Sometimes I just feel so, so empty, you know?
Happy?
Yeah, right.
What do you think?
My family and the way things are.
Some days are pretty hard.
I guess I'm mostly just going with the flow.
I don't know how I got where I am.
I don't know how you get to the places you are.
I just feel like I'm drifting.
I love them.
I want to be more for them.
I want to be better than I am, but I don't know how.
I know I love my family.
What more can I do for them?
There just never seems to be enough time.
It just seems like that's kind of what I do is work and go home and I don't know.
Is there more to life than that?
There are many people in the world who are searching, searching for something, yet not
quite sure what it is.
Perhaps you feel that way.
Perhaps you are one who is searching.
In an age of instant worldwide communications, increasing automation and information overload,
it is easy to lose our focus on the things that really matter.
We can spend our time on trivial things and then begin to sense that something is missing
in our lives.
With so many outside influences clamoring for our attention, it's easy to forget that
the most important work we will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes.
To find the peace and joy we desire in our lives, we must return to our families and,
with them, turn to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
There you go.
Do you want some cereal, sweetheart?
You just want the fruit.
Hi, honey.
Do you want any cereal?
Do you want yogurt?
Do you want this one?
There you go, sweetie.
I need some milk.
I want that kind.
You want that kind, too?
I want that.
Some for you.
Okay.
There's a spoon on there.
Yeah.
Put the napkin on your lap, honey, and you won't get messy.
Okay, so have we decided what we're going to do today?
I think we can have fun for today.
We can do that.
We can have fun.
How do you taste this?
It's not the same.
What?
I don't know what I did.
There's something missing, isn't there?
It's not the same.
Let's see.
Oh, no.
What?
I think I forgot to put the brown sugar and the vanilla in.
Do you ever do that?
Make your favorite recipe and then leave out something important?
It looks the same.
It even smells the same.
You want another taste?
It doesn't taste the same.
No, it doesn't.
You know, life's kind of like that.
What do you mean?
Think about it.
What are the main ingredients in life that we keep striving for?
You know, like the car or the job, things like that.
I see so many people who have those things, and yet there's something really important
that's missing from their lives.
You know, they're unhappy.
We want to be happy, don't we, guys?
Yeah.
We want to have joy.
We want to be at peace.
That's true.
You know, there's a lot of people in this world that are really suffering because they're
missing something very important.
And without it, life can be dull, flavorless.
Kind of like your cookies.
Hey.
Well, the difference is I can check my recipe book, I can figure out what's missing, and
I can probably fix it.
But when life falls a little flat, it's a little more complicated.
Well, you know, there really is a recipe book for life.
The sad thing is most people don't know how to find it and don't even know how to look
for it.
So they go through the day-to-day, boring, mundane, get up, go to work, come home, go
to sleep, the unfulfilling tasks of life, and they feel powerless to change.
So what do they do?
Usually nothing.
They don't know what it is that's missing or what to do about it.
There you go.
So they settle.
And they push those feelings aside and tell themselves, well, we'll figure it out someday.
But the clock doesn't stop.
The world refuses to wait.
It just keeps right on turning.
And turning and turning and turning.
Life doesn't have to wander aimlessly on.
It can have direction.
There is a set of recipe books for life.
They are called the scriptures.
They teach us that happiness, including happiness in family life, is most likely to be achieved
when our thoughts and actions are founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the Bible, Jesus likened those who heard His sayings and followed them to a wise man
who built his house upon a rock.
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house.
And it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.
To all who would listen, our Savior said, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.
With a foundation built upon Christ and His teachings, all of us, including our family
members, will find that rest, which includes peace and happiness.
Putting Christ into our lives and into our marriage first has made all the difference
in the world.
He set such a strong example for everyone that by living those things, there's no way
in the world that you couldn't be happy.
After doing what He has asked us to do, but by so doing, we get those rewards from following
His example and following His commandments.
The teachings of the Savior and the Scriptures, the goodness that His life brings into our
lives, has greatly affected and influenced our family and our children and our marriage.
You know, when we talk about wanting our lives
to change, usually what we really mean is we want someone else or something else to
change.
Come here, Sam.
Come on, it's time to get dressed.
The truth is, if we really want our lives to be different, change has to begin with
us.
We have to learn to love and forgive ourselves, as well as each other.
