What is the Purpose of Parenting?

In a world that's constantly changing, how could we possibly know how to raise children?

Sometimes this question terrifies me and makes me wonder how I could ever have children. Pornography, violence, murder, immorality, and an overall decline in values are a few of the things I'm concerned about. However, I also know that there is a foundation on which we can build our families in a way that will bring joy and satisfaction to our lives.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints sent out "The Family: A Proclamation to the World"in 1995. It provides valuable, essential information for raising a family. It declares:

“Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.”

This is the duty and the purpose of parents, to bring their children to God. How do we best do that? In my Family Relations class we recently talked about doing this through encouragement. We also discussed its origin, which I found very enlightening. Here's the break down:

Encourage: 

[en]- a prefix expressing entry into a specified state or location

[cour]- a french root meaning "to strengthen the heart"

[age]- a suffix denoting either the product or sphere of an action

[We focused on the french root of the word "cour" (I looked up the rest), but I found the entire breakdown helpful.]

To help our children love-- we must encourage them through our love for them. 

To help our children be righteous-- we must encourage them by our own righteous example.

To help our children serve-- we must encourage them by serving them and serving with them.
To help our children abide by laws-- we must encourage them by abiding by laws.

To help our children keep God's commandments-- we must encourage them by keeping the commandments ourselves. 

The location in which we strengthen our children is their hearts. However, as the suffix "age" suggests, this is a product of action on both the parent and the child. Parent's have the duty to bring truth unto the hearts of the children and the children have the duty to bring it into their hearts. 

The purpose of parenting, the privilege of parents, is to teach their children in love and righteousness. It simply comes down to . . .

Practice what you preach. 

How do we raise children in this world? We become the example that they need. We encourage them by showing them first hand the blessings that come from living based on the truths we know. We encourage them by admitting that we're not perfect, but that we're always trying to live God's commandments and these principles of love, righteousness, and service.

The LDS Church provides further insight: Parenting.