To the end of his life, Lehi taught his children the gospel. In our day the Lord’s servants continue to emphasize parents’ responsibility to teach their children. The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declared, “We warn that individuals … who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102; see also D&C 68:25–29).
Like Lehi, most Latter-day Saint parents take this responsibility very seriously. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained how our focus on the importance of families should impact our parenting: “Our family-centered perspective should make Latter-day Saints strive to be the best parents in the world. It should give us enormous respect for our children, who truly are our spiritual siblings, and it should cause us to devote whatever time is necessary to strengthen our families. Indeed, nothing is more critically connected to happiness—both our own and that of our children—than how well we love and support one another within the family” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2005, 44; or Ensign, Nov. 2005, 42).