Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: Teaching more than the DON'Ts


Future Queen in Zion

Status: Offline
Posts: 3155
Date:
Teaching more than the DON'Ts


This story http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,443715,00.html got me to thinking. (Story says 50 students in a single high school are being tested for HIV, because they may have been exposed to the virus through sexual contact, drugs, piercings and tattoos.)

I'm a big proponent of not just teaching our children the commandments, but giving them some of the reasons obeying them is wise. Some children will end up rebelling even when they are taught correct principles. And they might come back to the fold eventually, but there are consequences for certain actions even after repentence. 

In my lifetime, I've come across some amazingly naive LDS youth who would have no idea about some of the consequences of rebelling in certain ways. The possibilities for terrible consequences exist.

My love for my children motivates me to make sure they know these things when they are old enough to make the choices that lead to the consequences. And that's younger than most would like to think. (I was propositioned for sex and drugs -on different occassions- as a 4th grader.)

What do you think? As a culture are we doing enough to educate our children? Or do we shy away from talking about things we don't want our children to even think about doing?

__________________

"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine." --Elaine S. Dalton



Profuse Pontificator

Status: Offline
Posts: 588
Date:

Hiccups, I agree that we need to make sure that correct teachings are given to children. In high school, we had a retreat where a nun told us some of the misconceptions that youth had about sexuality. I think that some of the false beliefs could lead to pregnancy. I think it is so important to make them aware of consequences. I have thought how if we touch a stove that normal people will immediate withdraw their hand if it is so hot to burn. Yet, things can be enticing that are immoral. They can give pleasure for the moment. Down the road, they can bring such pain and regret and shame.

__________________


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 417
Date:

You definitely have great points. In activity days we just had a lesson on the Word of Wisdom and discussed many of the consequences that could occur. Definitely it is good to speak of blessings. But it is good to also be aware of the dire consequences that could occur.

__________________
Jen


Senior Bucketkeeper

Status: Offline
Posts: 1599
Date:

Talking to my brother and his wife about things they heard from the youth when he was bishop (and that the youth thought were okay), I believe this more and more.

__________________
"There is order in the way the Lord reveals His will to mankind. . .we cannot receive revelation for someone else's stewardship." L. Tom Perry


Future Queen in Zion

Status: Offline
Posts: 3155
Date:

Exactly. And here's a for instance.

There are links between drug use and developing serious mental illnesses, schizoid types and others. Scientists hypothosize that as much as 25% of the general population carries the ability to become schiziod. Most don't, but for some the right set of environmental factors converge to "flip the switch" if you will. Drug use, particularly while the brain is still developing into the early 20's, is a recognized trigger.

Since there is already schizoid illness present in my family line, I consider it very important to tell my children about this danger for them, so they know that doing drugs may carry this very serioous extra consequence. So, if they get in a to-heck-with-it mood and decide to rebel, maybe they'll think twice about doing drugs.

I guess my point is that while I have high hopes for my children to grow into well-adjusted gospel-centered adults, I'm not discounting the possibiltiy of speed bumps along the way. (And even if they don't ever decide to rebel in those dangerous ways, maybe they'll be in the right place at the right time to help someone else. That's worthwhile, too.)

__________________

"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine." --Elaine S. Dalton



Keeper of the Holy Grail

Status: Offline
Posts: 5519
Date:

I totally agree, hic. I was in a RS meeting once in Happy Valley, UT and they were talking about morality. (Happy Valley back then had a high number of teen pregnancies - I don't know what the numbers are nowadays or if it's still higher than the national average.) One sister joked that her daughter was NOT going to go hot-tubbing with boys because she did NOT want to get pregnant. This was followed by much giggling and nodding and "What a sweetheart" type comments. I couldn't believe it. I almost stood up and said, "And you wonder why Utah has such a high teen pregnancy rate. You guys are pathetic."

Oh, and most Utah teens will not use condoms, because that's a bigger sin - premeditation, you know. It has to be "unexpected" or an "accident" or the "heat of the moment." That's how people think here, I'm not kidding.

__________________

Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid.  -John Wayne

Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse
Powered by ActiveBoard