Study Guide for "Essential Conversations"

In "Essential Conversations", Joy D. Jones emphasizes the importance of having meaningful gospel discussions with children. She underscores the need to be intentional in teaching children about the gospel of Jesus Christ, helping them build spiritual resilience, and preparing them to face the challenges of life. She provides practical suggestions on how to have these essential conversations and the impact they can have on children's spiritual development.

Before Reading

Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:

What does the term "Primary" mean to Joy D. Jones and why is it significant?
What is the role of parents in helping children "get far enough in" to the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Why are family conversations about the gospel of Jesus Christ considered "essential"?
What are some methods suggested for having these essential conversations with children?
How can these conversations help children build spiritual resilience and prepare them for future challenges?

Topics

Understanding the Importance of Teaching Children the Gospel

Joy D. Jones emphasizes the importance of teaching children the gospel of Jesus Christ from a young age. She asserts that conversion is not accidental and that being intentional in teaching, loving, and testifying can help children feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. She also highlights the role of the Holy Ghost in children's testimony of and conversion to Jesus Christ.

It is our privilege and responsibility to help children "get far enough in" to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We cannot wait for conversion to simply happen to our children. Accidental conversion is not a principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Being intentional in loving, teaching, and testifying can help children begin at a young age to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost.

According to Joy D. Jones, why is it important to teach children the gospel from a young age?
What does she mean when she says that "accidental conversion is not a principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ"?
How can being intentional in loving, teaching, and testifying help children feel the influence of the Holy Ghost?
How can you be more intentional in teaching, loving, and testifying to your children or those you have stewardship over?
What steps can you take to help children feel the influence of the Holy Ghost more in their lives?

Having Essential Gospel Conversations with Children

Joy D. Jones discusses the value of having essential conversations about the gospel of Jesus Christ with children. She suggests that these conversations can help children build a strong foundation in the gospel, understand their divine identity, and strengthen their faith. She also mentions the importance of these conversations in helping children understand and live the principles of the gospel.

Consider the value of family conversations about the gospel of Jesus Christ, essential conversations, that can invite the Spirit.

When we have such conversations with our children, we help them create a foundation, "which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if [they] build they cannot fall."

These vital discussions can lead children to: Understand the doctrine of repentance. Have faith in Christ, the Son of the living God. Choose baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost when eight years old. And pray and "walk uprightly before the Lord."

What are the benefits of having essential gospel conversations with children, according to Joy D. Jones?
How can these conversations help children build a strong foundation in the gospel?
What gospel principles can children understand and live through these conversations?
What are some ways you can initiate essential gospel conversations with your children or those you have stewardship over?
How can you help them understand and live the principles of the gospel through these conversations?

Building Spiritual Resilience in Children

Joy D. Jones emphasizes the importance of building spiritual resilience in children. She suggests that helping children recognize when they are feeling the Spirit and discerning what actions cause the Spirit to leave can encourage spiritual resilience. She also provides practical suggestions, such as role-playing and caring conversations, to help children build spiritual resilience.

To do so, we can assist children in recognizing when they are feeling the Spirit and in discerning what actions cause the Spirit to leave.

We can have fun helping our children build spiritual resilience at any age. It doesn’t have to be complicated or time intensive.

Caring conversations, happening naturally and consistently, can lead to better understanding and answers.

Why is it important to build spiritual resilience in children, according to Joy D. Jones?
How can helping children recognize when they are feeling the Spirit and discerning what actions cause the Spirit to leave encourage spiritual resilience?
What are some of Joy D. Jones's suggestions for helping children build spiritual resilience?
How can you assist your children or those you have stewardship over in recognizing when they are feeling the Spirit and discerning what actions cause the Spirit to leave?
What are some ways you can have caring conversations with them to help them build spiritual resilience?

Preparing Children for Future Challenges

Joy D. Jones stresses the need to prepare children for future challenges. She draws an analogy between physical training for battle and spiritual preparation for life's challenges. She emphasizes the importance of teaching, fortifying, and preparing children spiritually long before they enter the battlefield of life.

How can we do the same for our children spiritually? Long before they enter the battlefield of life, how can we more fully strive to teach, fortify, and prepare them?

Wouldn’t we rather have them "sweat" in the safe learning environment of the home than bleed on the battlefields of life?

As children learn and progress, their beliefs will be challenged. But as they are properly equipped, they can grow in faith, courage, and confidence, even in the midst of strong opposition.

Why is it important to prepare children for future challenges, according to Joy D. Jones?
What does she mean when she says that we should rather have children "sweat" in the safe learning environment of the home than "bleed on the battlefields of life"?
How can being properly equipped help children grow in faith, courage, and confidence in the midst of strong opposition?
In what ways can you strive to teach, fortify, and prepare your children or those you have stewardship over for future challenges?
How can you create a safe learning environment at home where they can "sweat" and learn to face challenges?

Never Giving Up on Children

Joy D. Jones underscores the importance of never giving up on children. She encourages parents and caregivers to allow for children's agency, love them with all their heart, teach them God's commandments and His gift of repentance, and never give up on them. She asserts that this is the Lord's way with each of us.

As we nurture and prepare our children, we allow for their agency, we love them with all our heart, we teach them God’s commandments and His gift of repentance, and we never, ever, give up on them.

After all, isn’t this the Lord’s way with each of us?

What does Joy D. Jones mean when she says that we should never give up on children?
Why do you think she asserts that this is the Lord's way with each of us?
How can you show your children or those you have stewardship over that you will never give up on them?
How can you teach them about God's commandments and His gift of repentance in a loving and nurturing way?