I love being a mommy. It is one of the biggest blessings in my life. But it is also one of the biggest responsibilities I have. How I raise my children will influence them throughout the majority of their lives, if not for the entirety of their lives. No pressure!
One of the constant refrains in my head is their spiritual welfare. To paraphrase a Book of Mormon prophet, I ponder if my children will “perish in the flesh because of unbelief” (2 Nephi 10:2). But not if I can do anything about it!
The ancient prophet who spoke those words was named Jacob. He prophesied that certain of God’s ancient children would perish because of their unbelief in God and that the Jews in Jerusalem would crucify the Savior. How this must have pained the prophet to have foreseen!
But in his same words, he gives the “out” to the situation. He teaches of the very answer to the problem – Jesus Christ.
“But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance.
“And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance” (2 Nephi 10:7-8).
This is my belief: as long as I am teaching Jesus Christ’s ways to my children, as long as I personally seek to follow Him in all I do and say, and as long as I’m gentle with my children as they grow – then they will choose the Savior also as their Redeemer.
And if they fall away? The answer still remains in Jesus Christ. As they choose to return to Him, He will be waiting for them to gather them and to bless them in all He has for them.
This comforts me as a parent. I do love being a mommy. It is one of the biggest blessings in my life. But it is also one of the biggest responsibilities I have. I am well aware that how I raise my children will influence them throughout the majority of their lives, if not for the entirety of their lives. But I do not have to do this along. As I raise them up to Christ, He will be there to help them avoid perishing. But even if they falter, He will aid them in their return!
To read more about these promises, read at this Book of Mormon link.
