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Peter’s Counsel to Parents
Let parents take up their work and labor intelligently for the salvation
of their families.
Children to be prepared for eternity
Fathers and mothers, we are verging upon the eternal world, and
that which we should now most earnestly seek to understand is what
we should do to inherit eternal life. If you will follow on to know the
Lord, you will know that His going forth is prepared as the morning.
We must prepare for the great crisis that is just before us. Will you not
sense your responsibilities in regard to the education and training of
your children in spiritual matters.
Here are the children. Your daughters are inclined, if they see a
dress different from that which they have, to desire a dress similar
to that. Or perhaps they want something else that they see others
have, which you do not feel would be in accordance with your faith to
grant them. Will you allow them to tease this thing out of you, letting
them mold you instead of molding them according to the principles
of the gospel? Our children are very precious in the sight of God.
Let us teach them the word of God and train them in His ways. It is
your privilege to teach your children to live so that they will have the
commendation of heaven.
Are we preparing for heaven? We say we are; and we ought to be
making ready for the future immortal life. We should be so conducting
ourselves that we shall make right impressions upon those who are
brought in contact with us. Let us not encourage our children to follow
the fashions of the world; and if we will be faithful in giving them a
right training, they will not do this. But if you let your children rule
you, they will surely get away from the pure principles of the word
of God and will walk in the ways of the world. Let them see how
much the Lord sacrificed in their behalf when He came to this world.
There was everything to oppose His advance, yet He gave us a perfect
example in every detail of life—just the example that we follow and
teach our children to follow.