I am awed at some of the shocking news stories carried by the media which causes me to ponder the changes in attitudes and culture our nation has gone through over the past 100 years. I sense that a century ago families stayed close, read a book for entertainment at night and worked together more. Pre-meditated violent crime seems to have been less frequent and moral values were of a higher standard. I question if the media today along with technology simply places our nation’s decay at the forefront because of sensationalism. The world today seems to be focused on the evil all around us. My children are exposed daily to topics and visual stimulation that I never would have dreamed would confront them. If I as a teenager would have been transplanted into today’s world…I would have been appalled because of my generation’s innocence. Today we take the world in stride as just the way it is. Technological advances have so much potential for good, yet certain forces likewise capitalize on them to advance evil. It makes me consider that the war in heaven is still raging for our very souls.
In pondering this topic I came across a chapter in the book, Standing for Something by President Gordon B. Hinckley. His remarks are so timely with all the issues that face us as a nation today. It is sound advice for us as mothers to help protect our families. The following are excerpts from his book concerning how the strength of our nation depends on the strength of our homes.
President Hinckley counsels, “Society’s problems arise, almost without exception, out of the homes of the people. If there is to be a reformation, if there is to be a change, if there is to be a return to old and sacred values, it must begin in the home.
There is no place, no environment more conducive to the development of virtue than the family. The health of any society, the happiness of its people, their prosperity and their peace, all find their roots in the teaching of children by fathers and mothers, and in the strength and stability of the family unit. It is also the most fundamental and basic unit of society. It deserves focus and attention. We go to great lengths to preserve historical buildings and sites in our cities. We need to apply the same fervor to preserving the most ancient and sacred of institutions, the family… Here are some suggestions how…
- Accept responsibility for our role as parents and fulfill our obligations to our children.
- Put the father back at the head of the home. Too many families have been denied the leadership and stabilizing influence of a good and devoted father who stands at the side of an able and caring mother in gently disciplining, and prayerfully helping the children for whom they are a father to. Who better than a father to teach his children what the role of a father should be…one who provides, defends, counselors, listens, gives support when needed, teaches the value of education and the miracle of self esteem that only a father can give.
- Recognize and value the supreme importance of mothers. Mothers provide inspiration and balance; they constitute a reservoir of faith and good works. They are an anchor of devotion and loyalty and accomplishment. As the keepers of the home, they give encouragement to their husbands and they teach and nurture their children. They provide security, peace, companionship, love and motivation to grow and do well. Women who make a house a home make a far greater contribution to society than those who command large armies or stand at the head of impressive corporations. Who can put a price tag on the influence a mother has on her children, a grandmother on her posterity, or aunts and sisters on their extended family?
- Celebrate and treat children as our most priceless treasures. Our lives have become intensely fast-paced and full of busyness. If our children are really our greatest treasures, it stands to reason that they deserve our greatest attention. The more time we spend together, the greater the potential for deepening bonds of love, loyalty, trust and devotion.
- Discipline and train children with example. There is an old proverb that states, “As the twig is bent, so the tree is inclined.” The primary place for building a value system is in the home. If the home inflicts harshness, abuse, uncontrolled anger, dishonesty, immorality, and disloyalty, the fruits will be certain and in all likelihood, repeated in the generation that follows. If, on the other hand, there is forbearance, forgiveness, respect, consideration, kindness, mercy, and compassion, the fruits again will follow onto the next generation as well. The example of wise, fair, honest, and loving parents will do more than anything else in impressing on the minds of children the important principles they need to adopt in their own lives.
- Teach values to children. The most important value to teach children is to teach civility toward others. The world is an example of hatred towards others of another group. Why all this upheaval? It comes of the fact that for generations in the homes of that land, hatred has been taught. Hatred for those of ethnic roots that is different than their own. The tragedy is the bitter fruit of seeds of hatred sown in the hearts of children by their parents. We can protect America against conflict between ethnic groups by teaching tolerance and love in our home. Conflict among the races and religions will fade when all of us recognize that we are all part of one great family, valued equally by our Father.”
Barbara Bush said in a graduation commencement speech at Wellesley College, an all-women institution, “Your success as a family – our success as a society – depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens inside your house.”
President Hinckley’s words are a great example of the value of a living prophet to guide us in these troubled times. Let’s evaluate our homes and the influence we have to strengthen and teach our children to be good citizens and to make a valuable contribution to our society.
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