Tradition!

Passing on important truths and values to the next generation is one of the most meaningful—and most challenging—things we do in life. One tool which helps us accomplish this objective is tradition.

A tradition is a repeated activity which carries a deeper meaning. Some traditions occur annually, like fireworks on Independence Day or hanging stockings at Christmastime. Others may be weekly or even daily like Sunday dinner or family prayer. One purpose of traditions is to unite people in a shared experience to strengthen their collective commitment to a set of underlying values.

At the beginning of the musical Fiddler on the Roof, the main character, Tevye, explains the importance of his community’s Jewish traditions:

Here in Anatevka we have traditions for everything—how to eat, how to sleep, how to wear clothes. For instance, we always keep our heads covered and always wear a little prayer shawl. This shows our constant devotion to God…. Because of our traditions, everyone knows who he is and what God expects him to do.

“Fiddler on the Roof,” in Great Musicals of the American Theatre, ed. Stanley Richards, vol. 1, quoted by Jeffrey R. Holland in “Who We Are and What God Expects Us to Do,” Brigham Young University Devotional Addresses, 15 September 1987

Unfortunately for Tevye, his inherited traditions are no match for a changing world and for independent-minded daughters who want to chart their own course in life. Their rejection of his cherished customs grieves him, but they have likely internalized his deepest values more than he realizes.

The Book of Mormon characterizes traditions in both positive and negative terms. The book frequently describes parental teachings and practices as inhibiting children from accepting true principles. For example, King Benjamin tells his sons that the Lamanites “know nothing concerning [the scriptures], or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct” (Mosiah 1:5).

Several detractors criticize the practices of believers in similar terms. Korihor calls the scriptures “foolish traditions of your fathers” which result in “derangement of your minds” (Alma 30:14, 16).

Enos, who was so grateful for the teachings of his father, worried about the Lamanites’ threats to “destroy our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers” (Enos 1:14). He treasured those traditions, but as his experience illustrates, he needed more to be truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Modern prophets emphasize the insufficiency of tradition alone. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught:

Faith is strong when it has deep roots in personal experience, personal commitment to Jesus Christ, independent of what our traditions are or what others may say or do.

“Nourish the Roots, and the Branches Will Grow,” General Conference, October 2024

And as Elder Jan E. Newman has observed:

For the rising generation, it’s not enough for faith in Jesus Christ to be “the tradition of their fathers.” They need to own faith in Christ for themselves.

“Preserving the Voice of the Covenant People in the Rising Generation,” General Conference, October 2023

Still, tradition can help us instill values in a younger generation and retain values as adults. Elder Gary E. Stevenson, for example, has described his family’s efforts to establish new Easter traditions in order to emphasize the importance of that holiday. (See “The Greatest Easter Story Ever Told,” General Conference, April 2023. See also “And We Talk of Christ,” General Conference, April 2025.)

When Joseph Smith was translating the Bible, he was confused by the following verse in an epistle of Paul:

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

1 Corinthians 7:14

This passage confused Joseph because it seemed to contradict the Book of Mormon teaching that “all little children are alive in Christ” (Moroni 8:22). In response to his prayer for understanding, the Lord explained that Paul wanted to make sure that children of believers participated in faith-enriching activities, not in traditional practices which would dull their spiritual sensitivity:

The children, being brought up in subjection to the law of Moses, gave heed to the traditions of their fathers and believed not the gospel of Christ, wherein they became unholy.

Wherefore, for this cause the apostle wrote unto the church, giving unto them a commandment, not of the Lord, but of himself, that a believer should not be united to an unbeliever; except the law of Moses should be done away among them.

Doctrine and Covenants 74:4-5

Positive and uplifting traditions would not guarantee the conversion of the children, but it would create a more conducive environment for their acceptance of gospel truths.

Today, I will uphold and maintain traditions which build faith. I will remember that traditions alone are no substitute for deep conversion to the gospel but that they can motivate children and adults to open their hearts and receive the grace of Jesus Christ.