Day 119 Shaping Children: Identity Through Early Teaching

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells his followers that they are the salt of the earth, and in the same sentence offers a warning that savorless salt is good for nothing. Join me in an attempt to be savory salt as I share each day one verse of scripture and one small thought. Perhaps this small daily emphasis can lead to greater savor in your life and ultimately you and I can be savory salt.

Hello, my friends and family, wherever you're listening from, thank you for joining me and know that I'm cheering for your every success. Welcome to day 119 on our 365 day journey through the Book of Mormon together. Today, you're going to be reading Mosiah chapter 10, verses 15 through 22 and finish that chapter up.

And then you're going to begin Mosiah chapter 11, verses 1 through 12. Today's verse is an interesting one and there's quite a bit of I have a little bit to say, at least in terms of what I've been thinking about this one. So I want to dive straight into it today.

Our verse today comes from Mosiah 10, verse 17. And it says this: they're talking about some of the challenges between the Lamanites and the Nephites. They have this record to say about the children of the Lamanites.

Verse 17: And thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them. Therefore, they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi. This one's kind of a dark one and kind of a downer of sorts.

And yet, interestingly enough, it's really got me thinking into how I show up as a parent, actually. Let me explain a little bit. As a history teacher, I used to teach about different regimes that came to power and the ways that they used propaganda and education as ways to get into power.

One of those primarily being, for example, Hitler's rise to power during the days of Nazi Germany were one where Hitler began a program called Hitler Youth. It was meant to teach from a very early age the things that Hitler wanted those children to believe. And it was cast as a positive thing and whatnot.

And yet we see the results from that historically. We can see it through Pol Pot's Cambodia. We can see there's a myriad of examples here.

And yet, interestingly enough, there seems to be a knowledge from the opposition that if you can capture a child from very early on, you can convince them eternally, as this scripture says. The scripture says they had an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi. You can catch them eternally in the snare of a big lie.

I want you to see the other side of that coin, for example. The power that we as parents can play. If you're not a parent yet, that's okay.

But the power that we as parents can play, or mentors—positive mentors—can play in the lives of children. Whether it's through family home evening activities, regular scripture study, primary activities at church, think about the power that those can play when it comes to teaching your children. I think of an experience that I had visiting a church in Kenya, and they asked us to all come up and meet everyone and stand in front, and they wanted us to sing a song, and we were all kind of looking around at each other like, "What are we going to sing?" And we all defaulted to a song that I have grown to love as a default song whenever I have an opportunity to share it in a church, regardless of the church.

That song is "I Am a Child of God." Now think about how simple it is and how simple the message, and yet we just shared an example of President Nelson talking about the power of "Knowing your identity." "I am a child of God, and he has sent me here." It is in direct conflict with the teachings that the Lamanites taught their children to murder and to steal and to plunder and to rob. This has really got me thinking about the power that we can play in the lives of others. I'm going to take a moment to ask you to stand and be direct with them in the things that you would like to see in their lives.

Teach them, because regardless of whether you teach them, they will be taught by somebody else. Children learn, and they learn at an incredible, accelerated rate. So give them the light of the gospel to learn.

Teach them: "Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way." There is power inside of that song, "I Am a Child of God." And I hope, as you see the advantages that the adversary takes when it comes to children, that you and I can do everything in our power to counter those and to teach our children from an early age that they are children of God and truly sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves them. That's all for today, my friends. Remember that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

Keep it small, keep it simple, and always seek to be savory salt. I'll be here tomorrow. I hope you are too.