Christmas Quotes: Presents and gifts

“We all enjoy given and receiving presents. But there is a difference between presents and gifts. The true gifts may be part of ourselves – giving of the riches of the heart and mind – and therefore more enduring and of far greater worth than presents bought at the store.”

President James E. Faust (A Christmas with No Presents”, Ensign, December 2001, p.4)

Teach your children in your home.

“The best place for children to learn that which is most important is in the home because home is where the most love is found. By commandment, parents are to teach their children “the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of . . . the gift of the Holy Ghost” (D&C 68:25).

“To meet the challenges of life, our children must have testimonies of the Savior as the Redeemer of the world. They need to be taught that one day they will be accountable to the Lord for their actions in this life. They also must be taught the Lord’s plan of happiness for His children. This means that they need to have a knowledge that God loves them, that we lived with Him before the world was, and that each of us can return to Him through the mission of His Son, Jesus Christ. Also, to meet the challenges of life, our children need to have an education.”

James E. Faust, “Challenges Facing the Family,” Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, Jan. 10, 2004, 2–3.

Parenting is “an effort requiring consecration”.

“The Lord has directed, “Bring up your children in light and truth.” To me, there is no more important human effort. Being a father or a mother is not only a great challenge; it is a divine calling. It is an effort requiring consecration. President David O. McKay (1873–1970) stated that being parents is “the greatest trust that has been given to human beings.”

“While few human challenges are greater than that of being good parents, few opportunities offer greater potential for joy. Surely no more important work is to be done in this world than preparing our children to be God-fearing, happy, honorable, and productive. Parents will find no more fulfilling happiness than to have their children honor them and their teachings. It is the glory of parenthood. John testified, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

James E. Faust, “A Thousand Threads of Love,” Ensign, Oct 2005, 2–7

Rearing children is a challenge

In my opinion, the teaching, rearing, and training of children requires more intelligence, intuitive understanding, humility, strength, wisdom, spirituality, perseverance, and hard work than any other challenge we might have in life. This is especially so when moral foundations of honor and decency are eroding around us. For us to have successful homes, values must be taught, and there must be rules, there must be standards, there must be absolutes.

“To be a good father and mother requires that the parents defer many of their own needs and desires in favor of the needs of their children. As a consequence of this sacrifice, conscientious parents develop a nobility of character and learn to put into practice the selfless truths taught by the Savior Himself.”

James E. Faust, “A Thousand Threads of Love,” Ensign, Oct 2005, 2–7