Takes practice and it isn't always easy, but the effort's well worth it.
When we're unhappy with ourselves, we tend to be unhappy with other parts of our lives,
like our jobs or relationships.
Sam, right now.
I don't want to.
And then we might discipline with anger and frustration.
And when we do, their reaction is predictably one of anger, too.
We create contention, even though all along our motive was love and concern.
Sam, you sure did a nice job making this bed.
Come over here.
Look at this nice bed you made.
You're such a big boy.
I bet you're so big you can get dressed all by yourself.
Most of us know that if we were more loving in the way we lived our lives, well, we'd
be better parents and better people.
We just don't always know how or where to start.
Good job.
It isn't difficult or complicated.
It's simply a matter of making a decision.
Not tomorrow, not next week, not next year, but today, right now, right this instant,
to decide to live a life of love, forgiveness, kindness.
Kindness.
You finish getting dressed and come downstairs, okay?
Okay.
It's as simple as making the decision to learn the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Because as you learn His teachings and apply them to your life, you'll have His love
and guidance.
You'll have the right answers, and you'll be at peace.
Applying the teachings of Jesus Christ will help us overcome anger and contention and
bring greater peace and joy into our lives and our family relationships.
Jesus taught, This is not my doctrine to stir up the hearts of men with anger one against
another, but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.
The gospel of peace and love must be taught in our homes and practiced in our family relationships.
Husbands and wives have a solemn responsibility to set the example and to love and care for
each other and for their children.
Parents have a sacred duty to ensure that their children are taught in the ways of the
Lord.
When we have prayer in our home, there's a special peaceful feeling, warmth.
You can just feel love radiating more.
We care more for each other when we pray for each other.
When you get up from that family prayer, there's a different feeling that's with you that you'll
carry with you throughout the rest of the day or throughout the rest of the evening.
Children start out life with only a vague awareness of who they really are.
They look to us as parents to give them a sense of self-worth and confidence.
Honey, could you get me a knife?
Oh, sure.
Thanks.
But because we are their parents, we sometimes have to discipline or correct them.
Right, but we don't want them to misunderstand our motives.
Jesus Christ can help us understand how to teach our children with love and compassion.
For example, first you take a layer of love and support.
And then you add a layer of constructive concern for behavior you may think is self-destructive.
Right.
And top it off with another layer of love and encouragement, some reinforcement for
the things they're doing really well.
Hey.
What do you think?
I need some more mustard.
The point is that whatever we tell them they are or whoever we tell them they are, because
we're their parents, they'll believe us.
And eventually they will become like that.
And the harshest words, those are the ones that are the toughest to take back.
If we tell them that they're lazy or stupid or selfish, they're going to believe those
words and act accordingly.
I'd like to see you remember where your home is.
I've got something to say to you.
Where do you think you're going?
Sit down.
I am sick and tired of your selfishness.
You are pathetic.
I am sick and tired of you doing whatever you want to.
You are the most worthless.
It makes me think that you have the right to go out and do whatever you want and stay
up until the middle of the night.
You are so stupid.
If you keep this up, you're going to end up in jail.
If, on the other hand, we tell them that they're loved, that they're exceptional, they're
bright, they'll believe those things too.
And they'll become that and even more.
The best armor we can give our children against the negative influences of this world is to
instill in them a strong sense of self-worth and a good certain way to make the right decisions.
Here you go.
Stop eating the hand.
No, it's good.
Well, I'm glad to see you made it home all right.
Matt, we need to talk.
Sit down.
You know, Matt, I've got a problem.
Your mother and I, without letting us know where you were, that made us all crazy.
Your mother was worried sick.
You've got to promise me that you'll let us know where you are, that you'll be home when
your curfew is.
You do that.
Matt, you know, I think back of all the things we've done, I'm really proud of you.
You're a great young man.
You're everything that a father would want in his son.
Just want you to always remember who you are.
Our greatest fear as parents is what happens to our children when we're not there, well,
to protect them.
You know, I think back of all the things we've done, I'm really proud of you.
You're a great young man.
You're everything that a father would want in his son.
What we pray for is the power to protect them and help them make the right decisions.
The decisions that will give them the greatest opportunity for happiness.
The teachings of Jesus Christ can give us and our children that power.
