Ideas For My Pocket: a Support Group for Families: Help me Cleave to what I Believe: Rock Solid Faith

My 17-year old son approached me, very concerned. Three of his acquaintances had recently declared themselves Atheists! These were boys from very religious families! One of the boys stood up in Seminary and told the class that he had never received anything after praying for a testimony, so he decided to become and Atheist. Another had given an autobiographic presentation in English class, and at one point told them: “This part of my life was the time when I figured out I was an Atheist.” A third young man posted his lack of belief on Facebook, and actually received approval for “having the courage” to do so! And one of these young men had gone so far as to Offer to help others Out of Religion!

I joined my son in feeling greatly troubled for his friends. “What can I do?” he asked me. I struggled with that question for a while and then found an answer in the scriptures: “Join in fasting and mighty prayer..for those who [know] not God.” (Alma 6:6)

I also thought of the wayward season Alma the Younger had spent, when he led others away from religion. And how the tremendous faith of his father’s prayers brought a huge wake-up call for his son. I urged my son to fast and pray for his friends and to join with others to pray for them.

As I thought more about this, I hoped these boys would one day wake up and realize how much they need God. The faith implanted in them from very young will surface, I believe. But how many lives will be affected in the meantime? How many people will be led away from truth and happiness? How many generations will fall away from the faith of their fathers?

How do I keep my own children from this downward spiral of doubt? How can I build Rock Solid Faith in them?

Ideas Families Have Tried:

1. Prayers from Babyhood.

From the time her babies were newborn, Camille added prayer to their bedtime routine. As she held her new baby in her arms before putting him into a crib, she would offer “his” prayer in simple language. As he grew to toddlerhood, she would sit and have her little boy kneel at her knee, or she would kneel beside him at his toddler bed. Her tiny ones learned early to fold arms and bow heads (even when too young to keep eyes closed) before meals. Camille was following the scriptural admonition that has a wonderfully comforting promise attached. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) Now we just have to get them through the teenage years!

Eloise made a point of helping her young kids to pray for others. Before the child’s prayer, she would prompt: “Shawn needs our prayers. He is having emergency surgery today.” Or, “Grandma doesn’t feel well, let’s pray for her!” Or, “The neighbors lost their puppy—let’s pray for them to find him!” This practice brought meaning to their prayers.

Colby and Creighton were in the habit of giving thanks. In the car many times their mother would ask them to join her in praying when she got lost or when the car had trouble starting. They prayed when they saw people next to a wreck who had just been in a car accident. They prayed for the homeless people by the side of the road. And what’s more, later when the car did start, or the keys were found, she had them join her in a prayer of thanks. It was a good follow-through that engendered love and thanks to the Almighty. One day, when Colby and Creighton were aged 5 and 9, they were in the car with an older married brother and sister-in-law. When they were backing out, their brother suddenly stopped the car. Immediately passing by them were two small children who had not been visible. They would have hit those kids had he not stopped!! Colby and Creighton spoke up: “Let’s give thanks that we didn’t hit them!” The principle taught them had hit home, even when their mom wasn’t there!

As kids grow, help them gradually get their own answers.

When her kids have perplexing decisions to make, Lisa suggests they pray about it. When one of her children is very young, she may kneel alongside her to approach the Lord in prayer. She urges her child to empty out her thoughts and open her heart to an answer from God. Lisa suggests that her child pray vocally first, then she will too. Inwardly, she summons all her faith to expect an answer and offers a silent prayer that she will have the right words to say in response. One such time to pray together is for help to find something that is lost. “Heavenly Father knows where it is. He will help us find it.” Afterward, Lisa reminds her child they must do their part and look everywhere. She searches, too, and helps her child to not give up hope and of course, prompts her to give thanks when the item is found, thus giving God the credit. A connection like this with God, actually receiving answers, is a great part of developing a deep faith.

2. Stories of Faith.

Myra loved telling stories to build faith in her little ones. She would turn every faith-promoting experience she came across into a story, whether it be translating into simple language stories from church magazines, retelling a story from a talk at church into words they understood, or sharing a childhood story of her own. “There was this family who had a cool experience..!” She loved to tell ancestor stories and read letters from family missionaries. At mealtime she would tell of a tender mercy that happened to her that day, whether it be protection on the freeway, avoiding a fire on the stove, or running into someone she could help. Myra found that if she told it sincerely and joyfully, she captured their interest. She loved collecting inspirational stories from all sources to share.

Teach the Scripture Stories. Testify that they really happened! In a world of cyberspace and fantasy galore, help them know that there really is power from God that He uses to help mankind. Give Him credit. Help kids apply the principles, not negatively, but positively: “You have the courage of David!” Or, “You are as loyal and kind as Ruth!”

