Today in Relief Society we talked about raising a sin-resistant generation. As a Mormon that means something different from the rest of the world. I adhere to a set of standards that are often thought silly, outdated or traditional for many people my age. But it is because of my faith in Jesus Christ and his teachings that I do this. I believe we lived with him before we came to earth, that we are here, having been given our agency, and the purpose of this life is to return to live with Him again.

As a mother of an almost two year old, I'm constantly looking for ways to improve my parenting/teaching. These are the points I found particularly valuable and my own thoughts:

Teach what "sin" is. To me, sin is acting contrary to the truths one knows. It is choosing to be distracted and deterred by temptation. It is self-serving. Without a definition or understanding of something, it's difficult to live by it.

Teach with love and from personal experience. Making mistakes is part of being human. Learning from them and choosing not to continue on the same path is the way we show Heavenly Father who we want to be.

Teach without shame. It's so important to me to have open dialogues with my children, to let them speak openly about how they feel, what they think, and the choices they are making, to be a safe space for them to turn, a place where they will not be shamed, belittled or chastised.

Teach each child to pray to know truth for themselves. It's not my place to tell my children who to be, but to teach them what is right and to let them decide and choose for themselves.

Teach children to pray for their own testimony and to develop their own faith so that even when life gets excruciating or they don't understand something they can rely on their faith to see them through.

Have a plan. A strategy.

Arm your family. We're being attacked on every side. The more righteous we are the more opposition we are going to have. Teach them to be strong. Safeguard them with knowledge. Knowledge is powerful. It's the only thing we carry with us in our lives and the only thing we take with us when we die.

Teach each person to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Solidify in your children's minds  the plan of salvation - who we are & where we came from, where we are going, and most importantly WHO WINS in the end. This helps us each, as individuals, to keep an eternal perspective, a "big picture" perspective. It makes all the little steps a bit easier to take and a bit more bearable if we have a clear picture of where we are going.

Teach agency and the consequences of choices/actions to one's soul and mind. Addictions warp your brain and deeply affect you psychologically. They greatly impact your relationships with others and your ability to love and forgive yourself. They will literally ruin your life.

Serve and befriend people in your community. Interact with people from all faiths, races, and personalities regularly.

Role play what to do if someone attacks your faith, etc. Teach your child traits that allow him or her to comfortably navigate social interactions with everyone.

Teach your children to be consistent - in their studies, in their reading, in their relationships with others.

Let your children see the joy and fulfillment you get from living the gospel.

Speak positively. Especially of other people.

Frame every action you take within these parameters: "If the Savior stood beside me, would I _____?"

✌❤🕉