I’ve been thinking about the talk Sister Beck gave about the importance of defending families. It is vital to strive to have the best home life possible. I remember before I had children I had it planned out perfectly in my mind—a spotless house, children who helped out and regular family prayer and scripture study. I imagined things working in perfect unison. I had energy to help my children to bake, and we made crafts and learned together on a daily basis. The gospel was the focus of the home and from that our family was happy and peaceful.
It is amazing how different things are in reality. Somehow I managed to leave out the fights, the toys strewn all over the house, and the dirty dishes in the sink. I forgot that kids will do what they want to and that we all get tired sometimes. The thing that keeps me going when I’m having a rough day is that the gospel really is central to all that we are striving to do for our family. It is amazing the peace and the strength it can give us in an otherwise chaotic situation.
Ultimately we each need to make the gospel the focal point of our homes as we do this everything else will fall into place around it. We have been commanded to have family home evening, family scripture study and family prayer for a reason. The world we are sending out children out into is one full of turmoil. We need to give them the strength and testimonies that they need in order to stand up for their beliefs. As we strengthen them at home and teach them the gospel, they can meet the challenges ahead of them.
It is also important to teach your children to support and love each other. I remember as a child fighting constantly with my sister, but if anyone picked on her, I stood up for her. We need to make sure that our children are standing together as well. This can give them a sense of fellowship with others, especially if they are the only members in their school. Family is central to our Father’s plan, and we need to make it central to our personal plans and goals as well.
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