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Testimonies for the Church Volume 2
During a portion of the day, all should have an opportunity to be
out of doors. How can children receive a more correct knowledge
of God, and their minds be better impressed, than in spending a
portion of their time out of doors, not in play, but in company with
their parents? Let their young minds be associated with God in
the beautiful scenery of nature, let their attention be called to the
tokens of His love to man in His created works, and they will be
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attracted and interested. They will not be in danger of associating the
character of God with everything that is stern and severe; but as they
view the beautiful things which He has created for the happiness of
man, they will be led to regard Him as a tender, loving Father. They
will see that His prohibitions and injunctions are not made merely
to show His power and authority, but that He has the happiness of
His children in view. As the character of God puts on the aspect
of love, benevolence, beauty, and attraction, they are drawn to love
Him. You can direct their minds to the lovely birds making the
air musical with their happy songs, to the spires of grass, and the
gloriously tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air. All
these proclaim the love and skill of the heavenly Artist, and show
forth the glory of God.
Parents, why not make use of the precious lessons which God
has given us in the book of nature, to give our children a correct
idea of His character? Those who sacrifice simplicity to fashion,
and shut themselves away from the beauties of nature, cannot be
spiritually minded. They cannot understand the skill and power of
God as revealed in His created works; therefore their hearts do not
quicken and throb with new love and interest, and they are not filled
with awe and reverence as they see God in nature.
All who love God should do what they can to make the Sabbath
a delight, holy and honorable. They cannot do this by seeking their
own pleasure in sinful, forbidden amusements. Yet they can do
much to exalt the Sabbath in their families and make it the most
interesting day of the week. We should devote time to interesting
our children. A change will have a happy influence upon them. We
can walk out with them in the open air; we can sit with them in
the groves and in the bright sunshine, and give their restless minds
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something to feed upon by conversing with them upon the works of