our heads wondering, “What’s their problem?”” Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men (Leonard Sax) Page 76
“THE BREASTS represent the mothering principle. When there are problems with the breasts, it usually means we are “over-mothering” either a person, a place, a thing, or an experience. Part of the mothering process is to allow the child to “grow up.” We need to know when to take our hands off, when to turn over the reins and let them be. Being overprotective does not prepare the other person to handle his or her own experience. Sometimes our “overbearing” attitudes literally cut off nourishment in a situation.” You Can Heal Your Life(Louise Hay) Page 129
“One of the pitfalls of wealth is that children may live in an isolated world of socioeconomic homogeneity and may not be exposed regularly to the “have not” segment of society. Our culture is replete with subtle and not-so-subtle messages about the “failures of the poor.” Sometimes our American spirit of individual achievement and competition can be understood to mean that everyone gets a fair chance. Parents can debunk these stereotypes and take proactive steps to broaden their children’s horizons. Encourage your child to join after-school activities with diverse groups of kids. Get involved as a family in community service projects. Use travel together as an opportunity to “unshelter” your children.” Remmer, “Raising Children with Philanthropic Values“
“Many families find this practice useful for children of all ages. Divide your child’s allowance among 3 “jars,” for spending, saving and giving. This will reinforce the importance of saving and giving and also will provide early practice in money management. Once or twice a year, talk with your child about the “giving jar” and help identify possible recipients. If your child likes animals, visit the local animal shelter or do research together on the Internet for an appropriate charity. Some parents encourage their children to hand-deliver the gift, or to add volunteer time to their financial donation. Parents of older children can provide an added incentive by offering to “match” the contribution” Remmer, “Raising Children with Philanthropic Values“
“Any family can develop its own philanthropy program and craft the activities that will encourage a generous spirit in the next generation. Philanthropy, in all its many shapes and forms, is a wonderful way for parents to share their values with their children while making a meaningful contribution in the larger world.” Remmer, “Raising Children with Philanthropic Values“
Luke 15: 3-7…And he spake this parable unto them, saying,4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost until he finds it?5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.7 I say unto you, that likewise, joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
“When I ask parents what their deepest hopes are for their children, they often say they just want them to be happy. But how should we think about happiness? Is it simply a pleasant emotion or something more? According to Aristotle and his latter-day student, Thomas Jefferson, the “pursuit of happiness” has to do with an internal journey to know ourselves and an external journey of selfless service to others. Indeed, the concept of a personal moral compass has been a central motif throughout the lifetime of our civilization.” Wealth in Families Third Edition (Charles W. Collier) Page 10
“More recently, Abraham Maslow, the twentieth-century American psychologist, gave us clues to real happiness in his hierarchy of human needs and goals. Self-actualization, the final aspiration, involves the journey through which we discover what we are truly called to do and be and starting to do it. Maslow postulated an additional objective: transcendence, the ability to move beyond the “self,” to see one’s own fulfillment as inextricably linked to serving the needs of others.” Wealth in Families Third Edition (Charles W. Collier) Page 10
“Part of the reason for believing that my wealth should be given back to society,” says Bill Gates, in Forbes magazine article, “and not, in any substantial percentage, be passed on to my children, is that I don’t think it would be good for them. They really need to get out and work and contribute to society. I think that’s an important element of a fulfilling life.”” Wealth in Families Third Edition (Charles W. Collier) Page 25
“Entrepreneurs enjoy the hunt,” adds Fay, “and they want to instill that sense of struggle and achievement in their children. They’ll set up a safety net for them so they can be teachers or musicians-to expand their range of fulfilling life opportunities. They’ll tell their own story about how excited they are in creating something in the hope that their children will challenge themselves.” Wealth in Families Third Edition (Charles W. Collier) Page 28
“Time is a precious commodity in our lives. Many well-meaning parents unintentionally limit their availability to be with their children because of important business, social, and charitable commitments. “While it is not possible to create universal rules regarding time,” Hausner says, “learning effective parenting techniques can make the time you spend with your children meaningful, memorable and special, so that you are, in a sense, with them even when you are not.” Many observers have pointed out that the quality of time we spend with our children is just as important as the quantity.” Wealth in Families Third Edition (Charles W. Collier) Page 42
