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There are so many moments there that give us opportunities as parents to talk about what's most important and pull the doctrine of Christ into the lives of our children and help them know the power and the blessing of repentance, to light a little bulb in their brains to realize that "if I make a mistake, that's why my Savior did what He did for me. He loves me that much, and I can repent." [MUSIC PLAYING]

What we want to teach our children is that trials are a natural part of life, that challenges are what we're here to deal with. We're not trying to learn how to suppress our challenges so we don't have to deal with them. We're trying to learn that without God and without others, we can't make it. We learn to surrender control over our lives and turn it over to our Father in Heaven and say to those around us, "I can't do this on my own. Please help me." That's when people gain power and strength, is when they come out into the light, into the open, and say, "I just recognize that I've been trying to do this all on my own, and it's never going to work." Then things start to change. The most tender experiences for me in my ministry have been when a parent walks a child into my office and says, "My child has had a problem with this or made a mistake. And they need to talk with you, and they need your help." And it's the parent who's discovered the transgression, and they've already had the discussion. And then they're bringing them to a priesthood leader to help out. Those are much more successful than when a child comes in and says, "Here's what I've done. And by the way, can we please not tell my parents?" The last thing that they need to feel is that "Mom and Dad are embarrassed because I have a challenge or a problem." So let them know that you love them, and how better to show them you love them than being at their side when they're going through some of those difficult moments or challenging times? So when that challenge comes--and you're going to face it sooner or later--you need to face it with a smile and say, "We're in this together. I'm here to help." Knowing that you can't take the temptation away or that you can't solve the problem is key. You need to let them face it, let them understand that you're there, but it is theirs to overcome. And with that type of encouragement, you'll be a great tool. Remember, they need the love more then than at any time. They need to feel that you're still with them and that in the end, they also know that you have used the Atonement, that you have faced challenges, that you have seen that the Savior can make a difference in your life. And that will help them make a difference in theirs. Yes, they will make mistakes. They won't be perfect in this life, but the important thing is that each day, they're doing a little bit better. And we realize that "if the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do? ... Would I say the things I say?" Would I think the things I think? If they could just always feel that--that He's that close to them, that He's really that close, and that He loves them that much, that all they have to do is say, "Heavenly Father, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I want to do what's right because I love Thee. I want to do it because I love Thee." We all know that there's always going to be temptation out there. But if you have one person that gets in that environment and another person gets in the same environment, why is it that this one can withstand it more than this one can? The waters of Mormon is a great example. You've got these people who are--it was in the wickedest place, and you have wicked priests and King Noah and everybody. But that was there where people came to know the Redeemer--in a very wicked land, but they had chosen to follow the Savior and believe in Him. And so I just think that teaching and that understanding gives them the strength. And then when they make a mistake, they'll quickly want to repent because the Spirit leaves, they recognize it and say, "I don't like where I am," and they quickly repent. Parents are asked, obviously, by the Lord to teach about faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost--critical aspects of the doctrine of Christ. And when you get to repentance, as a parent, I'd say that's kind of my favorite thing to talk about or my favorite subject, in the sense that this is a very wonderful gift. Think about this. Our mistakes don't have to be fatal. We can really deal with this because we have a Savior, because we have a Redeemer who can make things right, who can satisfy justice on our behalf, who can put together the broken pieces that we are powerless to address. There are some things we can do to correct things, but not everything, and He's the one who can. So as we're teaching children about repentance, I think we should say it and express it in a very positive way. It is a gift. So it's not something to be feared, and I think we teach our children this is a wonderful promise. It's a wonderful gift, and we reverently take advantage of it with great, great gratitude.

How Can I Support My Child in His or Her Repentance Process?

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Help for parents as they support their child in the repentance process after viewing pornography
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