Your testimony will never leave your children

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday Afternoon Session of the April 2010 Conference.

It seemed like every talk in this session was urging parents to just keep teaching their children about Jesus! Not an unusual topic, of course, but notable for its frequency here. I'll just pull out a few of my favorite quotes. Elder Hales said:

It is our imperative duty to help youth understand and believe the gospel in a deeply personal way. We can teach them to walk in the light, but that light cannot be borrowed. They must earn it for themselves. They must obtain their own light of testimony directly from the source of spiritual light—God Himself—through prayer and study and pondering. They must understand who they are and who Heavenly Father wants them to become. How do we help them?

When we have a family home evening, a family council, or a meaningful gospel conversation with our children, we have the opportunity to look into their eyes and tell them that we love them and that Heavenly Father loves them. In these sacred settings, we can also help them understand, deep in their hearts, who they are and how fortunate they are to have come to this earth and to our home and to participate in the covenants we have taken in the temple to be a family forever. In every interaction we share, we demonstrate the principles and blessings of the gospel.…

And I loved this too, from later in his talk:

The greatest rescue, the greatest activation will be in our homes. If someone in your family is wandering in strange paths, you are a rescuer, engaged in the greatest rescue effort the Church has ever known. I testify from personal experience: There is no failure except in giving up. It is never too early or too late to begin. Do not worry about what has happened in the past. Pick up the phone. Write a note. Make a visit. Extend the invitation to come home. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed. Your child is Heavenly Father’s child. You are about His work. He has promised to gather His children, and He is with you.

Elder Bradley D. Foster on the same theme:

With the help of priesthood leaders, parents must continue to go back and find their lost ones, assuring them there will always be a “home” within the family and the Church, waiting for their return. We never know when a heart may be turned. We never know when a soul may be weary and worn out by the world. When that happens, it seems our children almost always turn first toward Mother.

And Elder Neil L. Andersen too:

Although there may be times when a child does not listen with a believing heart, your testimony of Jesus will remain in his or her mind and soul.

He also said my favorite thing of all:

If a child is not listening, don’t despair. Time and truth are on your side. At the right moment, your words will return as if from heaven itself. Your testimony will never leave your children.

As you reverently speak about the Savior—in the car, on the bus, at the dinner table, as you kneel in prayer, during scripture study, or in late-night conversations—the Spirit of the Lord will accompany your words.

As you do your best, the testimony of Jesus will gently distill upon your children’s hearts.

Oh, I hope so. I hope so. I want to memorize every word of that and say it to myself every day! It is very difficult to believe sometimes, with much seeming evidence to the contrary. There’s always more I can do and could have done to teach my kids, and knowing that unfortunately makes me less likely to believe and find hope from words like this. However, I am consciously going to try and cling to them, reassuring myself over and over if I need to. "Doing my best" of course includes an ongoing effort to do better…but it also means God makes up for my shortcomings, and is able to do His work in spite of whatever mistakes I make! That truth is worth clinging to!