Over the past few years, an anti-family trend has developed in the European Union. This anti-family trend has affected parents who are attempting to teach moral ideals and religious practices to their children. The question has arisen to many there: Do moral parents make good caretakers?
In Europe, we can read of many examples of parents teaching their children religious and moral values. However, some instituted governments deny these parents rights to teach their children the importance of marriage between a man and a woman, bringing more children into the world and encouraging certain health practices. In addition, parents should be allowed to teach their children high moral values such as honesty, integrity and kindness as it is their God-given right.
Sharon Slater, a family advocate who wrote, Stand for the Family, tells us: “These fundamental institutions and values that are so critical to any society are under increasing attack by UN agencies and treaties, un-elected activist judges, politicians, special interest groups, much of the media and popular entertainment.”
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been encouraged by their leaders to teach and train their children to know moral, righteous values in word and in deed. From Elder Quentin L. Cook (One of 12 called apostles of the Lord) said in a General Conference talk of the LDS Church in October 2012:
“Parents, the days are long past when regular, active participation in Church meetings and programs, though essential, can fulfill your sacred responsibility to teach your children to live moral, righteous lives and walk uprightly before the Lord. With President Monson’s announcement this morning, (young men and young women age change to fill full time missions) it is essential that this be faithfully accomplished in homes which are places of refuge where kindness, forgiveness, truth, and righteousness prevail. Parents must have the courage to filter or monitor Internet access, television, movies, and music. Parents must have the courage to say no, defend truth, and bear powerful testimony. Your children need to know that you have faith in the Savior, love your Heavenly Father, and sustain the leaders of the Church.”
Our world is losing the ideal of righteous behavior, and our society is feeling the effects of that loss. With countless studies supporting the idea that parents should be teaching, persuading, and demonstrating kindness, forgiveness, and courage to their children, our society is moving away from that model. We need to remind ourselves how important this parental task is in our modern world.
President Thomas S. Monson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said at the General Conference of the Church in April of 2008, “It is our duty to live our lives in such a way that we may be examples of righteousness.”
Our whole society is based on the goodness of others and how we treat each other. If our children are not securely taught what is right from parents, our society will become violent and cruel, show a great decline of the work ethic and increase in foul language and disrespect for elders. With positive teaching of moral responsibility, parents can save society from disintegration.
So to answer that question from the European Union: Yes, moral parents make wonderful caretakers and by training their children in righteousness, they help our society stay intact.
This article was written by Valerie Steimle, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Valerie Steimle is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon” woman). She has been writing as a family advocate for the past 20 years. She is the mother of nine children living in southern Alabama and is the author of four books and a weekly newspaper column, Thoughts from the Heart.
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