Family: My duty to God

I've had a lot on my mind about families and the importance of raising children lately. I was on LDS.org this morning and started browsing "families" and came across this talk given by L. Tom Perry in the 2003 General Conference. This whole talk is pretty great, but these two paragraphs stuck out at me the most. To me, being a mother and a wife is the most important mission that I have on this earth. I believe it's one that is so vital for when the veil is lifted and we have all passed on to the other side.

“President Brigham Young explained that our families are not yet ours. The Lord has committed them to us to see how we will treat them. Only if we are faithful will they be given to us forever. What we do on earth determines whether or not we will be worthy to become heavenly parents.”

I don't know about you, but I certainly want to to do the best that I can to treat my kids the best that I can. To teach my kids the best that I can. That doesn't mean making life sugar and lolly pops for them. That means, to love them unconditionally, teaching them responsibility, love, compassion, patience, hard work, helping them to know for themselves what's right and what's wrong, teaching them that there are consequences for everyrhing...good and bad. We only have 18 years to help our kids become the best that they can possibly become before they go out on their own and discover the world as an adult.

“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”

When I get to the other side and am being judged for my life here on this earth, I want to know that my husband and I did the best that we could to raise Heavenly Fathers children is such a way that would be pleasing to Him. That we treated each other as husband and wife, in the best way we know how too. That we showed love for each other and for our children. I know that their are going to be times we mess up. There have been already and there will be more. But that's what is so great about the gospel. We can repent and be forgiven...no matter what we've done. Heavenly Father is there to forgive us, as long as we can soften our hearts and ask to be forgiven. For everything we go through, it's all a learning experience. take what you can from it and move forward.

My plan for this mortal life is to be the best mom and wife I can possibly be (including all time times I may mess up...I'll learn). Raising my family is my duty to God.