2 Nephi 10:24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.
After reading an article where a faithful father of the Lord was asked if all his 10 children stayed faithful, he replied “Yes!” As exciting as this is, my mind was plagued with so many of my friends who have also followed the Lord faithfully, yet their children have wandered off and become lost. Many have returned, and I am confident the rest will. However, this particular day my heart was broken for those whose children have wandered, and I was worried for my own children. I found myself on my knees in earnest prayer, asking the Lord what to do? How do we protect our children? What do we do when they make choices that are contrary to the Lord’s commandments? I have seen the physical pain that it causes a mother and a father when children choose the wide path. It is difficult because the adversary is putting on a full out assault on our children, he is determined to scatter them. This is scary to mothers, it’s scary to me, so I did the Wendy Nelson prayer challenge.
I got on my knees and talked with the Lord. “What do we do when our children don’t want to listen?” How do we help them if they choose to disobey?” I randomly opened my scriptures to the index, Jesus Christ-Redeemer. I started to look up the verses that were under that section, and immediately I was filled with an over abundance of joy, love and peace. I could feel the Savior’s love for me and for my children. He truly came to redeem all of us, the lost as well as the found from our fallen states. He came because he knew that we would disobey, make mistakes, and become scattered. He paid the debt for our mistakes, so that through repentance we could return home. This understanding is part of the mortal experience. Just like our testimonies of the gospel we have to develop our own testimony of the saving powers and the redeeming love of the Savior. Our children will have to develop their own, we can’t give ours to them. The Savior is aware of the nature of the world, and the forces that diligently work to scatter His flocks. He will always leave the flock to find the ones who are lost and do all in his power to bring them back. Some of the lost sheep are enjoying the “freedom” they are experiencing and are unwilling to recognize the Shepherd’s help. They don’t see the dangers of the wild beast that wait to devour them. However, the Lord will NEVER give up, and we as parents should NEVER give up.
“I am mindful that many of you (parents) suffer heartache over (children) who have strayed and are being captured by the world, just as Alma and Mosiah worried about their sons. Continue to do all you can to maintain strong family relationships. Never give up, even when fervent prayer in their behalf is all you can do. These precious (children) yours are your (children) forever! (Parents), pray with and bless your children.” -M. Russell Ballard
It is true that Satan scatters the flock of the Lord, and some will be lost and perish. Many will sense the darkness that surrounds them, and will run to the Savior when they see Him, and allow him to carry them home. At that point they will have the burning desire to repent and make their wrongs right, for they will have their own personal understanding of the importance of a Redeemer, and the love of their older brother, who gave it all for them. He also promises mercy to those that don’t recognize the dangers and the darkness around them. He will restore that which shall be justly restored. WE MUST TRUST HIM TO LOVE OUR CHILDREN ENOUGH.
“The moment we set foot on the path of repentance, we invite the Savior’s redeeming power into our lives. That power will steady our feet, expand our vision, and deepen our resolve to keep moving forward, step by step, until that glorious day when we finally return to our heavenly home and hear our Father in Heaven say to us, “Well done.”-Stephen W. Owen
Once that knowledge of the Redeemer is our children’s, it changes them forever. They will join the flock and use their own experience of being lost to help others who are wandering. Together we must all fight hard for each other, believe in the goodness of the plan, and be willing to dismiss the lies that the adversary tells. By inviting the Holy Ghost into our lives, we can find times to share our own personal testimonies of the Savior with our families and others. Our efforts will assist the Lord in finding the lost sheep.
As parents, it is our responsibility to teach the redeeming power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is up to our children to listen. If we teach them the truths, they will know without a doubt that the Savior is the only way back to the fold and back home to eternal life. If they know that repentance works and is available to all, then they will have the tools they need to fight back when injured spiritually. Ultimately, each child will have to choose to listen and obey or not too. That is the great gift of agency that allows us to experience sadness and despair, and ultimately joy and peace.
“I do not have any foolproof formula for the nurturing of children. Beyond being a good example and teaching faith, it is essential to give children unreserved love, to give measured discipline, and to try to instill self-mastery in them. A great mother who scrubbed floors to help her children through school said, “I taught my children to pray, to have good manners, and to work.” The Lord reminds us that we should continually teach repentance, faith in Christ, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. (See D&C 68:25.)
The works of God are manifest in so many ways in the challenges of parents and children, especially to those who are handicapped and to those who have lost their way. For those who have asked, “Why did this happen to me?” or, “Why did this happen to my child?” there is assurance that the difficulty will not last forever. Life on this earth is not long. Caring for the unfortunate and laboring with the wayward is a manifestation of the pure love of Christ. For those who carry such a challenge in this life, God himself provides a response. That response is patience and the strength to endure. It lies, as Paul and Job testify, “in hope of eternal life, … promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2), “when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” (Job 38:7.)” -James E. Faust
Once we have repented and our hearts are back in place, then we are back in our Savior’s arms and out of the grasp of Satan. That’s the power of Christ’s Atonement, it redeems us, or rescues us, so that we can return safely to our heavenly home where we will be able to enjoy the fruits of our diligence and commitment forever. There is no other way! The plan of salvation has been perfectly designed for all mankind to succeed, if we choose.
Helaman 5:12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
Alma 37:47 Look to God and Live
-Sherri Jorgensen
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