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Long Life Promised for Honoring Parents, February 23
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon
the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Exodus 20:12
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Those who would truly follow Christ must let Him abide in the heart,
and enthrone Him there as supreme. They must represent His spirit and
character in their home life, and show courtesy and kindness to those with
whom they come in contact. There are many children who profess to know
the truth, who do not render to their parents the honor and affection that
are due to them, who manifest but little love to father and mother, and
fail to honor them in deferring to their wishes, or in seeking to relieve
them of anxiety. Many who profess to be Christians do not know what
it means to “honour thy father and thy mother,” and consequently will
know just as little what it means, “that thy days may be long upon the land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” ... The Heart-searcher knows what
is your attitude toward your parents; for He is weighing moral character in
the golden scales of the heavenly sanctuary. O, confess your neglect of
your parents, confess your indifference toward them, and your contempt
of God’s holy commandment
Parents are entitled to a degree of love and respect which is due to no
other person. God Himself, who has placed upon them a responsibility for
the souls committed to their charge, has ordained that during the earlier
years of life, parents shall stand in the place of God to their children.
And he who rejects the rightful authority of his parents, is rejecting the
authority of God. The fifth commandment requires the children not only to
yield respect, submission, and obedience to their parents, but also to give
them love and tenderness, to lighten their cares, to guard their reputation,
and to succor and comfort them in old age
The fifth commandment is binding upon children as long as their own
lives and the lives of their parents are spared
[61]
62
The Youth’s Instructor, June 22, 1893
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63
Patriarchs and Prophets, 308
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64
The Youth’s Instructor, September 1, 1873
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