Teaching Young Children to Understand the Doctrine of Repentance

I will refer to three references in Scripture about teaching our children the doctrine of Christ. But before you continue, read Who Needs to Repent? 

Now that you understand the doctrine of repentance and that all must repent, you can begin teaching your children to understand!

The first of the three scriptures is found in D&C 68:25. It says that inasmuch as parents have children in Zion they should teach their children to

"understand 

1) the doctrine of repentance, 

2) faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and 

3) baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost, 

when eight years old" (emphasis added). 

Our failure to teach children to understand results in the "sin being upon the heads of the parents."

Obviously without us understanding the doctrine of Christ (3 Nephi 11), we cannot then teach our children to understand it when they are eight years old. And even if we do understand, how do we teach it to young children so that they will understand it? Keep in mind that it is not enough to teach them about the doctrine of Repentance and Baptism. 

Before answering this question let's look at the other two references. Both are in Moses 6, one in verse 57 and the other in verses 58-60, the latter being an emphasis on the first, but with the complete doctrine of Christ. 

"Wherefore teach it unto your children, 

that all men, everywhere must repent, 

or they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there..." (Moses 6:57).  

Keep in mind that this is the Lord speaking by His own voice to Adam. 

"Therefore, I give unto you a commandment, 

to teach these things (vs. 47-57 of Moses 6) freely unto your children, saying: 

That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, 

which fall bringeth death, and 

inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so become of dust a living soul, 

even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, 

of water, 

and of the Spirit, 

and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine only begotten; 

that ye might be sanctified from all sin, 

and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, 

and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory. 

For by the water ye keep the commandment; 

by the Spirit ye are justified, 

and by the blood ye are sanctified" (Moses 6:58:60).

Note how specific this commandment to teach is--He even tells us what to say!

The key to teaching this to young children in found in Moses 6:55-56, wherein the Lord tells Adam that our children are conceived in sin and that as they grow up sin conceiveth in their hearts and "they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.  And it is given unto them to know good from evil wherefore they are agents unto themselves..." (emphasis added).

Now remembering that good (as defined by God) represents the righteousness of God and evil is everything contrary to the righteousness of God, it becomes a matter of making a choice between one or the other. Repentance, then is choosing only the righteousness of God.

So we teach our children about the fall and the consequences of the fall, how it applies to them individually (death and hell), and what is necessary to overcome the effects of the fall, repentance! which is possible only because of Christ and His Atonement.  

We teach them that they must choose between Satan and Christ. We teach them about the good king and the evil king wannabe.

Repentance, we teach them, is turning to Christ and desiring His righteousness and goodness, being born again (baptized by water) and being changed from our lost and fallen state to a state of righteousness (baptized by fire or Holy Ghost). (Mosiah 27:25).

Repentance comes from understanding our condition and turning to Christ to change it. It is a lifelong process for all of us. Young children can understand that they have only one of two choices: good or evil. As long as we are turning to Christ and trusting Him, relying on His merits alone, we are repenting. When we turn away and rely on any of our merits we are not repenting and we are in a state of wickedness. 

And you must teach the word of God concerning repentance and not the teachings of men.

Aid to help teach young children to understand the doctrine of repentance.

Once we have taught them the doctrine of the two ways, we then bring up our children in light and truth and not in the traditions of men (D&C 93:39-40). We teach them, using the word of God. We teach them to feast upon the words of Christ. We teach them to not put their trust in men, any men, not even the prophet. We teach them to look to God and live. After we have taught them to understand, keep in mind that there is all the difference between understanding and actually repenting. Are you repenting? What will you tell your children when they ask? What is your experience?