The Foundation of Parenting - Mosiah 4:14-15

With the flood of parenting how-to's on social media, the true foundation of parenting becomes more and more difficult to find. The Book of Mormon prophet, King Benjamin, reveals 6 of God's timeless principles for parenting.

Mosiah 4:14-15

14 "And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God and quarrel one with another and serve the devil, who is the master of sin..."

15 "But that ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another."

First parents must:

1. Care for temporal needs
2. Not tolerate transgressions
3. Create harmony (not quarreling)

Then parents teach their children:

4. How to live (in truth and soberness)
5. How to love
6. How to serve

First, take care of the temporal needs and prepare them to have experiences with the Holy Ghost individually and with family. After the stage is set, teach them how to live after the manner of happiness, how to love one another, and how to serve one another.

Sub-principles and other gospel teachings on parenting build on this foundation just as the foundation of a house sets the stage for building a home. Self-reliance, food storage, tithing are built upon caring for temporal needs. Teaching how to live in truth and soberness includes daily scripture study, prayer, and observing the Sabbath day. But at the core, at the foundation, everything we should do as parents touch one of these 6 principles.

Seeing the core of parenting brings clarity and peace to an otherwise daunting role. It helps us prioritize what is needed to lead our families toward eternal life. It gives us a place to start and build from no matter where we currently are on that journey.

With an endless and unrealistic flow of should and oughts from self-proclaimed parenting experts on social media, it is critical we filter out worldly advice that doesn't fit with divinely inspired guidance and cling to principles given by the only perfect parent.

I know personally that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are keenly interested in the success of families. The success of the family is critical in the God's plan for his children. The family is ordained of God and can be together through eternity through his plan. Parents who seek divine grace and guidance in fulfilling those expectations can, and will, receive it. 

I'm grateful to the Father of all, the only perfect parent, for teaching principles for parenting through His prophet over 2000 years ago and for the restored scripture that has brought it back to light.