Children and Sundays

Keeping our children in church was not always easy, but it was worth the effort! We have been doing it for years before this pandemic. From their very first Sunday for their naming and blessing to the ordaining of our youngest son as a deacon. 

We went to church with all the bags packed, clothes buttoned up, shoes slipped on and all. As I observe, having one baby in church can be difficult for some. Fathers and mothers taking turns in taking out a crying or yelling child.  Having a baby, a toddler, a preschooler, and a first grader in church felt like a marathon and was exhausting. Stopping a baby from crawling out of the aisle, while another child needs reminder to sit still. It was noisy, messy, distracting, and so on. Whew!  Well, yes. I even can't imagine now how we managed to do them for about 16 years!Thanks to my diligent husband. For years before Sundays, he would usually see to it that everything was prepared. He gets the clothes mended and ironed. When our kids were little and he had to do some church assignments, he would stuff our bag with snacks and lunch, leaving me no reasons to complain and go home even if their meetings end in the evening. This action of his teaches us that Sundays are special. He has earned the respect of our children with his examples. This reminds me of the teachings of Paul in 1 Timothy 3:4. Indeed, SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP DOES NOT JUSTIFY ABSENTEEISM IN THE HOME.

Throughout the years,  we learned that example is always the most effective and best way to teach children. Children notice when reverence is a part of our way of life. They notice how we speak about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, how we treat others, and how happy and grateful we are. They observe how we value the scriptures and live the gospel. Children are more influenced by what they see us do than by what they hear us say.

For more than a year of having Sunday worship at home, it has been the most exciting part of the week as we gather family members together to sing hymns, renew our covenants, study the scriptures, pray, and draw closer together and to Heavenly Father. From what they learned from the church and from their experiences through the years, our children try to keep the Sabbath day holy and to be reverent the whole day even when just confined at home.

No matter how hard it is, we believe that making the effort to teach our children from a young age pays off. Children are growing up in a world where reverence for God and civility toward one another are rapidly diminishing. We are grateful that we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with home-centered, church-supported gospel learning.  While parenting can be very challenging at times, the church helps us in our sacred duty to rear our children in love and righteousness, teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.