No one parent, no matter how righteous, can insure that the children they are raising will grow to be righteous, contributing members of society. The free agency clause in the eternal plan of salvation insures that. No one can ever doubt the righteousness of Adam and Eve when Cain turned out so differently from Abel. For our Father in Heaven when Jesus Christ turned out so differently from Satan, the free agency clause came clearly into play.
This doesn’t, however, give parents an excuse to step back and “say you will be what you will be.” President James E. Faust said,
“In my opinion, the teaching, rearing, and training of children requires more intelligence, intuitive understanding, humility, strength, wisdom, spirituality, perseverance, and hard work than any other challenge we might have in life. This is especially so when moral foundations of honor and decency are eroding around us. For us to have successful homes, values must be taught, and there must be rules, there must be standards, there must be absolutes.” (“A Thousand Threads of Love,” Ensign, Oct. 2005, 3)
There is great protection in this simple, yet deeply powerful quote from President Faust. Being a parent is the greatest calling in life. There is no other which holds higher esteem in the heavens, other than that of God. So my mind wanders to the parents of the boy who killed my brother-in-law with his careless actions. Did they love him, teach him properly, raise him understanding that their actions spoke louder than words, and was God ever present in the home? I don’t know. I know nothing about this young man who altered the course of my sister’s life so drastically.
But I do know this. For parents, there is safety in daily prayer, daily scripture study, tithe paying, Family Home Evening, church, seminary, Young Men/Young Womens, temple attendance as well as attention to spiritual promptings – the Lord has granted a solid and steady path on which we may trod alongside our children toward our eternal rewards. Parents can only do so much, the rest is up to the young man or woman you have raised to adulthood. From the moment this precious child comes into your home, prayer is your greatest and most effective parenting tool.