We can arm our children with his teachings and example and the profound joy, the knowledge,
and the protection that comes with it.
Reading the scriptures of the family, it hasn't only helped me like to make certain decisions,
but a lot of times I'll have some of my friends come up to me and say,
Oh, Sid, what should I do about this?
This is what happened.
I don't know what to do, you know, and it's helped me to be able to help them.
We can give them the certainty that there is almost always a clear, correct choice.
A choice that can be determined by learning the Savior's teachings and then asking the question,
What would he do?
Just as we love our children, Heavenly Father loves us too.
And he doesn't just love us if we're perfect.
Sorry.
Oh, Sam.
He loves us even when we make mistakes.
It's okay.
Because we are his children.
Let me take those from you.
Come here.
He sent his son, Jesus Christ, to be an example and to teach us the way to true happiness.
The world is filled with subtle and hidden dangers for our children.
To fortify them against those dangers, we must teach them of Christ.
An ancient prophet wrote, We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ,
that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
True protection is found in the teachings of the Savior.
May I offer a few simple suggestions on how you can strengthen your family
and find greater joy in your life?
First, pray together as a family.
What better assurance can you give your children of your love and faith
than for them to hear you pray to our Creator to bless and protect them?
Our Father in Heaven hears and answers our prayers.
By this one simple action, you and your children will find greater strength
to cope with life's daily trials.
Second, study the scriptures together as a family.
There is no better source for learning about the Savior and His gospel.
As you read Holy Writ together, you will experience a greater spirit of peace and love in your home.
Third, commit to spend one night a week as a family.
Take the phone off the hook.
Gather your children together and spend a few precious hours teaching one another
and playing games, making plans, baking cookies, and sharing talents.
Make it a family affair, and your love for one another cannot help but grow.
Finally, love one another.
Of all Christ's teachings, love is the most important.
Husbands love your wives, an apostle taught, even as Christ loved the Church.
Another apostle declared that the most important thing a father can do for his children
is to love their mother.
Wives love your husbands, and parents love your children.
Love can overcome many parental mistakes in raising children.
Love is the greatest principle to be learned and applied in the family setting.
We use our family night to become better friends.
It's a time away from the other pressures of life.
It makes us feel that we belong to the family.
Amen.
Et voila.
Hop on up there.
Good girl.
There you go.
Snuggle bug.
Hey.
You know, you really can be happy and be at peace.
You just have to make that first move to reach out and do something about it.
The best way and really the only way that you can teach your children about love is by example.
And that's how the Savior taught, was by example.
It'd be difficult to say, you know, do what we do and you'll be happy.
But I think, you know, do what the Lord has told us to do and you'll be happy.
The Gospel has answers.
The answers are all there for our family and it helps us learn more about what we need to do as a family to stay together.
The most important thing for me is my family.
And when we read the Scriptures, when we pray together, we notice that it helps us a lot.
By reading Scriptures and having prayer, you know, you're able to express to your children, you know, the importance, you know,
make them realize how important they are.
Losing our son put life in perspective.
We could see more fully what our Heavenly Father's plan was for us, more fully have an understanding of why we're here
and what we have to do to return to live with Him and be a forever family.
That's our goal now and it's a very real and daily kind of a quest.
The Savior taught that we should not lay up treasures on earth, but should lay up treasures in heaven.
The ultimate treasures are our children and our posterity.
No greater joy can be found than in a home where family members love one another
and earnestly strive to live the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In such a home, God will work miracles.
If any of them could understand how much I love them, you know,
and there's nobody that I would want to be with for eternity than these people that you see sitting next to me.
They're my best friends and I'd do anything for any one of them.
Come in. There you go.
Think about it. You could be in so many other places doing a hundred other things right now,
but you're not. You're here, watching and receiving this message.
Coincidence? Maybe.
Or maybe there's a more important reason why you're watching right now.
Please, don't let this moment pass you by.
Reach out for the teachings of the Savior.
And then you decide in your own heart if this is a message for you.
I know that if you will follow the principles we have discussed, God will work miracles in your family.
You will find what is missing in your life. You will feel greater joy and peace.
As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, as a special witness of His name in all the world,
I testify to you that He lives. He loves us and wants us to be happy.
If we will turn to Him, He will guide us and help us become better persons, better parents, better children, and better families.
Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.