By Elder Dallin H. Oaks
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Objective: To find ways that fathers and grandfathers can help in the protecting of children.
Intoduction:
Q: What comes to your mind when I say protect the children. Give me one word only. [write on board] (hot dogs?, cold cereal?)
Q: Can a child grow up disadvantaged if he or she has fallen victim to these evils?
Be thinking about way in which you, individually can do to help in the quest to protect the children. Ask for the Holy Ghost to prompt you with ideas.
SAY, In his talk, Elder Oakes gives many examples of how children are victimized. They include, abortion, serving a child soldiers, adult crimes, diminishing birth rates, inadequate nutrition during pregnancy, drug use during pregnancy, treatable diseases, inadequate nutrition, parents dying from aids leaving children to fend for themselves, inferior healthcare, inadequate education, parental neglect, pyschological abuse, physical abuse, divorce, being in the middle of a divorce, single parenthood, children out of wedlock and same gender adoptions.
Q: What comes to your mind when I say protect the children. Give me one word only. [write on board] (hot dogs?, cold cereal?)
Q: Can a child grow up disadvantaged if he or she has fallen victim to these evils?
Be thinking about way in which you, individually can do to help in the quest to protect the children. Ask for the Holy Ghost to prompt you with ideas.
SAY, In his talk, Elder Oakes gives many examples of how children are victimized. They include, abortion, serving a child soldiers, adult crimes, diminishing birth rates, inadequate nutrition during pregnancy, drug use during pregnancy, treatable diseases, inadequate nutrition, parents dying from aids leaving children to fend for themselves, inferior healthcare, inadequate education, parental neglect, pyschological abuse, physical abuse, divorce, being in the middle of a divorce, single parenthood, children out of wedlock and same gender adoptions.
LEARNER READINESS
Read Quotation A - Elder Oakes
A - None should resist the plea that we unite to increase our concern for the welfare and future of our children—the rising generation.
Q: How can we unite to increase our concern for welfare and future of our children? (rhetorical, just think about, it something comes to you as we move through the lesson, raise your hand.)
Read Quotation B - Elder Oakes
B - Children are highly vulnerable. They have little or no power to protect or provide for themselves and little influence on so much that is vital to their well-being. Children need others to speak for them, and they need decision makers who put their well-being ahead of selfish adult interests.
Q: What could it mean to put the child's well=being ahead of selfish adult interests?
Read Quotation C - Elder Oakes
C - We remember our Savior’s teaching as He placed a little child before His followers and declared:
“And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:5–6).
Q: Why is it such a serious matter to offend a little child?
Read Quotation D - Elder Oakes
“And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:5–6).
Q: Why is it such a serious matter to offend a little child?
Read Quotation D - Elder Oakes
D - We are speaking of the children of God, and with His powerful help, we can do more to help them. In this plea I address not only Latter-day Saints but also all persons of religious faith and others who have a value system that causes them to subordinate their own needs to those of others, especially to the welfare of children.
Q: What does it mean to subordinate our own needs to those of others? What are some examples?
Story - broke my leg....
Read Quotation E - Elder Oakes
E - When we consider the dangers from which children should be protected, we should also include psychological abuse. Parents or other caregivers or teachers or peers who demean, bully, or humiliate children or youth can inflict harm more permanent than physical injury. Making a child or youth feel worthless, unloved, or unwanted can inflict serious and long-lasting injury on his or her emotional well-being and development. Young people struggling with any exceptional condition, including same-gender attraction, are particularly vulnerable and need loving understanding—not bullying or ostracism.
SAY, are their any comments?
LEARNER INVOLVEMENT
Q: What are the various forms child abuse (write on board)
- emotional
- sexual
- verbal
- neglect
- physical
- spiritual
Read Quotation F - Elder Oakes
F - With the help of the Lord, we can repent and change and be more loving and helpful to children—our own and those around us.
Q: What are some of the reasons why we sometimes act the way we do? (write on board)
- modeling from our own parents
- cultural traditions that we still cling to
- unbelief that Christ's way will really work
- we like our wicked ways
READ D&C 121 :39-44 (G)
G - D&C 121:39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
G - D&C 121:39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
Q: How might this apply to children?
Q: Why do we sometimes have a tendency to force children to do what we want them to? [because they are disobedient and don't want to do it]
Q: Is it all right to get angry or impatient sometimes?
READ
41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
Q: What is persuasion? Q:What is the opposite of persuasion?
Q: What would be an example of long-suffering?
READ
42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
44 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.
43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
44 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.
Q: When is reproving a child with sharpness, okay?
Q: How do we know if we have the Holy Ghost when we are about to reprove?
LEARNER APPLICATION
Q: How can we as fathers and grandfathers do to help in the cause of protecting children?
- Any child who appears to need a friend.
Q: Who might this child be? [grandchild, a neighbor, someone in the ward].
- Any child who appears to need a friend.
Q: Who might this child be? [grandchild, a neighbor, someone in the ward].
Q: When we see something amiss, how do we correct it?
Q: What if we still use force and coercion as a tool to get what we want - how can we fix this?
CONCLUSION
Blessings of learning to be righteous:
45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.
46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.
I pray that we will humble ourselves as little children and reach out to protect our little children, for they are the future for us, for our Church, and for our nations. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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