Lesson 22 Teacher Material

Rearing Children in Righteousness

“Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in … righteousness” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org). This lesson will help students understand what they can do to help their children learn about the Savior and His gospel. Students will also explore how to help loved ones who stray from the gospel path.

Suggestions for Teaching

Improving Our Teaching and Learning

Use the curriculum. As you prepare each lesson, prayerfully review both the teacher material and the preparation material. As you do, the Holy Ghost can help you adapt the lesson to students’ needs. You may choose to use all or some of the teaching suggestions, or you may summarize some parts of the lesson and adapt the suggested ideas according to the needs and circumstances of your students.

The Lord commands parents to rear their children in light and truth.

Consider beginning the lesson by inviting students to reflect on influences in our day that might make it difficult to raise children to be spiritually strong. Ask a few students to share their thoughts.

Invite students to review Doctrine and Covenants 68:25, 28 and 93:40 and to write a sentence summarizing, in their own words, what Heavenly Father expects of parents. Invite a few students to share what they wrote. After students share their summaries, display the following truth from the family proclamation: Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in righteousness.

• Why is it important for parents to be their children’s “prime gospel teachers and examples”? (Tad R. Callister, “Parents: The Prime Gospel Teachers of Their Children,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 32). (You might want to invite students to review the statements by President Tad R. Callister and President Joy D. Jones in section 1 of the preparation material.)

• In what ways does Satan try to distract parents from this sacred duty? (You might want to mention some of the ways listed in the last two paragraphs of the section “The Adversary’s Attacks on the Family” in the article “The Sacred Responsibilities of Parenthood” by President M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles [Ensign, Mar. 2006, 26–33].)

• What can families do to succeed at consistently holding family prayer, family scripture study, and home evening?

Review together the statement by Sister Cheryl A. Esplin in section 1 of the preparation material.

• How can parents help their children “get the doctrine into their hearts in a way that it becomes part of their very being”? (“Teaching Our Children to Understand,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 10). How can parents help their children feel and learn from the Holy Ghost? (As part of this discussion, you might consider showing and discussing the video “The Music of the Gospel” [5:43], which is included in the “Want More?” section of the preparation material.)

• How has a parent or parent figure, in word or example, helped you come to know and follow the Savior? (Consider reviewing together 2 Nephi 25:26 and the statements by Elder Neil L. Andersen and President Joy D. Jones in section 2 of the preparation material.)

Invite students to review what they wrote in response to the “Record Your Thoughts” prompt in section 2 of the preparation material. Ask a few students who feel comfortable sharing what they wrote to do so. Encourage students to record any additional related thoughts or impressions they have had so far in class.

We should love and pray for family members who leave the gospel path.

Invite students to consider what it would feel like if one of their children chose to leave the gospel path. If possible, show the Book of Mormon video “Lehi Invites His Family to Partake of the Fruit of the Tree (1 Nephi 8:12–18)” (3:23). (If you are unable to show the video, display the accompanying picture and read together 1 Nephi 8:12–18.) Invite students to think about how Lehi might have felt about his family members’ different responses to his invitation to partake of the fruit of the tree of life. Ask a few students to share their thoughts.

• What are other examples from the scriptures of righteous parents whose child or children strayed from the gospel path? What can you learn from these parents’ responses that can guide you in responding to family members who may stray?

Review together the statement by Elder Ulisses Soares in section 3 of the preparation material.

• What can we learn from Elder Soares about how to respond when a family member turns away from the gospel path? (Students should identify a principle similar to the following: If a family member turns away from the gospel path, we should continue to love and pray for him or her and seek the Lord’s help.)

• When have you seen family members apply Elder Soares’s teachings? What effect did their actions have?

Consider reading the following statement by President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency:

For some, … eternal joy may seem a faint or even a fading hope. Parents, children, brothers, and sisters may have made choices that seem to disqualify them from eternal life. …

A prophet of God once offered me counsel that gives me peace. I was worried that the choices of others might make it impossible for our family to be together forever. He said, “You are worrying about the wrong problem. You just live worthy of the celestial kingdom, and the family arrangements will be more wonderful than you can imagine.” (“The Hope of Eternal Family Love,” Ensign, Aug. 2016, 4, 5)

• How can this teaching give hope and comfort to those whose loved ones have strayed from the gospel path?

Consider concluding the lesson by testifying that the Lord is willing to help us as we strive to rear our children in righteousness.

For Next Time

Consider displaying the following statement by Elder Andersen:

There are so many, young and old, who are loyal and true to the gospel of Jesus Christ, even though their own current experience does not fit neatly inside the family proclamation. (“The Eye of Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 36)

Invite students, as they study the material for the next lesson, to look for teachings that could bless families or individuals they know whose current family experiences may not be what they have hoped for.