Learn, Know, Teach

Learn, Know, Teach

The next verse that stuck out to me in the Topical Guide under “Family, Children, Responsibilities toward” is found in Psalms 78:5.

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

My first thought was something along the lines of, “So we’re supposed to establish a testimony and then share that testimony, along with the laws of God, with our children. Easy enough.” But I couldn’t just leave well enough alone. I had to go back and get some context.

First, I read the chapter header. The very first thing it says is, “The Israelites are to teach the Lord’s law to their children.” Ok, I gathered that. What else is there? I did what I usually do and read back a verse. Verse four starts, “We will not hide them from their children…”

Hide what?

I went back another verse. “Which we have heard and known…”

What have we heard and known?

Another verse back. “I will open my mouth in a parable…” (Now we’re getting somewhere!) “…I will utter dark sayings of old.”

Uh… what?

Let’s try putting it all together and see if the context makes more sense. Starting with verse 2:

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

If I’m being completely honest, I’m still getting the same thing from this block of verses that I got from verse 5 by itself: Learn the laws of God, gain a testimony of them, teach them to my children. But then I added verses 6 and 7.

That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.

Verses 6 and 7 give us the “why” and the promised blessing if we obey this bit of counsel.

If we learn God’s laws, gain our own testimony of them, and then teach them to our children, they can have hope. They’ll know and understand the things they should do in order to have hope in such a confusing world. They’ll know the commandments and they’ll be able to tell the difference between right and wrong.

My responsibility towards them is to learn the laws, gain my own testimony of them, and then teach them.

I am a strong believer that teach does not mean force. A real life example from earlier today…

Lucy put her hand up next to mine and told me that her hand was so small compared to mine. I told her not to worry – I have small hands, but her daddy has big hands so her hands would definitely get bigger. She asked me when they would get bigger. I told her that next year, when she turns four, her hands would be a little bit bigger than they are now. And then the next year, when she turns five, her hands would be even bigger. I kept going all the way until we got to eight and then, for some reason, I told her that when she’s eight and her hands are even bigger, then she will be able to be baptized.

Before I could go on to when she turns nine and her hands would be even bigger, she stopped me and asked me how long it takes to get baptized. I told her that it’s really fast. She told me that she’s scared to be baptized because she doesn’t want to get water up her nose. I told her that she would plug her nose, close her eyes, and hold her breath so she didn’t have to worry about that. She said that she was still scared and that she didn’t think she wanted to be baptized after all.

My immediate instinct (?) was to be dismissive. She’s barely three. She’s never had a swimming lesson, and very few people actually like to put their head under water. My mom heart was a little cracked because of my own faith, belief, and knowledge of the importance of baptism. Luckily, my teacher brain kicked in before instinct and mom heart, and my mouth said, “That’s your choice to make and you have the next five years to learn what you need to learn to make that decision.”

Even as those words were coming out of my mouth, I couldn’t believe I was saying them. That sounds way smarter than I actually am. It’s the truth though.

My responsibility as her mother is to learn the laws for myself, gain my own testimony of them, and then teach them to her. What she chooses to do with them when she knows them is up to her. I’m here to teach, not force.

And, man… that’s not easy.

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