My Brothers And Sisters It Is Good...

My brothers and sisters, it is good to be here. I think I should like to use as the springboard for my message, the closing remarks of President Clark and a suggestion just made by Brother Tuttle. ¶

My message for this conference is directed to parents and emphasizes the theme introduced to the membership of the Church this year in connection with the stake conferences, "Keep Faith with Your Family." ¶

My remarks apply also to the youth of the Church, who will be the parents of tomorrow, for they also should be interested in laying the foundation values now for the building of ideal Latter-day Saint homes of their own after marriage and parenthood — homes where love, harmony, and mutual affection predominate and the gospel is both taught and lived. ¶

May I begin by reminding you that God extends to earthly parents a choice blessing when he sends a spirit son or daughter of his to dwell in a mortal body provided by them. God grants to parents, if they have complied with his gospel laws and ordinances, the children born to them in the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, or sealed to them by the authority of the Holy Priesthood of God as their very own throughout the eternities of time. ¶

This knowledge adds joy, happiness, and glory to joint-heirship with Christ in all that the Father possesses, even the gift of his own spirit children. Every child is born in complete innocence here on earth. The Lord entrusts these choice spirit children of his to earthly parents, with a hope that through proper teaching and training they will ever keep them moral, true, and faithful. God has revealed this truth in our day: ¶

"Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God." (D&C 93:38.) Our Savior, giving his life on the cross, redeemed us from the effects of the fall; therefore, every soul at birth stands innocent before God. ¶

In the modern revelations the Lord has given important instruction to parents, detailing their responsibility in the upbringing of their children. After children come to bless parents with the joy and happiness of possession, the Lord has admonished that "Every member of the church of Christ having children is to bring them unto the elders before the church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless them in his name." (Ibid., 20:70.) Here, then, is one of the first duties of parents: to have their children blessed by the elders of the Church. What a privilege and proper beginning for a child to be blessed by the elders of the Church in the name of Jesus Christ! ¶

Now, God has revealed that "little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten; "Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me." (Ibid., 29:46-47.) Parents, therefore, have these early, golden years of a child's life in which to teach, train, and mold its character, when Satan is not given power to tempt or to mislead it. But there does come a time in the lives of children for individual responsibility and accountability, a time when they are to act for themselves, and receive the gospel and its ordinances and to be baptized for a remission of their sins. ¶

The Lord has declared that, "No one can be received into the church of Christ unless he has arrived unto the years of accountability before God, and is capable of repentance." (Ibid., 20:71.) Parents, looking forward to the time of individual responsibility of children for their own acts, should carefully heed this admonition from the Lord: ¶

"And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents." ¶

(Ibid., 68:25.) Parents, therefore, have the responsibility of teaching to the understanding of their children the gospel truths, principles, and ordinances, and to prepare them for baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost when they attain the age of eight years, the age of accountability before God; otherwise, the sin is upon the heads of the parents. ¶

To leave no doubt in the minds of parents about their responsibility and accountability to this instruction, the Lord continued by saying: ¶

"For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion." The teaching of gospel principles and the preparation of children to receive the ordinances of the gospel is not something parents can do only if they want to, because the Lord emphatically declared that it "shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion. . . . And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands." (Ibid., 68:26-27.) He did not say that parents could wait until children are nine or ten or older before baptism, neither does he suggest that parents can permit their children to grow up to maturity and decide for themselves whether they should be baptized. The Lord said they "shall be baptized . . . when eight years old." ¶

There can be no question about our understanding of this instruction. ¶

Because some parents have not attended to this important counsel, many of their children today and the posterity of these children are out of the Church, separated from the greatest gift in life, and thus are denied all of the blessings which they could otherwise have received from faithful Church membership. ¶

The revelation continues with this further admonition to parents: ¶

"And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord. ¶

"And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy." (Ibid., 68:28-29.) The Lord closes this particular instruction to parents, by saying: ¶

"Now, I, the Lord, am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, . . . and their children are also growing up in wickedness; they also seek not earnestly the riches of eternity, but their eyes are full of greediness. ¶

