Where One Goes the Rest Will Follow

Alma 38:5
And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day.



39:4
... Thou shouldst have tended to the ministry wherewith thou wast entrusted.
39:11
... O my son, how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites; for when they saw your conduct they would not believe in my words.
39:12-13
12 And now the Spirit of the Lord doth say unto me: Command thy children to do good, lest they lead away the hearts of many people to destruction; therefore I command you, my son, in the fear of God, that ye refrain from your iniquities;
13 That ye turn to the Lord with all your mind, might, and strength; that ye lead away the hearts of no more to do wickedly; but rather return unto them, and acknowledge your faults and that wrong which ye have done.

It really stinks that you have to learn how to be a parent from your first child. That child is the one that can help to make or break the rest of the kids. If your first kid goes AWOL there is a good chance that many of the following children will follow suit.

I wish there was some sort of gaurentee that all of my children would follow the Lord's teachings and do the right things in this life. But there's not. Many prophets have had rebellious children: Lehi, Alma, Mosiah, Alma, Jacob, Adam. What chance do I have if these guys struggled with it. How on Earth did my parents manage to raise nine children and have them all active in the gospel? Beats me. I think I will read "Love, Limits, & Latitude" from the new Ensign. It's about raising kids and setting boundries. Maybe that article will have some good pointers. Wish me luck.