This title, “Home – The Central Place,” caught my eye. I was reading in an instructional booklet put out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (casually called the Mormons). The booklet was called “Improving Gospel Teaching: A Leader’s Guide.” Published in 1998, it contains much information under these various headings:
- Gospel Teaching in the Church,
- Leader Support of Teachers,
- Teacher Improvement Meetings,
- and the “Teaching the Gospel” Course.
But it was while I was reading in this booklet that I saw the sub-title, “Home: The Central Place.” Actually, the full title was/is “Home: The Central Place for Learning and Teaching the Gospel.” The entire title caught my attention, because I realized with great strength how true that saying is.
Imagine a child that goes to church and hears that Jesus taught we should love one another, yet the child returns home and is hit by his parents. Imagine a child that goes to church and hears that we should be honest, yet goes home and sees his parent keeping too much change the store clerk unknowingly gave. Imagine that same child hearing God’s truth that the Sabbath day is holy, yet sees his parents hosting a raucous party on Sunday for the Super Bowl.
Yet on the reverse, imagine that same child (instead) hearing during Sunday services about loving one another and returning home to hear his mother say, “Son, you matter to me,” accompanied by a big hug. Picture that child hearing in Sunday services the value of honesty and the next day, he sees his father returning the overage in change a store clerk unknowingly gave. And just imagine a child returning home after a Sunday School lesson on the 10 Commandments with the importance of Sabbath day observance, and his parents actually spend time with the family that evening studying the word of God.
In reviewing these scenarios, I realized yet again just how important a statement the title was: “Home – The Central Place for Learning and Teaching the Gospel.” In fact, here is a quote from that very section:
The family is ordained of God. It is central to His plan. He has established families to bring happiness to His children, to help them learn the gospel in a loving atmosphere, and to prepare them for eternal life. The home is the most important place to teach, learn, and apply gospel principles (see Mosiah 4:14-15; D&C 68:25-28).
Parents should thoughtfully plan and hold family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, and other family activities. They should do all they can to make good use of these teaching opportunities (”Gospel Teaching in the Church,” Improving Gospel Teaching, p 1).
While reading this quote, I of course had to face my own parenting skills, approaches, and moments. It is imperative that I make sure I provide the proper atmosphere and environment for my children in their gospel understanding and growth.
As President Spencer W. Kimball said, “Home is where we become experts and scholars in gospel righteousness” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 129). May we seek these kinds of things for our own families!
For more information on building the family and finding joy therein, feel free to visit the Church’s Provident Living website where you will find help to strengthen your marriage, to strengthen your family, and even information of support groups for those seeking to overcome addictions.
