Later in the week I was preparing my sharing time and researching on LDS.org when I came across a talk President Eyring gave in 1999 and read a quote that struck me with great force and immediately I felt sorry about the comments I had made to my neighbor.
A wise parent would never miss a chance to gather children together to learn of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Such moments are so rare in comparison with the efforts of the enemy. For every hour the power of doctrine is introduced into a child’s life, there may be hundreds of hours of messages and images denying or ignoring the saving truths.
The question should not be whether we are too tired to prepare to teach doctrine or whether it would be better to draw a child closer by just having fun or whether the child is beginning to think that we preach too much. The question must be, “With so little time and so few opportunities, what words of doctrine from me will fortify them against the attacks on their faith which are sure to come?” The words you speak today may be the ones they remember. And today will soon be gone.
The mulch would wait but my children are growing and won't be around forever. I should and need to take every opportunity to teach them the gospel. I don't negate that family home evening can't be an evening of teaching children to work or playing games. Activities that bring the family together and create memories are very important. But it was my attitude that needed to change. I was worried more about getting the mulch on our flowerbeds and "counting" that as FHE than I was about what saving truth could be taught.
The very next day after reading Elder Eyring's talk I picked up the Ensign I've neglected for a month. I sat stunned as I read the title of the monthly message by none other than Elder Eyring, Teaching True Doctrine. This was the same article I had just read the day before not knowing it was this month's monthly Ensign message.
You don't need to knock me over the head twice. I got it. I vowed that day to take advantage of every teaching opportunity because really I don't have a lot of time.
4 comments:
Its amazing how fast they are gone! We started having the lesson on Sunday, so that we could have an activity on Monday cause it seems like Monday night lesson get preempted by things more and more often as your kids get older.
That's a great idea. I've already been witness to the busyness that comes as my kids get older and more involved. We will have to try that.
Either way, your a great example to us all Miss! Just don't knock yourself down for feeling imperfect because we all fall into that category sometime or another.
Your children can never say you did not teach them the gospel. It has been instilled in them. I've seen it first hand. I was worried about having a family home when I was watching them. Gospel truths are so simple and take such little time to teach and sometimes that does happen in a "working" situation. You are doing a tremendous job and I love you so much for it.
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