Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Parents

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s message to parents was a message my heart needed. It felt like a companion to his message he gave last autumn in General Conference, Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Youth.

I was immediately taken in by the story Elder Uchtdorf shared about a Dad leaving his young daughter to leave for a meeting for his calling. I can relate to this moment so much with my current calling. I feel like I am very frequently struggling with this same balancing act – balancing service along with being a parent.

But there is something I do know – I have three roles that are most important in my life – a disciple of Jesus Christ, wife, and mother. Being a mother is an incredible blessing in my life. I have been amazed by my children lately. At their goodness, patience, and forgiveness. They are the most amazing little people that I learn form daily.

Every time I read the sacred responsibility we as parents have been given in The Family: A Proclamation to the World, I am humbled and completely overwhelmed. But Elder Uchtdorf asks us to “accept this privilege and responsibility courageously and joyfully.” Our Savior will give us strength as we accept this sacred privilege.

Elder Uchtdorf then goes on to share several “strengths” we have been given as we take on the responsibility of being fathers and mothers. The first is that He magnifies our love. I love that our Savior can increase the level of love in our home. That He can help us create a celestial home. This is a concept that I have studied a great deal over the last several years and one my heart gravitates to time and time again.

Another strength that we are given, is that our Savior can magnify small and simple efforts. Power is given in the daily small and simple things that we do to build up our families. It is not in the grand gestures. It is not so much in the individual lessons or conversations, but the layers that are built up in your relationship as you do those things day after day.

Jesus Christ gives us revelation. When I invite the Savior to be an active part in our family – amazing things happen. I wish I did this more consistently. And LISTENED. The Lord does not want us to go about this alone. And I know that He helps us when we ask for it.

An additional strength from our Savior is a mighty change of heart. None of us are perfect – especially in families. It is ground zero for all of our learning so it is messy. We make mistakes over and over again. But with Christ on our side, he can change our weaknesses into strengths.

And finally, we are given a lot of support and strength from the Church. Elder Uchtdorf shared three specific ways we can receive that strength: For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices, FSY Conferences, and teachers.

Heaven wouldn’t be heaven without our families. But we are not meant to get there on our own. Families can be eternal because of our Savior. I loved Elder Uchtdorf’s message:

“The Lord loves you. He is with you. He stands beside you. He is your strength in guiding your children to make righteous choices.”

I want to seek the Savior’s help more in my role as mother. I want to let God guide my family through revelation to truth and faith. I want to be a celestial mother, and I know I can only achieve that with His help and strength.

Highlights

“There’s something…sacred – something irreplaceable – about a parent nurturing a child. It reflects the pattern of heaven. Our Father in Heaven, our Divine Parent, surely rejoices when His children are taught and nurtured by their parents on earth.

My message to all parents is this:

The Lord loves you.

He is with you.

He stands beside you.

He is your strength in guiding your children to make righteous choices.

Accept this privilege and responsibility courageously and joyfully…Within the framework of gospel values and principles, you are the ones to guide your child in the details of daily decisions. Help your children build faith in Jesus Christ, love His gospel and His Church, and prepare for a lifetime of righteous choices. In fact, that is God’s plan for parents.

Every child has received the Light of Christ as a direct line to heaven. And the Savior will help you, guide you, and encourage you. Seek His help. Inquire of the Lord!

Jesus Christ is…the strength of parents.

A parent’s love for a child is one of the strongest forces in the universe. Its one of the few things on this earth that can truly be eternal.

[The Savior] can heal relationships…He can multiply the love and the joy in your home.

Your love for your children creates a rich environment for teaching truth and building faith. Make you home a house of prayer, learning, and faith; a house of joyful experiences; a place of belonging; a house of God.

Another strength you have, as a parent, is the opportunity for daily, ongoing influence…You can be the most constant, steady influence in your child’s life.

The consistency of small and simple things, day after day, nourishes your children.

Brothers and sisters, daily bread is best prepared and served at home. Faith and testimony are best fostered in normal and natural ways, one bite at a time, in small and simple moments, in the constant flow of daily living.

Every moment is a teaching moment. Every word and action can be a guide for making choices.

Don’t give up…Jesus Christ will bless and magnify your consistent efforts.

Another powerful way the Lord supports parents is through the gift of personal revelation. God is eager to pour out His Spirit to guide parents.

As you are prayerful and sensitive to the Spirit, He will warn you of hidden dangers. He will reveal your children’s gifts, their strengths, and their unspoken concerns. God will help you see your children as He sees them – beyond their outward appearance and into their hearts.

With God’s help, you can learn to know your children in a pure and heavenly way…Seek His guidance in your prayers.

Perhaps the most important help Jesus Christ offers to parents is the “mighty change” of heart.

Dear brothers and sisters, relax!

There is a divine source of help for parents: It is Jesus Christ. He is the source of our mighty change of heart.

If you trust Jesus Christ with a humble heart, He will make weak things become strong. He is the God of miracles.

Through the Savior’s grace, little by little, you’ll develop more of the attributes parents need: love for God and His children, patience, selflessness, faith in Christ, and courage to make righteous choices.

Our effort to build faith in Jesus Christ is home centered, focused on the individual. And it is Church supported.

What you can and must do for the rising generation is provide rich, nourishing soil with access to flowing heavenly water. Remove weeds and anything that would block heavenly sunlight. Create the best possible conditions for growth. Patiently allow the rising generation to make inspired choices, and let God work His miracle. The result will be more beautiful and more stunning and more joyful than anything you could accomplish just by yourself.

In Heavenly Father’s plan, families’ relationships are meant to be eternal. This is why, as a parent, you never give up.

With Jesus Christ, the Master Healer and Savior, there can always be a new beginning; He always gives hope.

Jesus Christ is the strength of families.

Jesus Christ is the strength of youth.

Jesus Christ is the strength of parents.”

FULL text and video of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s message can be found HERE.

Other messages from the April 2023 General Conference that I have found particularly impactful:

• Peacemakers Needed by President Russell M. Nelson
• The Greatest Easter Story Ever Told by Elder Gary E. Stevenson
• “There Can Be Nothing So Exquisite and Sweet as Was My Joy” by Elder Craig C. Christensen
• Followers of the Prince of Peace by Elder Ulisses Soares
• Accessing God’s Power through Covenants by Elder Dale G. Renlund