Working toward a Christ-centered home, we create a place of defense against sin, refuge from the world, order and security, and the shelter of tender charity. "Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God." Doctrine and Covenants 88:119
I wish I had understood the power of example both good and bad, when I was raising my children. "Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter." Ezekiel 16:44
Jesus Word and character aren't just subjects for Sunday but templates for a wonderful life. "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." 2 Nephi 25:26
There is no better way than following the commandment to teach our children and lovingly serve them. "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 fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the devil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness. But 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." Mosiah 4:14-15
What's more; if we don't teach our children properly, their sins become our sins. "And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents. For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized. And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands. And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord." Doctrine and Covenants 68:25-28
So many make excuses that they were raised in a violent or cold manner. They don't know how to do differently. The mothers of the young men serving in Helaman's army were raised in terrible violence, yet they embraced and used the Word as their model. So successful were these mothers in this pursuit that their sons had tremendous faith. "And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him...Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it." Alma 53:20-21; 56:47-48
What better way to make a safe society on Earth and build up the kingdom of God than to raise children with light, truth, gentleness, and charity? It seems that mothers and fathers expect little people to automatically know what they mean and behave flawlessly. It took God six days to create the earth. Each step was so important. Taking the time to teach instead of impatiently trying to bypass the process is not how it is generally done. But....can you imagine standing a 3 month old baby up and expecting it to walk then getting angry when it doesn't? No.... neither can our toddlers or teens be expected to have the wisdom of a sage. They must be taught one step at a time.
