Continuing with Elder D. Todd Christofferson in his address, "As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten."
Correction can come through others, especially those who are God-inspired to promote our happiness. Apostles, prophets, patriarchs, bishops, and others have been put into the Church today, just as anciently, “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).
Correction, hopefully gentle, can come from one’s spouse. . .
Parents can and must correct, even chasten, if their children are not to be cast adrift at the mercy of a merciless adversary and his supporters. . .
Reading scripture and guidance of Church leaders can alert us to defects in our lives that must be corrected. Obviously, if you ignore scripture and Church guidance you can avoid a lot of chastening. Reading and studying signals our willingness to accept chastening. Certainly it is a signal that we want, and can accept, correction.
Parents, spouse, siblings and other relatives often love us enough to tell us what is wrong with us. Often, these are the very people we tend to ignore. Elder Christofferson suggests this is not good.
Remember that if we resist correction, others may discontinue offering it altogether, despite their love for us. . .
When I was a single, professional woman, one of my Home Teachers was a graduate student and a good friend. I witnessed him disciplining his toddler in Sunday School one day. He quickly took her outside. I reflected on what I had witnessed. I bounced my ideas off of a friend with numerous children and child-rearing experience. She agreed with me. I later told this Home Teacher, in a private moment, that I thought he had been a little too harsh with his little girl. I told him, "I didn't think she was bad enough to take outside" because the behavior she exhibited was normal and expected for one her age. This communication obviously startled him.
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