Chapter 50—The Honor Due Parents
The Child’s Indebtedness to Parents—Children should feel that
they are indebted to their parents, who have watched over them in
infancy and nursed them in sickness. They should realize that their
parents have suffered much anxiety on their account. Especially have
conscientious, godly parents felt the deepest interest that their children
should take a right course. As they have seen faults in their children,
how heavy have been their hearts! If the children who caused those
hearts to ache could see the effect of their course, they would certainly
relent. If they could see their mother’s tears and hear her prayers to
God in their behalf, if they could listen to her suppressed and broken
sighs, their hearts would feel and they would speedily confess their
wrongs and ask to be forgiven
Children, when they become of age, will prize the parent who
labored faithfully, and would not permit them to cherish wrong feelings
or indulge in evil habits
A Command Binding on All—“Honor thy father and thy mother:
that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth
thee.” This is the first commandment with promise. It is binding upon
childhood and youth, upon the middle-aged and the aged. There is no
period in life when children are excused from honoring their parents.
This solemn obligation is binding upon every son and daughter and
is one of the conditions to their prolonging their lives upon the land
which the Lord will give the faithful. This is not a subject unworthy of
notice, but a matter of vital importance. The promise is upon condition
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of obedience. If you obey, you shall live long in the land which the
Lord your God gives you. If you disobey, you shall not prolong your
life in that land
Parents are entitled to a degree of love and respect which is due
to no other person. God Himself, who has placed upon them a re-
1
Testimonies For The Church 1, 395, 396
.
2
The Signs of the Times, July 13, 1888
.
3
Testimonies For The Church 2, 80, 81
.
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