Teaching Our Children to Understand

Here is the link to the talk I chose for this week.  Please read it, and then respond to my comments below, or add your own.
 http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/teaching-our-children-to-understand?lang=eng

Here are a few excerpts that I appreciated:

1.  Teaching our children to understand is more than just imparting information. It’s helping our children get the doctrine into their hearts in a way that it becomes part of their very being and is reflected in their attitudes and behavior throughout their lives.

We cannot just go to church and expect our kids to understand all the doctrine of the church.  Attending church is not enough.  This also applies to ourselves.  We cannot just go to church.  We need to prepare for church ahead of time, and be ready to learn and apply doctrinal knowledge to our lives.  Is the doctrine in our hearts, and reflected in our attitudes and behaviors?

2.  Our role as parents is to do all we can to create an atmosphere where our children can feel the influence of the Spirit and then help them recognize what they are feeling.

When I taught YW, I made sure this was part of my lesson every week.  I told them to practice praying and getting answers to prayers to the small things so that when the big decisions came along they will know how to decipher their own feelings and opinions (which of course are also important) from the feelings of the Holy Ghost.

I have also heard of another technique used to understand how the spirit talks to you as an individual.  Keep a journal of spiritual experiences you have or moments when you feel love or warmth, and write them down in a journal.  Looking back on the journal will help you recognize how the spirit communicates with you.

3.  Sometimes the most powerful way to teach our children to understand a doctrine is to teach in the context of what they are experiencing right at that moment. These moments are spontaneous and unplanned and happen in the normal flow of family life. They come and go quickly, so we need to be alert and recognize a teaching moment when our children come to us with a question or worry, when they have problems getting along with siblings or friends, when they need to control their anger, when they make a mistake, or when they need to make a decision.

Oftentimes I forget about all these opportunities to teach as well as learn for myself and use the doctrinal knowledge I have to solve daily problems.  If I am in tune enough to recognize these teaching opportunities, I will a.) be a better person because I am teaching with the spirit rather than yelling, and b.) be the example I need to be to teach my children to behave in a similar way.  How Can I tell my kids to stop yelling by yelling at them?  How can I teach them how to control their anger when I do not always do it myself?  It is so important to be available and ready to receive spiritual guidance in all we do.  It affects more than just ourselves.  

4.  If we are ready and will let the Spirit guide in these situations, our children will be taught with greater effect and understanding.

In every teaching situation all learning and all understanding are best nurtured in an atmosphere of warmth and love where the Spirit is present.

Just as important are the teaching moments that come as we thoughtfully plan regular occasions such as family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, and other family activities.

This is something else to remember.  Scripture study and FHE are not always going to go as planned.  I need to not get frustrated when kids are rolling around or giggling during scripture study.

5.  Teaching for understanding takes determined and consistent effort. It requires teaching by precept and by example and especially by helping our children live what they learn.  

I have a strong testimony of prayer and keeping the sabbath day holy because I was determined and I have lived what I learned with those concepts.  Our testimonies can grow but require effort.

6.  We can know our children are beginning to understand the doctrine when we see it revealed in their attitudes and actions without external threats or rewards. As our children learn to understand gospel doctrines, they become more self-reliant and more responsible. They become part of the solution to our family challenges and make a positive contribution to the environment of our home and the success of our family.

We will teach our children to understand as we take advantage of every teaching situation, invite the Spirit, set the example, and help them live what they learn.

This is something we can all work on and help each other with.  I think that if we invite the spirit into our lives, as a constant, we will be better, and encourage those around us to be better and learn through the spirit. Share spiritual experiences with one another, encourage or bring up spiritual or doctrinal or thought provoking conversations, read conference talks and discuss them with other people through a blog.