"These things," said the Lord, "ought not to be, and must be done away from among them. . . ." (Ibid., 68:31-32.) To prevent these conditions with their penalties, parents who desire to abide by counsel have no alternative except to follow religiously the admonition and instruction the Lord has given them in this revelation. He also issued an additional warning, which admonishes parents of the obligation they have for the spiritual upbringing of their children. ¶

In this revelation, the Lord said that "The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. ¶

"Light and truth," said the Lord, "forsake that evil one." (Ibid., 93:36-37.) Then he goes on to say that "Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God." ¶

(Ibid., 93:38.) And then the warning of the Lord: ¶

"And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers." (Ibid., 93:39.) It is the power of the wicked one or Satan to deceive and lead children astray after they arrive at the years of accountability, which parents must guard against, not only by teaching their children correct principles, doctrines, and life's true values, but also by setting the proper example before them; otherwise, false traditions will be built up in the home which children will absorb to their eternal harm. ¶

As parents we should ask ourselves this question: What kind of traditions are we building up in our home for our children to absorb and accept into the pattern of their own lives? Like father, like son; like mother, like daughter, is so true. What is good enough for parents is considered by children to be good enough for them. What parents do gives license for children to do. ¶

Again may I ask, what are the traditions of our Latter-day Saint homes? Do we have mutual love, respect, admiration, and loyal devotion between parents? Are we observing the Sabbath day to keep it holy? Are we attending to our meetings regularly? Are we taking our children to Church rather than sending them? Are we obeying the Word of Wisdom? Are we having family prayer in the home twice daily? Are we permitting our children to take their turn in family prayer? Are we paying an honest tithing? Are we honest and truthful in our dealings with our fellow men? Are we obeying the law of chastity? Are we keeping the commandments of God fully and always setting a proper example before our children? Are we responding to ecclesiastical authority and supporting and speaking well of those who preside over us? ¶

These are just a few of the things that decide the kind of traditions in our homes and determine whether they are good or bad. Remember that Israel was so steeped in the false traditions of their fathers that they did not recognize the Lord Jesus Christ when he came among them to set up the kingdom of God on earth. They crucified him for no just cause. ¶

The traditions of our own homes could blind the eyes and minds of our children against all truth, just principles, and spiritual values, and could cause them to depart from the right course they must follow to earn for themselves eternal joy and happiness. ¶

Now, after calling attention to the traditions of the fathers, the Lord said to the parents of the Church: ¶

"But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth." ¶

(Ibid., 93:40.) To bring up children in light and truth is to bring them up in an understanding and acceptance of the true word of God. Do our children understand the doctrine of repentance, of faith in Christ the Son of the Living God, and the importance of baptism, its purpose, significance, and value to them in their lives? ¶

Do they understand the need of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and what the powers and functions of the Holy Ghost are, and the blessings which are theirs through possessing this divine gift? ¶

I will close by quoting a warning the Lord gave to Frederick G. Williams, Second Counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith: ¶

". . . You have continued under this condemnation; "You have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments; and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your affliction. ¶

"And now a commandment I give unto you — if you will be delivered you shall set in order your own house, for there are many things that are not right in your house." (Ibid., 93:41-43.) The Lord gave similar counsel and admonition at this same time to other of the brethren, after which he applied the warning to all of us by saying: ¶

"What I say unto one I say unto all; pray always lest that wicked one have power in you, and remove you out of your place." (Ibid., 93:49.) I earnestly pray, my brothers and sisters, that we will not permit the things of the world to lure us away into complacency and peaceful contentment and cause us to fail in these important obligations imposed upon us by the Lord in the teaching, training, and proper upbringing of our children in the gospel of Christ, which failure would cause us to be removed out of our place and our children to be denied those blessings which they are entitled to receive from us, their parents, to enrich their lives here and hereafter. ¶

God bless us to recognize the responsibility and obligation we have to our children. God bless us to understand the gospel and to be able to teach it so that our children will understand and learn to love and desire to obey the commandments that the Lord has given for their guidance and their blessing. ¶

This I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