Raising a Family to the Lord

Steven Harper, author of "Making Sense of the Doctrine in Covenants" shares an interesting insight regarding the admonition to parents in Section 76. "Children are born weak and helpless. Powerless to act for themselves but innately divine, children can be empowered to act for themselves if properly taught. Out of love, God empowers his children to act as he acts. He teaches them law, beginning with the law of the gospel. If children are not taught God's laws as they mature, they will neve have agency or power to act for themselves. Teaching children the law of the gospel is a prerequisite to their gaining the ability to choose and act for themselves. Teaching children the laws of God does not guarantee they will keep them. It does guarantee that they will be able to choose for themselves whether to keep them. Parents who do not teach and therefore do not endow their children with agency will answer to God for deciding for their childern rather than empowering them to choose for themselves".

Harper later points out that children are endowed with power by giving them laws and, thus, agency. I believe this concept to be vitally important - we must teach our children not just between right and wrong, but also of the process of choice and accountability. As we teach them to think, consider and ponder and eventually choose for themselves, we are teaching them to become like their Creator...and to act as He acts.

-Dad