Shield of Faith

Last night, Wyatt and I went to the adult session of our Stake Conference.  There were two members of the seventy there as tomorrow they will reorganize our stake.  Some interesting points were brought up.  The talk from Elder Boyd K. Packer was quoted,

Speaking of the shield of faith,

"That shield of faith is not produced in a factory but at home in a cottage industry.

The ultimate purpose of all we teach is to unite parents and children in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are happy at home, sealed in an eternal marriage, linked to their generations, and assured of exaltation in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

Lest parents and children be “tossed to and fro,” and misled by “cunning craftiness” of men who “lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14), our Father’s plan requires that, like the generation of life itself, the shield of faith is to be made and fitted in the family. No two can be exactly alike. Each must be handcrafted to individual specifications.

The plan designed by the Father contemplates that man and woman, husband and wife, working together, fit each child individually with a shield of faith made to buckle on so firmly that it can neither be pulled off nor penetrated by those fiery darts.

It takes the steady strength of a father to hammer out the metal of it and the tender hands of a mother to polish and fit it on. Sometimes one parent is left to do it alone. It is difficult, but it can be done."

I was very moved by this as I thought about how diligent we have to be as parents and grandparents.  I remember how hard it was to not only teach our children but also show them by example.  Sometimes that can seem overwhelming.  If we try our best to be our best every day, the Savior will make up the difference.

The area seventy that was speaking to us also recounted when he was 14 years old.  He and his twin brother played baseball.  Neither one of them had ever hit an "over the fence" home run.  They were talking about this with their mother and she challenged them to pray and fast for it.  The twin asked his mother if she really believed it would work and she said it would.  The other twin, believing that it wasn't an appropriate thing to pray and fast for, decided not to try the experiment.  The next game, the first twin who fasted hit his first and only "over the fence" home run.

Years later, the other twin asked his mother if she really thought it was appropriate that his brother pray and fast to hit a home run.  With tears in her eyes, the mother explained to her son that his brother had such low self esteem in his life that it was her prayer that was answered through that experience.  She was trying to find a way to bolster up that son who was struggling.  She was trying to help his testimony to grow, so the home run was actually an answer to her prayer.

And that's how it is.  As parents, we need to rely on the Lord and build that shield of faith.  I need to be courageous.  I need to be a faithful, courageous mother and grandmother.