Helping Children Follow the Prophet With Faith
Children learn to love the prophet through ordinary family life: prayer before school, kindness toward siblings, scripture study at the kitchen table and conversations about why the Lord calls prophets. In a Latter-day Saint home, sustaining the prophet is more than recognising a Church leader. It is choosing to listen, seek personal revelation and act with trust in Jesus Christ.
Australian families bring their own rhythms to this work. A child may hear prophetic counsel before catching a tram in Melbourne, heading to school in Brisbane or preparing for a long drive across regional New South Wales. Faith becomes meaningful when it is connected to the places, pressures and relationships children know.
A Home Where Faith Feels Personal
Children are unlikely to develop a lasting testimony through commands alone. They need to see that the gospel shapes their parents’ decisions, priorities and treatment of others. When a mother or father speaks respectfully about the prophet, keeps covenants and admits the need for repentance, children see discipleship as a living relationship with the Saviour.
Use simple language to explain that prophets are called to testify of Christ and provide inspired direction for the Church. They do not replace a child’s agency or personal prayer. A child can learn to ask, “What is the Lord teaching me through this counsel?” rather than treating obedience as mere loyalty to a personality.
Small Practices That Build Trust
Family prayer can include gratitude for prophetic guidance. During scripture study, parents might connect a prophet’s recent counsel with principles already taught in the Book of Mormon or the New Testament. These brief links help children recognise consistency in the Lord’s work across generations.
A family can also keep a small “counsel in action” journal. Each week, children record one invitation from the prophet and one way the family tried to follow it. This could involve forgiving a friend, preparing for the Sabbath, strengthening marriage or serving someone who feels lonely.
Make Conference a Family Event
General Conference may arrive at inconvenient hours for Australian households, especially when broadcasts fall early in the morning or late at night due to the time difference. Families in Sydney, Perth or Hobart can choose selected sessions, watch recordings after church or gather for a relaxed review during the school holidays.
Children do not need to understand every sermon. Invite them to listen for one phrase about Jesus Christ, one piece of guidance for families and one action they can take. Younger children can draw a picture, while teenagers might write a short reflection or discuss how counsel applies to social media, study, employment and friendships.
Connect Counsel to Daily Discipleship
Prophetic teachings become memorable when children see them in daily decisions. A lesson about honesty can be connected with schoolwork. Counsel about service can lead to helping an elderly neighbour or assisting at a ward activity. Teachings about family relationships can shape the way siblings speak to one another after a disagreement.
The Family Proclamation offers a useful framework for discussing the sacred purposes of family life, marriage, parenthood and moral agency. Parents can explain these principles with warmth and clarity, helping children understand that revealed standards are intended to protect their identity, relationships and eternal progress.
Answer Honest Questions With Faith and Truth
Children may ask why Church policies change, why faithful people face hardship or why a particular teaching feels difficult. An immediate lecture can close the conversation. A calm response such as, “That is a thoughtful question; let us pray and learn together,” teaches that faith welcomes sincere seeking.
Parents should distinguish between sustaining the prophet and claiming that every personal opinion, historical circumstance or administrative decision is beyond discussion. A testimony can include humility: we trust the Lord, study the scriptures, follow authorised prophetic direction and wait patiently when we do not yet understand everything.
When Faith Is Carried Differently at Home
Some children live with parents or relatives whose level of Church activity differs. A mother whose husband is not a member may find helpful perspective in strengthening your own faith, especially when she wants to nurture belief without creating conflict at home.
Children should never be encouraged to mock, pressure or spiritually compete with a non-member parent. They can show respect while learning why their family attends church, keeps covenants and follows prophetic counsel. In these homes, consistent love and quiet example may teach more effectively than frequent explanations.
Guide Digital Choices Wisely
Children encounter religious commentary, criticism and persuasive entertainment through phones, gaming platforms and streaming services. Teach them to evaluate sources, protect sacred things from ridicule and pause before sharing emotionally charged content. The goal is not fear of technology, but wise stewardship of attention and influence.
Online gambling promotions provide a useful example. Even when presented as harmless entertainment, online bonus codes can normalise risky behaviour and conflict with counsel to avoid gambling. Parents can explain how advertising works, why quick-money promises are misleading and how disciples of Christ make choices that preserve self-control.
A Pattern Families Can Return To
A simple family pattern can make prophetic guidance part of normal life:
- Pray for a testimony of Jesus Christ and His living prophet.
- Read or watch one short piece of prophetic counsel together each week.
- Ask children what the counsel means in their own circumstances.
- Choose one practical action and revisit it during family prayer.
- Model respectful disagreement, patience and continued gospel study.
- Celebrate quiet obedience rather than demanding perfect performance.
- Use trusted resources, including the wider community at Mormon Women Stand, to strengthen faith at home.
The purpose is not to produce children who repeat correct phrases without understanding. It is to help them recognise the voice of the Lord, exercise righteous agency and build a testimony that can withstand changing opinions. In Australian wards and homes, from busy city suburbs to remote communities, steady example gives prophetic counsel a human setting.
Children should remember that sustaining the prophet is ultimately an expression of love for the Saviour. As they pray, study, serve and choose to follow inspired guidance, they learn that faith is lived one faithful decision at a time.
