It is hard to understand all the reasons why some people take another path. The best we can do in these circumstances is just to love and embrace them, pray for their well-being, and seek for the Lord’s help to know what to do and say. Sincerely rejoice with them in their successes; be their friends and look for the good in them. We should never give up on them but preserve our relationships. Never reject or misjudge them. Just love them!

Ulisses Soares | How Can I Understand?

Topics: Family, General Conference 2019, Parenting, Repentance

“We call upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church. The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility. We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.”

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | Feb. 11, 1999; quoted in Handbook 2: Administering the Church (2010), 1.4.1.

Topics: Parenting, Righteousness, Sabbath Day

“We urge you to do all in your power to allow your wife to remain in the home, caring for the children while you provide for the family the best you can.”

Howard W. Hunter | Ensign, November 1994, p. 51

Topics: Fathers & Fatherhood, Mothers & Motherhood, Parenting

“The home … is the workshop where human characters are built and the manner in which they are formed depends upon the relationship existing between parents and the children. The home cannot be what it should be unless these relationships are of the proper character. Whether they are so or not depends, it is true, upon both parents and children, but much more upon parents. They must do their best.”

Joseph Fielding Smith

Topics: Character, Family, Parenting

“A popular song includes the words, ‘There are angels among us.’ These angels are quite frequently the precious little ones God, our Father, has entrusted to our earthly care. To them may we teach prayer, inspire faith, live truth, and honor God. Then we shall have heavenly homes and forever families.”

Thomas S. Monson

Topics: Family, Parenting

“In family relationships, love is really spelled “TIME.” Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home. We talk with, rather than about, each other.”

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf | "Of the Things that Matter Most"

Topics: Family, Parenting, Priorities

“It was the Master himself who said, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). How could he have spoken in stronger terms? “If there be any within the sound of my voice who may be guilty of such practice, I urge you with all of the capacity of which I am capable to stop it, to run from it, to get help, to plead with the Lord for forgiveness and make amends to those whom you have offended. God will not be mocked concerning the abuse of his little ones.”

Gordon B. Hinckley | “Save the Children,” Nov. 1994, p. 54

Topics: Abuse, Parenting, Salvation of Children

“If we are worried about the future, then we must look today at the upbringing of children.”

Gordon B. Hinckley | Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes

Topics: Family, Last Days, Parenting

“The [current] American story about marriage, as told in the law and in much popular literature, goes something like this: marriage is a relationship that exists primarily for the fulfillment of the individual spouses. If it ceases to perform this function, no one is to blame and either spouse may terminate it at will. … Children hardly appear in the story; at most they are rather shadowy characters in the background.”

Mary Ann Glendon | Abortion and Divorce in Western Law: American Failures, European Challenges (1987), 108.

Topics: Family, Marriage, Parenting

“If we had paid no more attention to our plants than we have to our children, we would now be living in a jungle of weeds.”

Luther Burbank | In Elbert Hubbard’s Scrap Book, New York: Wm. H. Wise and Co., 1923, p. 227.

Topics: Family, Parenting, Priorities

“Could wicked and malicious beings, who had irradiated every feeling of love form their bosoms, be permitted to propagate their species, the offspring would partake of all the evil, wicked, and malicious nature of their parents. . . . It is for this reason that God will not permit the fallen angels to multiply: it is for this reason that God has ordained marriages for the righteous only: it is for this reason that God will put a final stop to the multiplication of the wicked after this life: it is for this reason that none but those who have kept the celestial law will be permitted to multiply after the resurrection.”

Orson Pratt | “Power and Eternity of the Priesthood,” The Seer, 1853, 156–57.

Topics: Family, Parenting

“Nine months of awkward explanations, the lingering scent of scandal – it seems that God arranged the most humiliating circumstances possible for his entrance, as if to avoid any charge of favoritism. I am impressed that when the Son of God became a human being he played by the rules, harsh rules; small towns do not treat kindly young boys who grow up with questionable paternity.”

Philip Yancey | The Jesus I Never Knew

Topics: Jesus Christ, Nature of God, Parenting

“It’s not living the gospel thats hard. Its life that’s hard…How often do we make the mistake of talking to our youth about how hard it is…Shouldn’t we instead be focusing on the doctrine of joy…?”

Sheri Dew | No Doubt About It

Topics: Happiness, Parenting, Teaching

“There is no greater good in all the world than motherhood. The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation.”

James E. Faust | Fathers, Mothers, Marriage

Topics: Mothers & Motherhood, Parenting

“A few years ago, Bishop Stanley Smoot was interviewed by President Spencer W. Kimball. President Kimball asked, “How often do you have family prayer?” Bishop Smoot answered, “We try to have family prayer twice a day, but we average about once.”…President Kimball answered, “In the past, having family prayer once a day may have been all right. But in the future it will not be enough if we are going to save our families.”

James E. Faust | The Greatest Challenge in the World—Good Parenting

Topics: Family, Parenting, Prayer

“The Father of all mankind expects parents, as his representatives, to assist him in shaping and guiding human lives and immortal souls. That is the highest assignment which the Lord can bestow upon man.”

David O. McKay

Topics: Family, Parenting

“How long has it been since you took your children, whatever their size, in your arms and told them that you love them and are glad that they can be yours forever?”

Spencer W. Kimball

Topics: Family, Parenting

There is an old Relief Society story about a child who came in as his mother was putting the finishing touches on a cake. He asked: “Who are we giving that away to?” There is still merit in this little incident, as we can see that he is from a home where they are used to giving service to others.

JoAnn Randall | Finding Joy by Serving Others

Topics: Kindness, Parenting, Relief Society, Service

“Happiness in marriage and parenthood can exceed a thousand times any other happiness.”

James E. Faust | The Enriching of Marriage

Topics: Marriage, Parenting

“I say to you Latter-day Saint mothers and fathers, if you will rise to the responsibility of teaching your children in the home—priesthood quorums preparing the fathers, the Relief Society the mothers—the day will soon be dawning when the whole world will come to our doors and will say, ‘Show us your way that we may walk in your path’”

Harold B. Lee | The Teachings of Harold B. Lee

Topics: Family, Parenting

“No nobler work in this world can be performed by any mother than to rear and love the children with whom God has blessed her. That is her duty.”

David O. McKay

Topics: Family, Mothers & Motherhood, Parenting

“Let us be more determined to make [righteous] homes, to be kinder husbands, more thoughtful wives, more exemplary to our children, determined that in our homes we are going to have just a little taste of heaven here on this earth.”

David O. McKay

Topics: Family, Heaven, Parenting, Priesthood

“Keep yourselves above any domineering or unworthy behavior in the tender, intimate relationship between husband and wife. Because marriage is ordained of God, the intimate relationship between husbands and wives is good and honorable in the eyes of God. He has commanded that they be one flesh and that they multiply and replenish the earth.”

Howard W. Hunter

Topics: Marriage, Parenting, Sex

“As parents, we should remember that our lives may be the book from the family library which the children most treasure.”

Thomas S. Monson

Topics: Family, Parenting