Spiritual & Religious Spotlight: “Passing On Large Family Latter-day Saint Values” By Richard Robbins

Credit: Richard Robbins, Co-Founder of RobbinsAthletics.com

I grew up in a Mormon family. My parents both joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Latter-day Saints or LDS) before I was born, my mom as a teenager converting from a Baptist background, and my dad (from a Methodist family) joining later while he was in his early twenties, after he and my mom were married.

Children of Latter-day Saint parents are considered “born in the covenant”, and it is expected that the faith of our parents be passed down to us. That is how I was raised. One of our scriptures warns parents about the neglect of their duties to share the truth they know with their offspring.

And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents. — Doctrine and Covenants 68:25

My family attended three hours of church each Sunday. We often read from the scriptures, including the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and other scripture from Joseph Smith and other modern prophets. Together with my six siblings, all of whom are still active members of the faith as adults, we were taught at home and at church about the “plan of salvation” and the purpose for which all humans exist in this mortal experience on earth. Each person’s life is understood to be a testing and probationary period, the continuation of a pre-mortal life, and a time to do what is required for us to, as family units, become in eternity what God is now: a perfect Parent.

As a child, I attended “Primary”, where I spent an hour each week with other young kids learning stories from the scriptures and singing fun songs about the fundamental principles of the gospel. As a teenager, I attended an hour-long seminary class before heading off to high school. After high school, as is expected of male members of the church soon after they become adults, I served a volunteer two-year proselytizing mission at my own expense. I was assigned to the Vancouver, Canada area.

After serving a two-year mission, I met my wife while attending Brigham Young University (an LDS Church-owned school) in Provo, Utah. We were married in the LDS temple in Manti, Utah. During the ceremony, my wife and I were bound to each other “for time and all eternity”, and we were told to fulfill the first commandment given to Adam and Eve when they were created and placed in the Garden of Eden, which is to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28).

My wife and I are now expecting our ninth child. We had a girl first, then six boys in a row, then another girl. Now we are expecting one more girl to join us. We feel honored to be entrusted by God with the opportunities we’ve had to bring souls into this life and to provide a home for them wherein they can be taught what they need to know for success in this life and in the next.

We have raised our children faithfully in the Mormon Church. Our religious beliefs and spiritual aspirations make us very unique and culturally different from most of the people we interact with on a daily basis. It can be stressful, like constantly swimming upstream, to be committed to a set of values and beliefs that is not well understood and even unpopular among the majority of society, but we see every day the benefits of staying true to beliefs, principles, and a moral system that protects against the effects of sin.

As Latter-day Saints, we seek to live worthy and to seek out inspiration from our Maker in all that we do, especially when we make important decisions. We believe in spiritual gifts that include the ability to learn and grow beyond what we could do without God’s help. We believe in the gift of healing, the gift of visions, the gift of prophecy and revelation. We encourage the development of these gifts among our children and among other church members.

As a parent, my greatest joys in life come from watching my children grow, learn, and progress. My wife and I homeschool our kids, a setting for learning that makes the most sense to us to help our kids build close relationships with each other and us, avoid exposure to harmful and damaging habits, and develop skills and talents that make them confident. My kids all participate in sports, and they all play musical instruments. Our religious beliefs motivate us to commit each day to emulating more closely the attributes of Jesus Christ.

For others who are interested in becoming Latter-day Saints, there are clearly lots of opportunities, as our church has missionaries throughout the world hoping to talk to whoever will listen to them about what we often refer to as the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, the same organization that he set up when he was living on the earth 2,000 years ago.

Anyone who knows much about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints understands that there are lots of interesting ideas and misconceptions about the religion’s founding by Joseph Smith, what the church teaches, and its culture. Some people even confuse Mormons with the Amish people.

The church has always been a very good vehicle for building strong families, for keeping people clean from harmful and addictive behaviors, and for motivating spirituality. Latter-day Saints are known to be very prayerful, intelligent, dedicated followers of Jesus Christ.

For anyone interested in joining the Mormon Church, I’d highly recommend reading the Book of Mormon, which is a witness of the calling of Joseph Smith (the founder of the church) as a prophet of God. I would also recommend attending Sunday worship services and getting to know the members of the church. If a person feels compelled by the Holy Ghost to research more, an appointment can easily be scheduled with representatives of the church in their local area.

I have personally experienced the blessings of being an active Latter-day Saint, and I expect that my posterity will remain faithful to our family’s religion for generations to come.

Meet Our Contributor — Richard Robbins
Richard Robbins is a co-founder of RobbinsAthletics.com, an online retail sporting goods store and resource for athletes. He is a former high school athlete, he is the father of eight kids for whom he is a coach and athletic trainer.