Faith, Diligence, and Patience

I think that the last few verses in Alma 32 give great counsel about raising children.  Replacing “word” and “tree” with “child”, Alma invites us to “nourish the [child] as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof.”  The next verse repeats those three essential virtues: “Your diligence and your faith and your patience with the [child] in nourishing it, that it may take root” and bring forth fruit.  The last verse again repeats the same three necessary traits and adds one more, “Ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the [child] to bring forth fruit.”  Surely if there is any responsibility that requires faith, diligence, and patience, it is raising children!  Just like nourishing a tree, progress is nearly imperceptible from day to day and we are often left wondering whether our actions are really helping to foster the growth we hope to see.  In the next chapter Alma referred to three ways that the seed should be planted which certainly apply here in the context of raising children.  First, “ye ought to search the scriptures” (Alma 33:2).  Second Alma taught them of “prayer or worship” and quoted Zenos to show how they could pray in just about any circumstance.  Lastly, and most importantly, he taught them the need to “begin to believe in the Son of God… that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins” (Alma 33:22).  As parents we strive to teach our children to love the scriptures and to pray to their Heavenly Father.  Ultimately what we really want is for them to develop faith in Jesus Christ so that this can guide them throughout their whole life.  But teaching these things is like trying to get the tree to grow—it can only be done with faith, diligence, and a lot of patience.  Our hope and faith is that such teaching will indeed lead them to “everlasting life” (Alma 33:23).