“Today’s kids feel tremendous pressure to develop as athletes and play on winning teams. Many will put years of tee ball, Little League, high school, and college games under their belt, with parents yelling and screaming like life depended on whether you win or lose. Parents fight for positions for their kids on traveling teams and spend thousands of dollars on private coaching, equipment, tournament fees, and airfare. No one pretends it’s about fun for the better players; it’s about preparing them for the next level. Many parents of talented kids see their offspring’s athletic prowess as their own ticket to success. Look at those ballplayers on television making millions. Why not my son? He can play. If I can just get him to focus, to work harder, to spend more time on his drills. Sure, not all parents fall into this category, but today there is a definite tendency to push kids very hard, very early. Look, my parents took me to Little League games, they worked in the concession stand, and they sponsored teams. But they never saw me as a kid destined for stardom, much less their ticket to a life on Easy Street. They wanted me to grow up, go to college, be well-rounded, be what I wanted to be. They didn’t push me. Baseball for me was never a hyper-competitive, pressure-cooker deal as it so often is for so many kids today.” Clearing the Bases (Schmidt, Mike; Waggoner, Glen) Kindle Location 309-318
“Priesthood and auxiliary leaders must endeavor to strengthen the sacredness of the home by ensuring that all Church activities support the lives of individuals and families. Church leaders need to be careful not to overwhelm families with too many Church responsibilities. Parents and Church leaders work together to help individuals and families return to our Father in Heaven by following Jesus Christ.” Families and the Church in God’s Plan Handbook 2: Administering the Church
“A home with loving and loyal parents is the setting in which the spiritual and physical needs of children are most effectively met. A Christ-centered home offers adults and children a place of defense against sin, refuge from the world, healing from emotional and other pain, and committed genuine love.” Families and the Church in God’s Plan Handbook 2: Administering the Church
“We counsel parents and children to give the highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform” (First Presidency letter, Feb. 11, 1999). Families and the Church in God’s Plan Handbook 2: Administering the Church
“Parents, help safeguard your children by arming them morning and night with the power of family prayer. Children are bombarded every day with the evils of lust, greed, pride, and a host of other sinful behaviors. Protect your children from daily worldly influences by fortifying them with the powerful blessings that result from family prayer. Family prayer should be a non-negotiable priority in your daily life.” Richard G. Scott, October 2014 General Conference
Ezekial 33: 6…. But if the watchman sees the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword comes, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
“Controllers can devastate their children’s lives, dangling money like a carrot on a stick to ‘encourage children to go to the right school, get the right job, or marry the right person.” Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 47
“Moms and dads can do everything right and yet have children who stray. Moral agency still obtains. But even in such painful hours, it will be comforting for you to know that your children knew of your abiding faith in Christ, in His true Church, in the keys of the priesthood, and in those who hold them. It will be comforting then for you to know that if your children choose to leave the straight and narrow way, they leave it very conscious that their parents were firmly in it. Furthermore, they will be much more likely to return to that path when they come to themselves (see Luke 15:17) and recall the loving example and gentle teachings you offered them there.” Broken Things to Mend (Jeffrey R. Holland) Kindle Loc. 185-89
“But both research and experience show that parental love and a happy home is the strongest defense our children have against anything the lords of darkness can throw at them.” Broken Things to Mend (Jeffrey R. Holland) Kindle Loc. 1302-3
Jacob 3:10… Wherefore, ye shall remember your children, how that ye have grieved their hearts because of the example that ye have set before them; and also, remember that ye may, because of your filthiness, bring your children unto destruction, and their sins be heaped upon your heads at the last day.
Jacob 3:5 -7…5 Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them. 6 And now, this commandment they observe to keep; wherefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them; and one day they shall become a blessed people. 7 Behold, their husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children; and their unbelief and their hatred towards you is because of the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?
