At times we all feel like we are drowning. … How can we, as Paul counsels, “lay aside every weight?”
How do we prepare our children for those times when they are swimming in deep waters?
Teach them to recognize the spirit when they are feeling it.
Prepare our homes to be places where the Spirit can reside.
Help our children understand how the Spirit speaks to them. (The Spirit will speak differently to different people.)
How do we follow the example of this father and kick off some of the weight of the world we carry, so we can keep our children’s heads and our own worried minds above the water? How can we, as Paul counseled, “lay aside every weight”? How can we prepare our children for the day when they can no longer cling to us and our testimonies—when they are the ones swimming?
An answer comes when we recognize this divine source of strength. It is a source often underestimated, yet it can be used daily to lighten our load and guide our precious children. That source is the guiding gift of the Holy Ghost.
Elder David A. Bednar said: “The simplicity of [confirmation] may cause us to overlook its significance. These four words—‘Receive the Holy Ghost’—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon.”
This statement indicates a powerful way of looking deeply at the doctrines of the gospel.
How do we as parents increase the spiritual capacity of our little ones? How do we teach them to kick off worldly influences and trust the Spirit when we are not with them and they are alone in the deep waters of their lives?
Let me share with you some ideas.
First, we can bring to our children’s attention when they are hearing and feeling the Spirit. …
Second, we can prepare our homes and our children to feel the still, small voice. …
Immersing our families in the Spirit will keep our children’s hearts open to His influence.
Third, we can help our children understand how the Spirit speaks to them.
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