3. Sing songs of faith.

It was way past midnight and my 6-month-old son was wide awake. I needed to sing him back to sleep, but didn’t want to wake up everyone in the tent or those in neighboring tents; so I wrapped him up and headed to the smoldering remains of the Ward Family Campout campfire the night before, hoping it would bring a little warmth still. Then I began my most effective putting-to-sleep lullaby, “Silent Night!” No, it was not December but October! And though I sang my very quietest, still in the morning, a fellow camper remarked at someone’s choice of lullaby! Hymns are the best lullabies! They not only put the baby to sleep, but they instill faith as well. It is another avenue, a powerful avenue to the soul. (Yes it’s true—words go to the left brain, but add music and they go to the right brain as well!) Our favorite lullabies were “Reverently, Quietly,” “For Thy Bounteous Blessings,” and “Whenever I Hear the Song of a Bird,” along with the all-time favorite of each baby, “Silent Night!” I have heard that the last 30 minutes before bed are repeated many times over through the night in a child’s mind as he sleeps. So if it is a song and a story of faith that he hears right before bed, his foundation of faith will grow rock solid.

Ramona’s baby found that the best way to keep her wiggly baby still enough for a diaper change was to sing Primary songs to her. Not only did the singing keep the baby from rolling off the counter, it also filled her young mind with great truths! “I’m trying to Be Like Jesus,” “I Love to See the Temple,” even “When we’re Helping, We’re Happy!” are all great principles to fill young minds!”

4. Daily Show them God.

“We must be sure to sincerely love those we want to help in righteousness so they can begin to develop confidence in God’s love. For so many in the world, the first challenge in accepting the gospel is to develop faith in a Father in Heaven, who loves them perfectly. It is easier to develop that faith when they have friends or family members who love them in a similar way.

“Giving them confidence in your love can help them develop faith in God’s love. Then through your loving, thoughtful communication, their lives will be blessed by your sharing lessons you have learned, experiences you have had, and principles you have followed to find solutions to your own struggles. Show your sincere interest in their well-being; then share your testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” "I Have Given You an Example"

During a storm, if a child were afraid, Karyn would take her scared child on her lap and pray for him and reassure him that Heavenly Father would help the fear get smaller and then go away.

Emery, a young mother of two believes that “We need to help our children learn to see and feel God in the beauty and goodness around them. If they attribute their blessings to God and build a relationship with Him, they will have a hard time forgetting Him when others tell them there is no God.”

Little seeds of love for God can be planted daily,” insists Leah. “Simply point out things and thus help them recognize the continual blessings they enjoy because of God and the reality of His hand in everything around us. It becomes engrained in them, a natural part of everyday life to notice and acknowledge.”

Leah, a grandmother, uses normal daily conversation around the table, in the car, and family outings to build in her grandchildren faith, trust, and gratitude to God. She believes you can help kids to recognize God on a constant basis. "Wow, look at the sunset! What a gorgeous place God gave us to live," she might say. Or, "Can you believe how detailed that little ant is. And somehow he is so powerful he can sense food, like that piece of candy on the ground, and find it even though he may be many feet away from it. And carry much more than his own weight! Aren’t God’s creations amazing!" She shares the tender mercies in her life, and asks them to share special things that happen to them as well, naturally giving God the praise for His goodness in their lives.

Another mom, Tina, points out that kids need to hear their parents continually, “preaching, talking, and rejoicing in Christ.” She feels it’s important that they don’t see trials, crises, and calamities as always the actions of God (and thus not wanting to believe in God because of His apparent harshness). Many trials are just due to the physical nature of this life and the bad choices of others. Tina maintains that trials can actually be seen as an “honor” from the Lord—“that He loves us and trusts us so much and is so invested in our growth in this life that He will allow these trials to come upon us to teach and mold us.”

5. Exemplify Personal Daily Devotion

Patricia tells her kids, “God doesn’t have to prove himself to us. We have to prove ourselves to Him!” Thus she instills in them the desire to love God through obedience.

A BYU study, “Raising Righteous Children in a Wicked World” by Brent L. Top and Bruce A.Chadwick, showed that the biggest key to raising offspring who stay faithful is not where he lives, nor how many friends of the same religion but instead it’s private practice of religion that makes all the difference. It’s “not merely getting the youth into the Church, but rather getting the Church (personal testimony) into the youth.” If a young person has learned to translate teachings into his own daily personal practice, he is much more likely to remain true to childhood beliefs. Parents can gently coax kids, mostly and especially by example, to daily study and pray, and keep their connection to God.

One high school girl, Catherine, had friends who ridiculed her beliefs until she started to question them too. She found renewed strength from Alma's reponse to Korihor, "And now, what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save your word only. But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true." (Alma 30:41) See Testimony of Thousands, New Era March 1995.