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Testimonies for the Church Volume 2
down upon her, blaming and censuring her. A well-regulated, or-
derly family is a pleasing sight to God and ministering angels. You
must learn how to make a home orderly, comfortable, and pleasant.
Then adorn that home with becoming dignity, and the spirit will be
received by the children; and order, regularity, and obedience will
be more readily secured by both of you.
Brother L, have you considered what a child is, and whither it
is going? Your children are the younger members of the Lord’s
family—brothers and sisters entrusted to your care by your heavenly
Father for you to train and educate for heaven. When you are han-
dling them so roughly as you have frequently done, do you consider
that God will call you to account for this dealing? You should not
use your children thus roughly. A child is not a horse or a dog to be
ordered about according to your imperious will, or to be controlled
under all circumstances by a stick or whip, or by blows with the
hand. Some children are so vicious in their tempers that the infliction
of pain is necessary, but very many cases are made much worse by
this manner of discipline.
You should control yourself. Never correct your children while
impatient or fretful, or while under the influence of passion. Punish
them in love, manifesting the unwillingness you feel to cause them
pain. Never raise your hand to give them a blow unless you can
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with a clear conscience bow before God and ask His blessing upon
the correction you are about to give. Encourage love in the hearts
of your children. Present before them high and correct motives for
self-restraint. Do not give them the impression that they must submit
to control because it is your arbitrary will; because they are weak,
and you are strong; because you are the father, they the children. If
you wish to ruin your family, continue to govern by brute force, and
you will surely succeed.
Your wife is tenderhearted and easily agitated. She feels your
harshness of discipline, and it leads her to the opposite extreme. She
seeks to counteract your severity, and you charge this as a great lack
in her of doing her duty and controlling her children. You think
her indulgent, overfond, and tender. You cannot help her in this
respect until you correct yourself and manifest that parental tender-
ness which you should in your family. It is your wrong management
which leads your wife to be lax in her discipline. You must have