No Matter What, Teach this to Children First

In the late 1980’s, Boyd K. Packer spoke at the Missionary Training Center. He spoke of his desire that the missionaries would use their mission experiences to prepare them to raise children of their own. He said something to this effect, “Because of the wickedness of the world we are no longer on a level playing field. Therefore, the best parenting advice I can give you is this: Teach the Atonement of Jesus Christ more effectively than you teach the commandments, because your children will not keep all the commandments.” Then he read Alma 12:32 which says, “Therefore God gave them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption . . .” Elder Packer taught the missionaries that this was the order God followed when teaching His children—first, He emphasized redemption and the Atonement, then he taught the importance of the commandments. (Shared with me by a branch president that was personally present at the MTC when Elder Packer delivered this sermon)