The New Testament

In Hebrews 12:9, we read that God is "the Father of spirits." He is compared to our own "fathers of our flesh" from whom we receive chastisement and to whom we give reverence. Like our earthly father, our Heavenly Father will occasionally correct us with love and we should show Him gratitude and reverence in return. We have inherited spiritual traits from our Heavenly Father. We are divine in our nature and in our potential to become like Him. Like our earthly father, our Heavenly Father knows us by name and He loves us. President Oaks states, "I am a child of God with a spirit lineage to heavenly parents. That parentage defines our eternal potential. That powerful idea is a potent antidepressant. It can strengthen each of us to make righteous choices and to seek the best that is within us. Establish in the mind of a young person the powerful idea that he or she is a child of God and you have given self-respect and motivation to move against the problems o

In Ephesians 6:4, Paul explained to the Saints that parents should bring up their children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Parents can find direction for how to raise their children in the gospel of Jesus Christ by studying the scriptures and by listening to the words of our modern prophets. Our prophets have directed us to hold weekly Family Home Evenings, study the scriptures as a family daily, and pray daily as a family. At our most recent General Conference, significant changes were made in the church schedule and curriculum, changing the focus of gospel learning to be more home centered. Elder Quentin L. Cook explained, "The new home-centered and Church-supported curriculum needs to influence more powerfully family religious observance and behavior and personal religious observance and behavior. We know the spiritual impact and the deep and lasting conversion that can be achieved in the home setting. Years ago, a study established that for young men