Objectives of Discipline
171
On the other hand, the young should not be left to think and act
independently of the judgment of their parents and teachers. Children
should be taught to respect experienced judgment and to be guided
by their parents and teachers.... They should be so educated that their
minds will be united with the minds of their parents and teachers, and
so instructed that they can see the propriety of heeding their counsel.
Then when they go forth from the guiding hand of their parents and
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teachers, their characters will not be like the reed trembling in the
wind.
The severe training of youth—without properly directing them to
think and act for themselves as their own capacity and turn of mind will
allow, that by this means they may have growth of thought, feelings
of self-respect, and confidence in their own ability to perform—will
ever produce a class who are weak in mental and moral power. And
when they stand in the world to act for themselves, they will reveal the
fact that they were trained, like the animals, and not educated. Their
wills, instead of being guided, were forced into subjection by the harsh
discipline of parents and teachers
Evil Results When One Mind Dominates Another—Those par-
ents and teachers who boast of having complete control of the minds
and wills of the children under their care would cease their boast-
ings could they trace out the future lives of the children who are thus
brought into subjection by force or through fear. These are almost
wholly unprepared to share in the stern responsibilities of life. When
these youth are no longer under their parents and teachers, and are
compelled to think and act for themselves, they are almost sure to take
a wrong course and yield to the power of temptation. They do not
make this life a success, and the same deficiencies are seen in their
religious life. Could the instructors of children and youth have the
future result of their mistaken discipline mapped out before them, they
would change their plan of education. That class of teachers who are
gratified that they have almost complete control of the wills of their
scholars are not the most successful teachers, although the appearance
for the time being may be flattering.
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God never designed that one human mind should be under the
complete control of another. And those who make efforts to have the
12
Testimonies For The Church 3:132, 133
.