"Standing Water Ahead"

Happy Sunday to everyone! For the next four weeks, I would like to react to the words spoken at the 180th General Conference of the Church. I know that the talks given were inspired of God, that the messages shared were meant for our uplifting, edification, and (most of all) learning. I sustain the Brethren of the Church as prophets, seers, and revelators. This means that they receive revelation for me and for you, and they can see the calamities and hardships that have, do, and will beset the entire human race. This is a grand assertion; nevertheless it is true, and as such we must all study the words of the prophets again and again, that we may know how to better govern our lives and the lives of our families.

In that vein, I would like to start "Conference Month" with yet another bold talk by Elder David A. Bednar, entitled "Watching with All Perseverance." In it, Elder Bednar talked about warning signs of all kinds, and how spiritual warning signs should lead to increasingly vigilant watching. He then directed the rest of his thoughts toward the family, and how parents can keep their children vigilant and watchful. He offered three imperatives, which we will assess in greater detail:

1. Read and talk about the Book of Mormon with your children
2. Testify spontaneously about Gospel truths
3. Invite children to act and not be acted upon

Read and talk about the Book of Mormon. Elder Bednar said the following about the Book of Mormon:

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that abiding by the precepts found in the Book of Mormon would help us “get nearer to God” than any other book (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 64). Regular reading of and talking about the Book of Mormon invite the power to resist temptation and to produce feelings of love within our families. And discussions about the doctrines and principles in the Book of Mormon provide opportunities for parents to observe their children, to listen to them, to learn from them, and to teach them.

Youth of all ages, even infants, can and do respond to the distinctive spirit of the Book of Mormon. Children may not understand all of the words and stories, but they certainly can feel the “familiar spirit” described by Isaiah (Isaiah 29:4; see also 2 Nephi 26:16). And the questions a child asks, the observations a child shares, and the discussions that occur provide crucial spiritual early warning signals. Importantly, such conversations can help parents to discern what their children are learning, thinking, and feeling about the truths contained in this sacred volume of scripture, as well as the difficulties they may be facing.

I really like how Elder Bednar says that regularly talking about the Book of Mormon brings the Spirit to resist temptation. I know this is true, because I've seen it in my own life. What great blessings he promises of we do this simple thing! It is also a spirit to teach, and discern the needs of our family members.

Testify spontaneously of Gospel truths. This is quite possibly the component that I learned the most about. It flows seamlessly from the first component, and is something that occurs naturally in our homes. In fact, Elder Bednar told us that the less regimented that bearing testimony is, the greater power it has to edify all who hear it. I agree with this wholeheartedly, and would emphasize that this is also true for he or she who bears the testimony. Elder Bednar said that testimony need not begin with "I bear you my testimony that..."

Our witness can be declared as simply as “I know I was blessed with inspiration at work today” or “The truth in this scripture always has been a powerful source of direction for me.” Similar opportunities to bear testimony also can arise while traveling together in a car or bus or in a multitude of other settings. The reactions of children to such impromptu testimony bearing and their eagerness or reluctance to participate are potent sources of spiritual early warning signals.

I know this to be true as well. Testimony becomes more effective when it is organic, that is, when it is intended to fill a need that salient in the very moment in which the testimony is borne.

Invite children to act, and not be acted upon. One step further, inviting children to act should be a natural progression from components 1 and 2. It is inviting children to become Gospel learners, to fill their reservoir of faith until overflowing. In an age of calamity, this is ever more important as children and adolescents each day are faced with challenges of their faith, as seen in peer pressure and popular media. We live in an age when being proactive is not value-added; it is crucial. Elder Bednar said:

Are you and I helping our children become agents who act and seek learning by study and by faith, or have we trained our children to wait to be taught and acted upon? Are we as parents primarily giving our children the equivalent of spiritual fish to eat, or are we consistently helping them to act, to learn for themselves, and to stand steadfast and immovable? Are we helping our children become anxiously engaged in asking, seeking, and knocking? (See 3 Nephi 14:7.)

The spiritual understanding you and I have been blessed to receive, and which has been confirmed as true in our hearts, simply cannot be given to our children. The tuition of diligence and of learning by study and also by faith must be paid to obtain and personally “own” such knowledge. Only in this way can what is known in the mind also be felt in the heart. Only in this way can a child move beyond relying upon the spiritual knowledge and experiences of parents and adults and claim those blessings for himself or herself. Only in this way can our children be prepared spiritually for the challenges of mortality.

It is my prayer that we may be tuned in to the warning signs, that we may save ourselves, and have the Spirit that we may teach our children, as well as any one over whom we have stewardship. May we do this, that we may have "eyes that can see far off, and ears that will hear the sound of trumpets."

Have a great week!