Sabbath Services
Deuteronomy tells us that we are to love God to a higher degree than anything or anyone else. The key to being a successful parent is not to put your child first, but to put God first. However, our children should be below only God and Jesus Christ in our priority list. Mr. Monson tempers the fact that this sermon will be a corrective one by explaining the role of discipline in our spiritual lives and how to effectively give and take criticism constructively. God tests us so that he might know the height and depth and breadth of our faith in Him. Character is forged in fire, and faithful are the wounds of a friend. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. We are to internalize God’s commands and engrave them “in your heart [and]… teach them diligently to your children” in every circumstance possible. Being a parent is a 24/7 job, as is being a devoted Christian. Instructing our children must begin when they can tell the difference between yes and no. The job of any parent is to make their children the best they can be. If a child is trained up in the way they should go, they (by and large) will not depart from it. If we put God first, we will teach our children to do the same, and everything else will fall into place. All correction must be in proper measure and done in a spirit of love, with the child’s best interest at heart. Mr. Monson briefly examines Paul and Peter’s father-son type relationship, and the way Paul instructs and corrects and encourages Peter in his letters. The sermon continues this line, touching on the God-ordained roles of each member of the home, emphasizing the obedience and honor children ought to have for their parents, and the fact that parents are not to provoke their children to wrath. Mr. Monson then focuses on several scriptures that outline how we must choose our spouse, zeroing in on Ezra’s strong admonition to not intermarry with pagans. The marriage bond is the foundation of the family, and an unequally yoked partnership likely will not produce stable, Godly children. The message ends with a brief expose on the way children (and adults) should behave at services. Raising children is not easy, but it is a tremendous calling and opportunity. God has provided us with a complete guide on how to be a successful parent. He is building a family. With God’s help, we will make it.
