my church talk

i hate public speaking. i get nervous and sick every time. and yet, they keep asking me to do it! well, i was up stressing about this talk until about 3am, so i figured it was worth more than the ten minutes it took me to give it in church this morning. so i'm going to post it here to stretch its usefulness a bit. as you read it, just imagine that it's being delivered with the proper emotional inflection in the appropriate parts and a clear and confident voice in the rest.

Good morning, Brothers and Sisters. I have to admit that I am usually rather reluctant to be up here and always feel as though I may faint at the mere idea of it. But as I sat here today, I realized that it's a lot quieter without my kids next to me. It's kind of like a vacation. I may stay. Actually, I love my kids and it is for their benefit that I address you today.

My topic today is Teaching the Children. Brothers and Sisters, look around you, at the children sitting beside you, in front of or behind you, maybe ON you. Look at their beautiful faces, hear their happy or cranky chatter, feel that sweet spirit they bring and know - don't think - know that they need you. These are Heavenly Father's special souls. They are innocent and completely dependent. Cheryll Lant, in her talk "That Our Children Might See the Face of the Savior" (http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=178fde009da38210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD) said it nicely: "We are the angels that Heavenly Father has sent today to bless the children....It is our responsibility as parents and leaders of this rising generation of children to bring them to the Savior."

Notice how she said "parents and leaders", not just parents. These children are not merely the Shirk's, the Poon's, or the LaPlant's (although we do seem to make up a large part of this rising generation). No, the children are the children of the Church. Their education in the gospel principles is the responsibility of all of those here, all of those in the Church. So look again and remind yourself, "they need you." Elder Anderson says in his talk "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" (http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=3140de009da38210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD): "We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We can not be casual in how we prepare them." So how do we prepare them? How do we take on such a responsibility and teach the children?

Now, I am not what anyone could call a natural when it comes to teaching. Regardless of my experience with babysitting my young cousins and the time I spent with my nephew from when he was a newborn till now, as a teenager, I was always uncomfortable around kids. Young children, especially, terrified me. My own two year old still does on occasion. So this question of how to teach them something so weighty and important as this was particularly daunting to me. I did not grow up in a home where the Church standards and principles were taught or followed, so I felt unqualified to advise others on it. But as I pondered it over the past week or so, I felt inspired. I saw it in the way my three-year-old crossed her arms and threatened to count to three when her sister took her toy; in the way my two-year-old negotiated with me over bed time by starting with "Okay, now here's the deal,"; in the way my three-month-old smiled at me when I smiled at her and stuck her tongue out at me when I did it, too (the drooling, however, is not from me). They were copying me, following my example. This is the most effective teaching tool we have. As much as we'd prefer to use the "Do as I say, not as I do" method, it just won't work.

We naturally tend to imitate the example of our parents, our leaders, our peers. The prophet Brigham Young said: "We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do. We should set them an example that we wish them to imitate." As a parent, however, I remind you that we can not do it alone. It is not my example alone that my own children are following. Even at their young ages, I see them patterning themselves after things and people around them. My oldest, who turns a tender four in a couple months, saw a music video that I thought was harmless. The language was fine, the theme was safe. I saw nothing wrong in it. The next day, Noe started pulling the sleeves of her dress down over her shoulders. When I asked why, she said she wanted to look like the girl in the video. With that in mind, I urge you, though you may think that what you do bears no great effect on children who aren't yours, to remember what President Monson said in his talk "Examples of Righteousness": "Always remember that people are looking to you for leadership and you are influencing the lives of individuals either for good or for bad, which influence will be felt for generations to come."

Brothers and Sisters, we have been given a great and awesome blessing with these children, whether in our homes or in our classrooms or scout packs or just in the aisles that they may run up and down or hallways where they may be crying. Heavenly Father has entrusted us with their care. He believes in us and, with that, has great expectations. President Monson explains that "ours is the task to be fitting examples." We must ask ourselves if we are worthy to be role models, whether we intend to be role models or not. Ask yourself: are my hands clean? is my heart pure? am I a worthy servant of the Lord? In that, are we studying our scriptures and practicing the principles we learn there? Are we actively searching for the right path, the straight and narrow, that will lead us back to our Heavenly Father and eternal family? For we have to know the way in order to show it to the children. Cheryl Lant poses we ask: "What do the children see when they look at my face? Do they see the image of the Savior in my countenance because of how I live my life?" We see it in the countenance of the children so often that to lose that would be a heavy burden indeed.

I will be one of the first to admit that it can be hard, that the task and responsibility can weigh you down at some very crucial moments. To be a perfect example when we are not perfect. To feel like you're failing in this most important calling. But do not lose hope. President Monson tells us "we are strengthened by the truth that the greatest force in the world today is the power of God as it works through man. If we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to the Lord's help." What greater errand to be on than in the raising of His children? To be a good example for them to follow? Elder Anderson stated that "our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith." The children want to learn and are looking to you to teach them. If you find your example is unworthy, than let God help you change for the betterment of the children. Let us aspire to be great teachers and guides to these special spirits. As President Monson teaches us, "the effectiveness of an inspired bishop, adviser, or teacher has very little to do with the outward trappings of power or an abundance of this world's goods. The leaders who have the most influence are usually those who set hearts afire with devotion to the truth, who make obedience to duty seem the essence of manhood, who transform some ordinary routine occurrence so that it becomes a vista where we see the person we aspire to be." Let this be our example. Let us show the children through our obedience that nothing will bring greater joy and success than to live according to the teachings of the gospel.

Let those currently without young children in the home not be deterred from partaking in this great responsibility and, thereby, great blessing. President Monson reminds us that "even an exemplary family, with diligent and faithful father and mother can use all the supportive help they can get from good [people] who genuinely care. There is also the [child] whose [parents] are not currently providing the type of example needed. For that [child], the Lord has provided a network of helpers within the Church - bishops, advisers, teachers...[YOU]. When the Lord's program is in effect and properly working, no child in the Church should be without the influence of good [people] in its life."

Brothers and Sisters, we have come to this earth in troubled times, "with society in general routinely disregarding and breaking the laws of God. The adversary is using every means possible to ensnare our youth in his web of deceit" (Monson, "Examples..."). So let us be aware of our children, of their innocence and their needs. Let us teach them the goodness of the gospel, the love of the Savior and Heavenly Father. Look into those eyes again, know that they need you, and answer proudly we are here for them.