In Behalf Of The Family

What are you doing in the walls of your home? 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Another week has come and gone, and it is time yet again for me to update my missionary blog on your behalf. I pray that as I share with you my thoughts from the passing weeks, as this has been on my mind for some time, that today it will make sense, and you will find answers to prayers and questions. I pray that the Spirit will guide my fingers as I type and that I will share the things Heavenly Father needs someone to know.

This week's topic is Family! I have been thinking a lot about families lately and how different routines in families effect the children and parents. I've been thinking a lot about how a strong family becomes strong, because I know it takes a significant amount of work. After weeks of talking to people, children and adults alike, today as I sat in Relief Society the answers came to me- very simply and very real. It is not a magic power that makes the family strong- rather a very real effort to have the Spirit in the home continually and also the effort to let the kids know from their parents that they are the most important things in their life. It's not as easy as it sounds however, I know that it is something that has to be a team effort. It is something that takes time, and commitment. Hopefully what I share today will help you see a way that you and your family can commit or (re)commit to being a strong family- as a team. [Please, do not be hard on yourself if these lists make you feel bad- just choose a few things to work on, remembering that it will take time, and work on that. It will all come a little at a time, no one is perfect and God still loves us all!]

I want to share with you two lists that were given in the manual we are studying in class. This manual  is called "Teaching Of Presidents Of The Church- Ezra Taft Benson"
The lesson today was entitled: "The Sacred Callings Of Fathers and Mothers" **

The first list is for the Fathers as is as follows:
"Fathers are to provide spiritual leadership in their families." 

1. Give father’s blessings to your children. Baptize and confirm your children. Ordain your sons to the priesthood. These will become spiritual highlights in the lives of your children.

2. Personally direct family prayers, daily scripture reading, and weekly family home evenings. Your personal involvement will show your children how important these activities really are.

3. Whenever possible, attend Church meetings together as a family. Family worship under your leadership is vital to your children’s spiritual welfare.

4. Go on daddy-daughter dates and father-and-sons’ outings with your children. …

5. Build traditions of family vacations and trips and outings. These memories will never be forgotten by your children.

6. Have regular one-on-one visits with your children. Let them talk about what they would like to. Teach them gospel principles. Teach them true values. Tell them you love them. Personal time with your children tells them where Dad puts his priorities.

7. Teach your children to work, and show them the value of working toward a worthy goal. …

8. Encourage good music and art and literature in your homes. Homes that have a spirit of refinement and beauty will bless the lives of your children forever.

9. As distances allow, regularly attend the temple with your wife. Your children will then better understand the importance of temple marriage and temple vows and the eternal family unit.

10. Have your children see your joy and satisfaction in service to the Church. This can become contagious to them, so they, too, will want to serve in the Church and will love the kingdom.

Oh, husbands and fathers in Israel, you can do so much for the salvation and exaltation of your families! Your responsibilities are so important.

Then next for the mothers.
"Mothers should love, teach, and spend effective time with their children."

Mothers in Zion, your God-given roles are so vital to your own exaltation and to the salvation and exaltation of your family. A child needs a mother more than all the things money can buy. Spending time with your children is the greatest gift of all.

With love in my heart for the mothers in Zion, I would now like to suggest 10 specific ways our mothers may spend effective time with their children.

[First,] whenever possible, be at the crossroads when your children are either coming or going—when they leave and return from school, when they leave or return from dates, when they bring friends home. Be there at the crossroads whether your children are 6 or 16. …

Second, mothers, take time to be a real friend to your children. Listen to your children, really listen. Talk with them, laugh and joke with them, sing with them, play with them, cry with them, hug them, honestly praise them. Yes, regularly spend one-on-one time with each child. Be a real friend to your children.

Third, take time to read to your children. Starting from the cradle, read to your sons and daughters. … You will plant a love for good literature and a real love for the scriptures if you will read to your children regularly.

Fourth, take time to pray with your children. Family prayers, under the direction of the father, should be held morning and night. Have your children feel of your faith as you call down the blessings of heaven upon them. … Have your children participate in family and personal prayers, and rejoice in their sweet utterances to their Father in Heaven.

Fifth, take time to have a meaningful weekly home evening. Have your children actively involved. Teach them correct principles. Make this one of your family traditions. …

Sixth, take time to be together at mealtimes as often as possible. This is a challenge as the children get older and lives get busier. But happy conversation, sharing of the day’s plans and activities, and special teaching moments occur at mealtime because parents and children work at it.

Seventh, take time daily to read the scriptures together as a family. … Reading the Book of Mormon together as a family will especially bring increased spirituality into your home and will give both parents and children the power to resist temptation and to have the Holy Ghost as their constant companion. I promise you that the Book of Mormon will change the lives of your family.

Eighth, take time to do things as a family. Make family outings and picnics and birthday celebrations and trips special times and memory builders. Whenever possible, attend, as a family, events where one of the family members is involved, such as a school play, a ball game, a talk, a recital. Attend Church meetings together, and sit together as a family when you can. Mothers who help families pray and play together will [help them] stay together and will bless children’s lives forever.

Ninth, mothers, take time to teach your children. Catch the teaching moments at mealtime, in casual settings, or at special sit-down times together, at the foot of the bed at the end of the day, or during an early-morning walk together. …


A mother’s love and prayerful concern for her children are the most important ingredients in teaching her own. Teach children gospel principles. Teach them it pays to be good. Teach them there is no safety in sin. Teach them a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and a testimony of its divinity.

I know that this is a lot to read, and probably to comprehend all at once, but really it is just the simple every day things. I just want to end with my testimony that I know that doing all the little things add up to the big things. It is the little things that someday your children will look back at and be so grateful for! I know that as I am entering adulthood and moving onto things where I have to be responsible for me completely, I am so thankful for the little memories, the little things, and the lessons I have learned. Please take time for your children. Take a back ache tonight from playing with your kids rather than regret tomorrow. Your back ache will leave you, your regret will not. Your kids just want you. I know we may be annoying and sometimes you do need a time out as a parent, but not every day. Your family needs you, your time, and your memories to hold onto and learn from. What are you doing to show them that they are the most important things in your life? I know that we will be blessed eternally for our efforts to be together, even if Family Home Evening turns into Family Fight Night. As we make the effort and learn together the Spirit in our homes will grow stronger, the effort will become easier as it becomes routine and we will love each other more. I know this is true and Heavenly Father loves to see us together as families. He loves each of us and will help us.

To close I want to share this video called: "Good, Better Best" and I want to challenge you to look over your life and see where your time is being spent. Is it full of "good" activities, "better" or the very "best" ones? And what are you going to do to make them the "best" if they aren't already?
Click here to watch this video from Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha

**Here is the link to the rest of the lesson from President Benson if you'd like to read it! Click here :)