88- 10/14/24 Virtue of the word

 Hello Family,


Thank you so much for all the wonderful birthday cards! They made my whole day! While I know I don’t live up to your kind words, it makes me feel grateful that you each feel a sense of how much I love you. Even before each one of you were born I loved you like crazy!

It was so fun to be with all of you this past weekend! Thank you for making the time to gather, even for a short while. It was the best part of my weekend for sure!


This week in my personal study I have started to re-listen to conference talks. One of my favorite talks from Conference was President Eyring’s talk about the simple Doctrine of Jesus Christ and its impact on those who seek to follow these truths.


As I studied this talk I couldn’t help thinking of the next generation of our family, your children. President Eyring emphasized the critical need to create an environment in our homes where young children learn the simple truths of the Doctrine of Christ. He said that “at times we underestimate and often use too little”, these simple truths. 


Listen to the words of President Eyring: “Teaching simply allows us to share the saving doctrine early on, while children remain untouched by the deceiver’s temptations that will later confront them, long before the truths they need to learn are drowned out by the noise of social media, peers, and their own personal struggles. 


We should seize every opportunity to share the teachings of Jesus Christ with children. These teaching moments are precious and far fewer compared to the relentless efforts of opposing forces. For every hour spent instilling doctrine into a child’s life, there are countless hours of opposition filled with messages and images that challenge or ignore those saving truths.”


He continued: “Some of you may wonder whether it might be better to draw your children closer to you through having fun, or you may ask whether the child may start to feel overwhelmed by your teachings. -Instead, we should consider, “With so little time and so few opportunities, what words of doctrine can I share that will strengthen them against the inevitable challenges to their faith?” The words you share today could be the ones they carry with them, and today will soon pass.”


I just love this teaching from a living prophet of God. As I think about all of you kids, and the testimonies you developed at young ages, I can’t help but see the blessings of this in your lives today.


You will find that when you begin to have families of your own soon, at times it will feel like what you are teaching is being missed, because of distractions and short attention spans. But your efforts won’t be in vain. Repeated teachings of the simple truths of the Gospel will not only soak in for your little ones, but they will fortify your own testimonies and strengthen your own family bonds. 


In a crazier world than we raised you kids, you will be faced with greater distractions for your little ones. But hope for your familys’ survival will be the same as it is for ours. And that hope is the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Through teaching and living the simple doctrinal truths of Jesus Christ, we will find a powerful force for good. This powerful force, as promised by Jesus Christ himself, will be powerful enough to save us and our families, allowing us to inherit God’s greatest promises and blessings. 


President Eyring quoted the 18th section of the Doctrine and Covenants where the Lord revealed the foundation of His doctrine:

“For, behold, I command all men everywhere to repent. …

“For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.

“And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.”

“And you shall fall down and worship the Father in my name.

“… You must repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ.”

“Ask the Father in my name in faith, believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost.”

“And now, after … you have received this, you must keep my commandments in all things.”

“Take upon you the name of Christ, and speak the truth in soberness.

“And as many as repent and are baptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved.”


President Eyring ended with his testimony: 

“I bear witness of the sacred work of teaching Heavenly Father’s children the simple doctrine of Jesus Christ, which allows us to be spiritually cleansed and ultimately be welcomed into God’s presence, to live with Him and His Son in glory forever in families. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”


Invitation: Ask ourselves this question in our personal study: How can I focus on keeping the simple truths of the Doctrine of Christ forefront in my life, and in teaching it to others? 


I hope you all have a great week! Love you so much,


Dad 

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