“When I ask parents what their deepest hopes are for their children, they often say they just want them to be happy. But how should we think about happiness? Is it simply a pleasant emotion or something more? According to Aristotle and his latter-day student, Thomas Jefferson, the “pursuit of happiness” has to do with an internal journey to know ourselves and an external journey of selfless service to others. Indeed, the concept of a personal moral compass has been a central motif throughout the lifetime of our civilization.” Wealth in Families Third Edition (Charles W. Collier) Page 10
“Entrepreneurs enjoy the hunt,” adds Fay, “and they want to instill that sense of struggle and achievement in their children. They’ll set up a safety net for them so they can be teachers or musicians-to expand their range of fulfilling life opportunities. They’ll tell their own story about how excited they are in creating something in the hope that their children will challenge themselves.” Wealth in Families Third Edition (Charles W. Collier) Page 28
“If you already have money without the necessity of working, it becomes easy not to develop the discipline and focus that lead to competency. Children who are raised in an impoverished environment are forced to become independent and competent because there is nobody providing for them. Whatever they desire must come through their own effort. What happens to a wealthy child surrounded by people who do things for the child: tutors, nannies, and strong parents-a whole world of people whose main function is to service the child? The critical issue is the lack of work experience. If you read autobiographies of great achievers, most of them struggled and had significant work experience. The sold newspapers, they worked on the docks, they worked in a store. They really worked hard, and this type of work is one of the important competency experiences. Contrast this to the world of wealthy children. If they’re not in school, they’re often in summer camp or traveling in Europe. Not only do they often miss the opportunity of working, but in families of generational wealth they don’t even see the model of work in their families. The source of the family’s financial support is a trust fund. In these situations, how are they going to get the idea about what it means to work? Work is important because it is a method of validating oneself. Additionally, it gives the individual the opportunity to experience the “high” of achievement. When a child becomes addicted to the excitement of achievement, then money will not impair their productivity.” Wealth in Families Third Edition (Charles W. Collier) Page 44-45
Jacob 3:10… Wherefore, ye shall remember your children, how that ye have grieved their hearts because of the example that ye have set before them; and also, remember that ye may, because of your filthiness, bring your children unto destruction, and their sins be heaped upon your heads at the last day.
“I think about the fact that Grant, Kobe, and I had strong fathers. I know people are concerned about the behavior of some young players, but it starts at home. I’ve always said that. I wish some of the other guys in the league could have had fathers at home, just to see what it’s like, just to see how much better people they could be. Some of the background for the decisions, the evaluations, the choices you have to make, come from when you were at home growing up. Two-parent homes aren’t as prevalent anymore. Single-parent, either way, you’re missing the opposite influence of the missing parent. I had both parents. It helped my decision-making immensely. Especially now that I am a father, making choices like a father, talking to my kids. Like my father did with me.” This as-told-to, from Michael Jordan, was originally published in the April 6, 1998, issue of ESPN The Magazine.
“I feel certain that if in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness” – President Marion G. Romney
“Making the break with Salt Lake City, where Dantzel and Russell were surrounded by family and lifelong friends, was a great adventure and a bit unnerving all at the same time. Many years later, however, Russell would say, “Leaving the nest is the best marriage glue I can imagine, because a husband and wife have to deal with their challenges together. They can’t go running home to Momma or to Daddy. You tough it out and figure it out.” Insights from a Prophet’s Life, Russell M. Nelson, Page 23
“One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds.” General Conference, Richard G Scott, April 2013
May 21, 1995- Tuesday – Quito Ecuador…“Today has been an interesting day. I’ve been tired all day, plus a little down. Elder Hanks & I woke up today & I asked him how his phone call was last night (We didn’t have a chance to talk). He told me that his Dad had told him that he had not lived up to his potential as a missionary. (I don’t know if he said it in these words, but that was the conclusion that Elder Hanks made). It hurt me to think of the torment that Elder Hanks has to be going through. After giving it all, and thinking you’d given your all, to hear your own dad say that you didn’t fulfill faithfully – I’d be devastated. Well it made me think of how unimportant we are as missionaries. We live here in South America where the church is very young. The members look at us as heroes, know it all, and men inspired of God. They have us on a pedestal. After talking with my parents & listening to Elder Hanks, I felt so useless. We’re just two boys serving our time like the rest of them have. Before I was 100% confident & felt a ton of myself, but today I was very humbled.” – Clinton Brown Missionary Journal