Teach Them Early

Tonight, Josh and I decided to change up our nightly routine with the kids by reading a story from the scriptures before reading a book of the kid's choice. We pulled out the "New Testament Stories" book that we used when we were kids and started from the beginning. The first story is about the premortal life. We talked about the plan of salvation and Satan's role in the plan. Talking about Satan brought up a lot of questions from the kids.
"Where does Satan live?" "Does he live in Utah?" "Can he get in our house?" "Have you ever smoked or had coffee?" "Will Heavenly Father be mad at you if you make a bad choice?"
All very good questions, which opened the door for us to discuss the importance of making right choices. We talked a lot about what it feels like inside when you make a good choice. We then discussed what it feels like when you choose to be mean to a sibling or friend. We told the kids that it makes Satan happy when people make wrong choices. We also told them that Jesus and Heavenly Father are so happy when we decide to choose the right and try to be like Them.
Ellie was very concerned that Satan, or someone bad would get into our house and try to hurt us. We explained to her that Heavenly Father is much more powerful than Satan, and that we will always be safe from Satan, as long as we try to stay close to our Heavenly Father.
We told the kids how proud we are of them and how much we love them. We also told them that even though we will all make mistakes here on earth, Heavenly Father will always love us.
I was so proud of the questions our kids asked, and for their sweet innocence and desire to do good.
After they went to sleep, Josh showed me a paragraph from an article from President Eyring, stressing the importance of teaching our children early about the principles of the Gospel. I am so thankful for children who keep me on my toes and help me remember how I should be living my life.

Here is the quote by President Eyring-

We have the greatest opportunity with the young. The best time to teach is early, while children are still immune to the temptations of their mortal enemy and long before the words of truth may be harder for them to hear in the noise of their personal struggles.
A wise parent would never miss a chance to gather children together to learn of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Such moments are so rare in comparison with the efforts of the enemy. For every hour the power of doctrine is introduced into a child’s life, there may be hundreds of hours of messages and images denying or ignoring the saving truths.
The question should not be whether we are too tired to prepare to teach doctrine or whether it would be better to draw a child closer by just having fun or whether the child is beginning to think that we preach too much. The question must be, “With so little time and so few opportunities, what words of doctrine from me will fortify them against the attacks on their faith which are sure to come?” The words you speak today may be the ones they remember. And today will soon be gone.
The years pass, we teach the doctrine the best we can, and yet some still do not respond. There is sorrow in that. But there is hope in the scriptural record of families. Think of Alma the Younger and Enos. In their moments of crisis, they remembered the words of their fathers, words of the doctrine of Jesus Christ (see Enos 1:1–4; Alma 36:16–19). It saved them. Your teaching of that sacred doctrine will be remembered.
(Teaching True Doctrine, Ensign April 2009.)