Chapter 71—Parental Vigilance and Help
Parents to Teach Self-control From Infancy—How important
that we teach our children self-control from their very infancy, and
teach them the lesson of submitting their wills to us. If they should be
so unfortunate as to learn wrong habits, not knowing all the evil results,
they can be reformed by appealing to their reason and convincing them
that such habits ruin the constitution and affect the mind. We should
show them that whatever persuasions corrupt persons may use to quiet
their awakened fears and lead them to still indulge this pernicious
habit, whatever may be their pretense, they are their enemies and the
devil’s agents
Keep Them Pure—Fortify Their Minds—It is a crime for moth-
ers to allow themselves to remain in ignorance in regard to the habits
of their children. If they are pure, keep them so. Fortify their young
minds, and prepare them to detest this health-and-soul-destroying
vice
Satan is controlling the minds of the young, and we must work
resolutely and faithfully to save them. Very young children practice
this vice, and it grows upon them and strengthens with their years,
until every noble faculty of body and soul is being degraded. Many
might have been saved if they had been carefully instructed in regard
to the influence of this practice upon their health. They were ignorant
of the fact that they were bringing much suffering upon themselves....
Mothers, you cannot be too careful in preventing your children
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from learning low habits. It is easier to learn evil than to eradicate it
after it is learned
Exercise Determined Watchfulness and Close Inquiry—If
your children practice this vice, they may be in danger of resorting to
falsehood to deceive you. But, mothers, you must not be easily quieted
and cease your investigations. You should not let the matter rest until
1
An Appeal to Mothers, 10
.
2
An Appeal to Mothers, 13
.
3
An Appeal to Mothers, 10, 11
.
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