Today’s Reading: Alma 37: 22-37
35 O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.
One of the most important things we can do to obtain eternal life in the Celestial Kingdom is to keep the commandments.
In our church, we go to nursery, then primary, and then young women. We are taught the basic commandments, like pray, read your scriptures, go to church, over and over again until we can recite them from memory.
My family joined the Church when I was seven-years-old, so I was pretty much raised in the church (as much as I can remember). I knew that I was supposed to go to church and read my scriptures and keep the Ten Commandments and the Word of Wisdom. I knew all of those things because I had been taught them in my youth.
Now I don’t really consider myself as being in my youth anymore since I’m in my late-twenties, but this scripture still stands out to me. Not for myself, but as a mother of two little children.
Whether we are mothers to our own children or to children we watch over in other ways, we can help teach them to keep the commandments of God. We can teach them in their youth, by example, by simple moments in the home, and by reading scripture stories.
If there’s one thing I want more than anything else in this life, it’s for my family to be together for eternity, and that won’t happen unless my whole family keeps the commandments, and that includes my children.
This scripture reminds me of the important of teaching our children while they are young so that they truly begin to understand why we keep the commandments of God and why doing so helps us be truly happy.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin once said, “Nothing is more important to you than obedience to God’s commandments.” I believe that our work is never done, and that even once we have learned for ourselves to be obedient, it is our responsibility to teach our children and those around us, the importance of keeping the commandments.
I’m a wife to a doctor and mama to two toddlers. I love talking about pregnancy and the ups and downs of motherhood. I have a weakness for delicious food, and love anything pumpkin. I have no doubt that our Savior loves us and knows exactly how we’re feeling at all times, good and bad.