Screen inappropriate material
Read scriptures- Interview children
Members of the Church must build their homes into fortresses against evil, where their most precious treasures, the family, will be protected against the constant attacks of the adversary, counseled Elder Horacio A. Tenorio.
Elder Tenorio was released at the opening session of conference after five years of service in the Second Quorum of the Seventy.
He delivered his final conference address at the Saturday afternoon session. He encouraged parents to screen the material that comes into the home. "No inappropriate outsider should be allowed to dictate our family's values nor what our children are being taught."
In medieval times, he explained, great fortresses were erected to protect castles or cities from enemy attacks. "I am not suggesting that we isolate ourselves from the world by digging deep moats or constructing barriers several meters high around our homes, but rather that in our family councils, under the influence of the Spirit, we establish the activities, entertainment, books, friendships, rules and habits that will constitute our fortresses."
He continued: "Our fortress consists of teaching our children the gospel through the scriptures, establishing the habit of reading them every day as a family and basing a large part of the family's conversations on the scriptures. It means kneeling together daily to pray and teach our children the importance of direct, personal communication with our Heavenly Father."
Children should see in the example of parents that the principles and teachings of the gospel are a way of life that lead to peace and happiness, he said. The gospel teachings also provide the strength necessary to withstand the trials and tribulations of life.
"We must teach them to avoid compromising themselves with inappropriate fashions and negative practices of the world by simply saying `no' when confronted with them."
He said creating a fortress requires the family to counsel together in weekly family home evenings where they make decisions and agreements.
"By establishing a security system of our own, we can prevent the enemy from finding and exploiting weaknesses in our family fortress through which he could gain access to, and harm our most precious treasure, our family."
A watchtower in this fortress can be a regular father's interview, he said. Interviews help fathers to become more closely acquainted with their children and establish communications that will allow parents to foresee dangers.
Parents have a responsibility for caring for and protecting families that cannot and must not be delegated, he said.