The Kress Collection

The Family Firm

The truth, in all its important bearings needs to have a much deeper hold on parents than it has heretofore had. Parents are to work for their own children, helping them while they are still in the home to gain a fitness to work as missionaries for Christ when they leave the home. They are to be taught to be faithful in labor. They are to learn to relieve the weary mother, sharing her burdens. The older children may greatly assist her by helping to care for the little ones. And the younger ones may learn to perform many of the simple duties of the home. KC 11.1

The young men and women should regard a training in the home duties as a most important part of their education. The family firm is a sacred social industry, in which each member is to act a part, each helping the other. The work of the household is to move smoothly, like the different parts of well regulated machinery. The mother should be relieved of many burdens that the sons and daughters can take upon themselves. KC 11.2

How important that fathers and mothers should give their children, from their very babyhood, the right instruction. They are to teach them to obey the command, “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” And the children as they grow in years, are to appreciate the care that their parents have given them, and should find their greatest pleasure in helping father and mother. KC 11.3

Fathers and mothers should do all in their power to carry forward the work of the home in right lines. The law of God with its holy principles and solemn injunctions, is ever to bear rule. The principles of the Bible are to be taught and practiced. The parents are to teach their children lessons from the Bible, making them so simple that they can readily be understood. KC 11.4

The more closely the members of a family are united on their work, in the home, the more uplifting and helpful will be the influence that father and mother and sons and daughters will exert outside the home. KC 11.5

It is a serious matter to send children away from home, thus depriving them of the care of their parents. It is of the greatest importance that church schools shall be established to which the children can be sent, and still be under the watch-care of their mothers, and still have opportunity to learn the lessons of helpfulness that it is God's design that they shall learn in the home. KC 11.6

In our larger schools provision should be made for the education of younger children. This line of work is to be managed wisely, in connection with the work of the more advanced students. The older students should be encouraged to take part in teaching the lower classes. KC 11.7

These things are not trifles unworthy of our consideration. I wish to state especially that very much more can be done to save and educate the children of those who at present cannot get away from the cities. Church schools are to be established in these cities and in connection with these schools provision is to be made for the teaching of higher studies, where these are called for. These schools can be managed in such a way, part joining part, and they will be a complete whole. The Lord has His methods, His plans and His wisdom. KC 11.8