{"id":2186,"date":"2023-06-21T01:00:52","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T07:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/?p=2186"},"modified":"2023-06-15T00:00:39","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T06:00:39","slug":"how-does-the-lds-faith-view-parenting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/2023\/06\/how-does-the-lds-faith-view-parenting\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does The LDS Faith View Parenting?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Parenting is a vital and significant job. And for the LDS faith, parenting has eternal significance. We believe we lived before this Earthly existence. We lived with God in a family unit encompassing all of us- one giant family.<\/p>\n

\"family\"
Parents enjoying their baby<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

God is the father of our spirits. And His example is one we try to follow as parents. God organized us into family units to help strengthen and support us on our earthly and eternal journeys.<\/p>\n

Parenting is a natural progression in life. We start out learning how to manage life for ourselves. And then ideally, once we get good enough at it, we get to teach another person how to do it.<\/p>\n

Watching a baby or child learn something new is magical. Their eyes light up as they make connections and gain new skills. But the best parents I have known have continued learning to improve their skills.<\/p>\n

Keep Learning<\/h2>\n

I remember babysitting for a family in my teens. I admired the family\u2019s mother so much because she had a great head on her shoulders. She was kind and seemed to really have a special relationship with her children.<\/p>\n

Then one weekend I discovered the secret to her great parenting. She had many MANY parenting books, and she read them. There were notes in the margins and bookmarks, and I decided then and there that when I got to be a mother I would do as she did and seek expert advice.<\/p>\n

Expert advice<\/h2>\n
\"Doctor
Seeking expert advice<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My husband and I have followed through with that promise. Not only have I done a lot of reading, but we see a parenting coach for our son. I\u2019ve never been a boy, and neither of us have autism.<\/p>\n

So it only made sense that we needed to seek support so our son could have the best parents possible.<\/p>\n

The LDS church<\/a> supports parents and even has classes on parenting periodically. It is up to the discretion of each Bishop what the congregation may need.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019ve taken classes during Sunday School about family relationships and so appreciate all I learned in the process.<\/p>\n

Parenting is a privilege<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve mentioned before how I struggled to get to be a Mom. But I haven\u2019t discussed much about why I feel like God wanted me to truly want motherhood. When my husband and I were sealed (married) in the temple, our Sealer told us to cherish our children. And my first thought was \u201cYeah right\u201d.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d been babysitting since I was a child myself. And I had a jaded image of family life at that point. I saw children as a burden, which I know now was not how God wanted me to enter motherhood.<\/p>\n

So, in His infinite goodness, He designed an educational experience to help me cherish parenthood when it came. I have written about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Prepare yourself<\/h2>\n
\"woman
woman reading<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Long story short, God was sending a special soul to our family. Our son is on the Autism spectrum, but is also brilliant, and a gentle and sensitive soul.<\/p>\n

If I had gone into parenting this young man with the same attitude I started my marriage, I would have ruined him. He wouldn\u2019t have felt loved and wouldn\u2019t have gotten the attention and support he deserved.<\/p>\n

Many people grow up in difficult circumstances. That doesn\u2019t mean God doesn\u2019t love us, and it doesn\u2019t mean that there aren\u2019t surrogates to help with parenting.<\/p>\n

I had many youth leaders and teachers who loved and supported me like they were my own parents. And I know there are many in the world who get their first taste of what a parent should be like in similar circumstances. But for those of us who know better, it is a privilege to help those under our care to learn and grow.<\/p>\n

Help where you can<\/h2>\n

With the value the LDS church places on home and family, parenting is clearly an important job. I often felt overwhelmed and in awe of God\u2019s trust in me as a new mother. I had no idea what I was doing when we brought our son home from the hospital. But with God\u2019s help and support, parenting has been a wonderful adventure.<\/p>\n

God has given us the scriptures, and I start out each day reading them. It makes the rest of the day go better when I do. I feel more peaceful and patient. And I feel like the Lord is closer to me as I remember the fundamentals of parenting.<\/p>\n

