teaching gospel truth

"...never had I seen so great courage...even so they said unto me behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fal; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus. Now they [the young men] had never fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did thing 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 fo their mothers, saying; We do not doubt our mothers knew it." Alma 56:45-48


"Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them." Alma 57:21

"Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love nad serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives--mothers and fathers---will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations...Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities...Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. ...fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners...." The Family: A Proclamation to the World

In order to teach children to have faith and base their decisions on gospel truth, a mother should spend a great deal of time earning the gospel  and living what she wishes to teach. We cannot teach what we do not know or believe. As I grew in the gospel, it became easier to teach gospel truths, because I understood them. After I discovered the principles of treating children with the pure love of Christ and teaching with gentleness, meekness, persuasion, long-suffering, and love, I was able to reach the hearts of the children. When I was led by fear of retribution or fear of the Joneses, I can't claim much success. Living the gospel without hypocrisy, was probably the best teacher of all. Although I can't claim perfection, while I was in the midst of raising children or now, I can say that learning the gospel in depth changed me and therefore changed how I raised and influenced my children.