“As the little infants come forth immortal from their dusty beds, they immediately wing their way to their mothers’ arms.  They meet again nevermore to part.  But many of the little ones have no mother there.  We listen in vain for the rapturous song of triumph from the mother.  The angels receive the motherless infants and conduct them to the tree of life.”  2SM:260.

 

“Parents, you are to exemplify Christ in your speech and your actions, and in your duties in the home life.  You are to a large degree responsible for the salvation of the children whom you have brought into the world, and your example before them should be of that nature that it will mold their characters in accordance with Divine principles. . . God wants us to come into right relation to Him.  Shall it be said of any here before me today [ELLEN WHITE WAS SPEAKING TO AN AUDIENCE IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA], that Christ has died for your children in vain because you have not worked in harmony with the teachings of God’s Word? . . .  If parents neglect their responsibilities to their children, how will it be with them in the day of final account?”  10MR:102.

 

“As you try to make plain the truths of salvation, and point the children to Christ as a personal Saviour, angels will be by your side.  The Lord will give to fathers and [206] mothers grace to interest their little ones in the precious story of the Babe of Bethlehem, Who is indeed the hope of the world.”  AH:205-206; DA:517.

 

“God will [207] work with power when in trustful dependence upon Him parents will awake to the sacred responsibility resting upon them, and seek to train their children aright.  He will co-operate with those parents who carefully and prayerfully educate their children, working out their own and their children’s salvation.  He will work in them, to will and to do of His Own good pleasure.”  AH:206-207; ST, September 25, 1901.

 

“Let it be remembered that children are not to be treated as though they were our own personal property.  Children are the heritage of the Lord, and the plan of redemption includes their salvation as well as ours.  They have been intrusted to parents in order that they might be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, that they might be qualified to do their work in time and eternity.  If parents are negligent in doing the solemn work committed to them, they will have to meet their account at the judgment seat of Christ.”  AH:280.1; ST, September 10, 1894 par. 5.

 

“If the mother is inexperienced in the knowledge of God, she should reason from cause to effect, finding out whether her discipline is of a nature to increase the difficulties of the father as he labors for the salvation of the children.  Am I following the way of the Lord? This should be the all-important question.

 

“If parents do not agree, let them absent themselves from the presence of their children until an understanding can be arrived at.

 

“Too often the parents are not united in their family government.  The father, who is with his children but little, and is ignorant of their peculiarities of disposition and temperament, is harsh and severe.  He does not control his temper, but corrects in passion.  The child knows this, and instead of being subdued, the punishment fills [315]

 

“him with anger.  The mother allows misdemeanors to pass at one time for which she will severely punish at another.  The children never know just what to expect, and are tempted to see how far they can transgress with impunity.  Thus are sown seeds of evil that spring up and bear fruit.

 

“If parents are united in this work of discipline, the child will understand what is required of him.  But if the father, by word or look, shows that he does not approve of the discipline the mother gives; if he feels that she is too strict and thinks that he must make up for the harshness by petting and indulgence, the child will be ruined.  He will soon learn that he can do as he pleases. Parents who commit this sin against their children are accountable for the ruin of their souls.”  AH:314-315; Manuscript 79, 1901.

 

“When Christ is in the heart, He is brought into the family.  The father and mother feel the importance of living in obedience to the Holy Spirit so that the heavenly angels, who minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, will minister to them as teachers in the home, educating and training them for the work of teaching their children.  In the home it is possible to have a little church which will honor and glorify the Redeemer.”  AH:323.1; Manuscript 102, 1901.

 

“If you can so impress your children, that they will exercise that repentance which is acceptable to God, that godly sorrow which worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented [22] of, the work will be thorough, the reform certain.  They will not feel sorrow merely because their sins are known; but they will view their sinful practices in their aggravated character, and will be led to confess them to God, without reserve, and will forsake them.  They will feel to sorrow for their wrong course, because they have displeased God, and sinned against Him, and dishonored their bodies before Him Who created them, and has required them to present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him, which is their reasonable service.”  ApM:21-22.

 

“Dear children, I do not write merely for your amusement, but for your improvement.  Learn where you fail, and then commence the work of reform in earnest.  You must learn order. Have set hours to work in the garden, set hours in the heat of the day to arrange your garden seeds, set hours to read and improve your minds.  Spend no precious moments in bickerings and finding fault with each other.  This disturbs your own happiness, and pleases the enemy.  Remember the eye of God is ever upon you.  Endeavor to please him in all your acts.  Make your peace with him while you are in health.  Your parents have a deep interest for you.  Our greatest desire is that you may be subjects of grace.  You will never be saved against your will.  You must prize salvation, and submit to be saved in the Lord’s appointed way.  Humble repentance of sin, and faith in Jesus as your Saviour, will be required on your part, and He is faithful that hath promised.  He will accept you, and give you of His salvation.  If you deny yourselves in many things, and refrain from [71]

 

“sin for a season only, this will not be sufficient.  It is a life of obedience which will please God and be acceptable to Him.  Delay not to make an entire consecration to God, that your names may be recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”  AY:70-71.

 

“The teachers should be earnest in their work; they should watch for souls as they that must give an account.  Their efforts should tend to lead the minds of those under their care to the contemplation of heavenly things; their instruction should be of a character to deepen the force of every lesson.  They should be co-laborers with the parents for the salvation of the children; and Jesus will help them, and there will be a harvest of souls.”  GW92:408; RH, October 21, 1884.

 

“Parents Must Govern Themselves. -- Parents who successfully govern their families must first govern themselves.  If they would only have pleasant words in their families, they must let their children hear only pleasant words from their lips.  The planting of the seed will produce a like harvest.  Parents have a solemn, sacred work to perform in educating their children by precept and example.  They are under obligation to God to present their children to Him fitted at a very early period to receive an intelligent knowledge of what is comprehended in being a follower of Jesus Christ.  If those who claim to be Bible Christians have children who do not fear and love God, in most cases it is because the parents’ example has not been a correct one.”  MS 59, 1900; 1MCP:156.1.

 

“We are surrounded by the perils of the last days.  It is a time of special danger to the young.  We should feel the most intense interest to secure the salvation of the children whom God has given us.”  ST, June 2, 1881.

 

“Never correct them in anger.  Many professedly Christian parents do this; but they make the case far worse than if they had administered no correction.  They commit a greater sin than that of which the child has been guilty.  Take time to reflect calmly and candidly before you correct your children, and then bow with them in prayer, interceding with God in their behalf.  In most cases this will soften the hardest heart, and the object will be gained without using the rod.”  RH, August 30, 1881 par. 19.

 

 

“A Well-organized Family. -- The family firm should be well organized.  Together the father and mother should consider their responsibilities.  Together they should work for the highest good of their children.  There is to be no variance between them.  Never should they in the presence of their children criticize each other’s plans or question each other’s judgment.  If the wife is inexperienced, she should try to find out where her work makes the work for her husband more difficult as he labors for the salvation of the children.  And the husband should [156] hold up the hands of his wife, giving her wise counsel and loving encouragement.” -- RH, July 8, 1902; {1MCP:155-156.}.