Children

Wow!! Again, another subject for me to internalize before I write about it. I did not raise my children in the Gospel. I have no reference points for this discussion. There are regrets of course now, that I was not able to raise my children in the Gospel.
How does one do it? What do you do? Why do you do it? Where do you do it?
I listened to those of you that grew up in the church and are raising your children in the Gospel or have raised your children in the Gospel. It sounds like free agency is a strong component.
President Joseph F. Smith had many wonderful suggestions to offer up. The suggestions were ones I have heard over and over the past 6-7 years I have been in church. Parents are responsible for raising their children righteously and the church is the support system with Sunday School, Primary, etc.
Parents need to set the righteous example and begin teaching when young......and I see the young families in our ward doing that! They bring church centered activities to keep them quiet, they teach them reverence, to pray, to give talks, to read the scriptures, family home evening and teaching them to set goals for the Temple.
When I was in Jr Primary, I was amazed how well they read from the scriptures. They got this at home! The love the parents have for the Gospel shines in their little faces.....I saw it every Sunday I was there.
So, what can I add? I can say "BRAVO!" to the parents that are doing their best!!! And if your child chooses to leave the church, continue to love them, pray for them just as you would if they were active.
My sister and my brother prayed for over 30 years for me.....they never gave up on me. I am going to church and I have been to the Temple.......there is always hope!
Now, I pray for my children's hearts to be softened that one day, maybe one day, they will be ready to hear about the Gospel.
Kathy

Eternal Marriage

Last Sundays' lesson has been tumbling around in my thoughts and heart all week. I have so many different feelings on so many levels on this, that it took time to try to put it all together.
I come from a very broken, splintered childhood that continued into my adult life. This makes an eternal marriage a very difficult concept to understand, to follow, to accept.
I struggled with this for years. I do have an eternal marriage. We will be sealed for 5 years this November. But it was not an easy decision. Coming from a very splintered, broken life, how do you follow a commandment that you don't believe is for you? Where do you find the strength, faith and "endure to the end" attitude to follow this commandment? How do you find the strength, faith and "endure to the end" attitude to follow this commandment? Why do you find the strength, faith and "endure to the end" attitude to follow this commandment?
President Joseph F. Smith stated "The Lord has given us his everlasting gospel to be a light and a standard to us, and this gospel includes his holy order of matrimony, which is eternal in nature. We should not and must not follow the marriage practices of the world. We have a greater light than the world has, and the Lord expects more of us than he does of the them." He also stated "No one can be deprived of exaltation who remains faithful......An undeserving husband cannot prevent a faithful wife from an exaltation and vice versa."
I went forward in faith and obtained my eternal marriage that some how, some way, a plan I do not know will make my eternal marriage work. That some how, some way, my broken, splintered life will be whole when Judgement Day arrives.
I have leaned on the Lord trusting in his plan and in the Atonement, that some how, some way, my family will be whole. My family will be linked through time and all eternity and not splintered and broken as it is now.
Kathy