Children in Church

“Latter-day Saints should be the most reverent people in all the earth,” President Spencer W. Kimball has said. “Where, then, does reverence begin, and how can we develop it? The home is the key to reverence, as it is to every other godlike virtue.

“… Behavior learned at home determines behavior in Church meetings. A child who has learned to pray at home soon understands that he must be quiet and still during prayers in worship service.

“Likewise, when family home evenings are part of home life, children know that there are special times, not only at church but at home, when we learn about our Heavenly Father and when everyone needs to be on his best behavior. …

“Parents with small children sometimes have a difficult time helping their youngsters appreciate meetings and keeping them from creating disturbances. Perseverance, firmness, and preparation in the home are essential ingredients for success.” (We Should Be a Reverent People, Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1976, pp. 2–3.)

Following are some ideas from parents on how to help make church meetings with children a productive and reverent time.