Preserving the Voice of the Covenant People in the Rising Generation
Jan E. Newman, Second Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency
Brother Newman testifies of the importance of teaching children about Jesus Christ and instilling in them a desire to make and keep covenants with Him.
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Topics
Bringing Our Children to Christ
Brother Newman emphasizes the importance of bringing our children to Christ and helping them build their foundations on Him. He uses the example of the Savior's interaction with the children in the Book of Mormon to illustrate this point.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our children could have experiences like that with Jesus Christ—something that would bind their hearts to Him!
We can show them how to find the Savior in the scriptures and build their foundations on Him.Key Points:
- Jesus Christ invites us to bring our children to Him.
- We can help our children know their Savior and Redeemer by showing them how to find Him in the scriptures.
- What experiences have helped you draw closer to Christ?
- How have you been able to bring your children or those you teach closer to Christ?
- What scriptures have been especially impactful in helping you or your children understand the Savior better?
Building Lives on the Rock of Our Redeemer
Brother Newman discusses the importance of building our lives and the lives of our children on the Rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that this takes effort and personal commitment.
To build our lives on the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, we need to dig deep.
We teach our children to bind themselves to Him through sacred ordinances and covenants so that when the oppositional storms and floods come, as they surely will, they will have little effect upon them “because of the rock upon which [they] are built.”Key Points:
- Building our lives on Christ requires effort and personal commitment.
- We need to teach our children to bind themselves to Christ through sacred ordinances and covenants.
- What steps have you taken to build your life on the Rock of our Redeemer?
- How have you taught your children or those you teach about the importance of making and keeping sacred covenants?
- How has your life been affected by building on the rock of our Redeemer?
The Importance of Personal Faith and Conversion
Brother Newman highlights the importance of each individual, including children, having their own faith and conversion. He uses the example of King Benjamin's people to illustrate this point.
For the rising generation, it’s not enough for faith in Jesus Christ to be “the tradition of their fathers.” They need to own faith in Christ for themselves.
As the covenant people of God, how can we instill within the hearts of our children a desire to make and keep covenants with Him?Key Points:
- Each individual needs to have their own faith in Christ, not just rely on the faith of their parents or ancestors.
- We need to help instill within the hearts of our children a desire to make and keep covenants with God.
- How has your personal faith in Christ been strengthened?
- What experiences have helped you develop a desire to make and keep covenants?
- How have you seen the importance of personal faith and conversion in your own life or the lives of those you teach?
Feasting on the Words of Christ
Brother Newman discusses the importance of daily immersion in the scriptures, or "feasting on the words of Christ", for spiritual survival. He also provides practical suggestions for creating meaningful scripture study within families.
The voice of the covenant people is found in our own words of testimony. It is found in the words of living prophets. And it is preserved powerfully in the scriptures. It is there that our children will come to know Jesus and find answers to their questions.
Daily immersion in the word of God is crucial for spiritual survival, especially in these days of increasing upheaval.Key Points:
- Feasting on the words of Christ is crucial for spiritual survival.
- Immersing ourselves and our children in the scriptures helps us come to know Jesus and find answers to our questions.
- How has daily scripture study strengthened your testimony of Christ?
- What methods have you found effective for studying the scriptures with your children or those you teach?
- How have you seen the words of Christ provide answers to your questions or the questions of those you teach?
The Role of Parents and Leaders in Teaching the Gospel
Brother Newman emphasizes the role of parents and leaders in teaching the gospel to children. He encourages consistency in gospel teaching and the use of resources like Teaching in the Savior’s Way to enhance teaching efforts.
One of our most sacred responsibilities is to help our children come to know deeply and specifically that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, their personal Savior and Redeemer, who stands at the head of His Church!
Just be consistent in your efforts.Key Points:
- Parents and leaders have a sacred responsibility to teach children about Jesus Christ.
- Consistency in gospel teaching is more impactful than occasional monumental moments or landmark lessons.
- How have you seen the impact of consistent gospel teaching in your own life or the lives of those you teach?
- What resources or methods have you found helpful in teaching the gospel to your children or those you teach?
- How have you been able to help your children or those you teach come to know Jesus Christ deeply and specifically?