Consistency, routine, and kindness are the hallmarks of good parenting in my opinion. And I am so glad that I\u2019ve been blessed to be a mom. I\u2019m grateful for a church that focuses on the family and supports families in any way they can.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Parenting is a vital and significant job. And for the LDS faith, parenting has eternal significance. We believe we lived before this Earthly existence. We lived with God in a family unit encompassing all of us- one giant family. God is the father of our spirits. And His example is one we try to follow […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3521,"featured_media":2113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,10],"tags":[182,91],"class_list":["post-2186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-life","category-autism","tag-lds-faith","tag-parenting"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Does The LDS Faith View Parenting?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Parenting is a vital and significant job. And for the LDS faith, parenting has eternal significance. 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I'm Abby Christianson, a transplanted Mormon living the dream. In my life, I've lived in seven different US states and visited other countries. And the thing that amazes me is that in every place I've been the LDS (Mormon) church is the same. The people have hearts of gold, and their love for the Savior is unchanging. But for some reason, people still think Mormons are weird, backward, and sometimes even Amish. I'm here to try to help clear up the misconceptions about Mormons by showing you that we are just like you. We love our families, eat junk food, love movies, and spend time with friends. And just like you, our faith and values go deep. So join me as I keep trying to scatter sunshine everywhere I go. And hopefully, you'll find your faith in Christ strengthened along the way. Autism and more I'm also here to talk about Autism, and being an Autism Mom. There were few resources online when my son was diagnosed. So I want to be a support to those parents who are trying to figure out their child, and how best to support them. My wonderful son stretches me and helps me grow every day. I love being his mother and the things that make him unique. In 2020, every autism service stopped. So I got trained to be an RBT (Low-level autism therapist) with BehaviorUniversity.com. It has made homeschooling and doing at-home ABA easier as I understand my son better. They have some courses for parents to help them understand autism better, and I highly recommend them if you are searching. We have been home-schooling off and on for 6 years now. And it's wonderful to see my son thriving. Education and background Although my degree is not in education, I do have degrees from BYU Idaho and Southern Utah University in public relations, interpersonal communication, and marketing. I was lucky enough to get to teach a couple of freshman classes at SUU as part of my senior project. I have the best memories of those times. And it showed me how much I love to teach. While at SUU I was on the debate team. I wasn\u2019t great, but I loved the team and the feeling of unity we had. As a member of the Lambda Delta Signa sorority, I spent a year as VP of my chapter. I served on Institute Council and in leadership with my choir. And I was a member of the Lambda Pi Eta honor society. Funny enough, I was nominated as SUU\u2019s personality of the year in my senior year because I was so involved When my son was small I was part of the PTA at bus school \u00a0I even served on the PTA board and taught art classes to the kids. \u00a0I also volunteered to help out in the cafeteria. And I was a \u2018recess duty\u2019 meaning I got to be outside as a responsible adult during recess I love to write and wrote for LDSblogs.com as Abby Christianson and as Patty Sampson for many years. I took over editing LDS Blogs when our beloved editor Terri Bittner passed away suddenly from brain cancer in 2017. Then in 2020, LDSblogs.com stopped publishing after the pandemic affected their funding. But they are still online and some great stories are there if you are interested. I'm a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I've been married for 23 years, and a mother for 15 years. I love people and creating in any capacity I can. I hope you'll join me as we navigate this crazy world we live in.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/author\/achristianson\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Does The LDS Faith View Parenting?","description":"Parenting is a vital and significant job. And for the LDS faith, parenting has eternal significance. 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I'm Abby Christianson, a transplanted Mormon living the dream. In my life, I've lived in seven different US states and visited other countries. And the thing that amazes me is that in every place I've been the LDS (Mormon) church is the same. The people have hearts of gold, and their love for the Savior is unchanging. But for some reason, people still think Mormons are weird, backward, and sometimes even Amish. I'm here to try to help clear up the misconceptions about Mormons by showing you that we are just like you. We love our families, eat junk food, love movies, and spend time with friends. And just like you, our faith and values go deep. So join me as I keep trying to scatter sunshine everywhere I go. And hopefully, you'll find your faith in Christ strengthened along the way. Autism and more I'm also here to talk about Autism, and being an Autism Mom. There were few resources online when my son was diagnosed. So I want to be a support to those parents who are trying to figure out their child, and how best to support them. My wonderful son stretches me and helps me grow every day. I love being his mother and the things that make him unique. In 2020, every autism service stopped. So I got trained to be an RBT (Low-level autism therapist) with BehaviorUniversity.com. It has made homeschooling and doing at-home ABA easier as I understand my son better. They have some courses for parents to help them understand autism better, and I highly recommend them if you are searching. We have been home-schooling off and on for 6 years now. And it's wonderful to see my son thriving. Education and background Although my degree is not in education, I do have degrees from BYU Idaho and Southern Utah University in public relations, interpersonal communication, and marketing. I was lucky enough to get to teach a couple of freshman classes at SUU as part of my senior project. I have the best memories of those times. And it showed me how much I love to teach. While at SUU I was on the debate team. I wasn\u2019t great, but I loved the team and the feeling of unity we had. As a member of the Lambda Delta Signa sorority, I spent a year as VP of my chapter. I served on Institute Council and in leadership with my choir. And I was a member of the Lambda Pi Eta honor society. Funny enough, I was nominated as SUU\u2019s personality of the year in my senior year because I was so involved When my son was small I was part of the PTA at bus school \u00a0I even served on the PTA board and taught art classes to the kids. \u00a0I also volunteered to help out in the cafeteria. And I was a \u2018recess duty\u2019 meaning I got to be outside as a responsible adult during recess I love to write and wrote for LDSblogs.com as Abby Christianson and as Patty Sampson for many years. I took over editing LDS Blogs when our beloved editor Terri Bittner passed away suddenly from brain cancer in 2017. Then in 2020, LDSblogs.com stopped publishing after the pandemic affected their funding. But they are still online and some great stories are there if you are interested. I'm a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I've been married for 23 years, and a mother for 15 years. I love people and creating in any capacity I can. I hope you'll join me as we navigate this crazy world we live in.","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/author\/achristianson\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3521"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2186\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scatteringsunshine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}