As Moses gave the children of Israel their final instructions prior to entering the promised land, he particularly emphasized the duty of parents to pass along their spiritual heritage to their children:
These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. …
And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you?
Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7, 20-21; see also Deuteronomy 11:18-21
King Benjamin was similarly concerned with helping the next generation understand gospel principles. He expressed gratitude for the written word, telling his sons that without the brass plates, it would have been impossible for Lehi to remember gospel principles well enough to “teach them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this present time” (Mosiah 1:4).
After his people experienced a miraculous conversion, he urged them to teach their children “to walk in the ways of truth and soberness, … to love one another, and to serve one another” (Mosiah 4:15).
In modern revelation, the Lord has also emphasized the duty of parents to raise their children “in light and truth” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:40). In a November 1831 revelation, He specifically listed a set of doctrines children should understand by the time they are eight years old:
- repentance
- faith in Christ the Son of the Living God
- baptism
- the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands
Eight years old is pretty young, and children still have a lot to learn after that point. Parents should continually encourage their children “to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord” (Doctrine and Covenants 68:25, 28).
The Lord has also revealed how we should teach our children—”by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-42).
Parphrasing this guidance, President Russell M. Nelson said:
Do not try to control your children. Instead, listen to them, help them to learn the gospel, inspire them, and lead them toward eternal life. You are God’s agents in the care of children He has entrusted to you. Let His divine influence remain in your hearts as you teach and persuade.
“Salvation and Exaltation,” General Conference, April 2008
Today, I will teach my children gospel truths in a Christlike way. I will remember that how I teach them is as important as what I teach them, and I will strive to teach in a manner which helps them grow closer to God.