Inspire, not require is not about ignore and not require.
Now some argue God requires. Well, yes and no. He does not require accountability for children under eight. He does not require we accept Him or believe in Him. He invites and entices us to do so. For those who are accountable and desire to return to Him, He does have requirements.
The Lord does command parents to teach certain spiritual concepts to teach their children. The consequence if the parents do not teach their children, is that the sin that results will be on their own heads. Yes, accountability begins with the parents. (Doctrine and Covenants 68:25-28) However, when it comes to academics, the Lord has not placed before us a detailed list of content and resources He requires. He has commanded us through our prophets to get all the eduction we can get, but He has not specified how that is required to look. In Doctrine and Covenants 88, the Lord does give a general list of areas to study for missionaries (Doctrine and Covenants 88: 74-80) to prepare to magnify their callings and serve.
"Inspire, not require," is a quote from Oliver DeMille and deals specifically with academic learning. First, he does not ever say to never ever require at any age. He says this deals with children in pre-scholar phases, which are about building their central core, a breadth of knowledge, and a love of learning. These are foundational phases that give context to later scholar learning. When a youth enters into scholar phase (generally around 12+) and especially when working with a mentor, the youth is accountable, commits to what they are studying, and they give an accounting on what was accomplished. This is where the require comes in.
I like to use President Hinckley's childhood home as an example of inspire, not require. His parents supplied a family library, good lighting, a table and comfortable chairs. His parents set the example and used the library. The parents memorized poems, passages from great literature, and scriptures, but did not "require" it of their children. Yet their children grew up to do it. Why, I ask? Well, when children have good relationships with adults in their lives, children see those adults as examples of what they are trying to become. You will notice as children participate in imaginative play, they are mimicking the adults around them such as parents, teachers, doctors, and so forth. So, we want to develop good relationships of trust and to be a good example. Some parents invite other adults into their home to join their family at dinner. Benjamin Franklin's father did this. The people would share about their profession and thus increase interest of the children about options for their future.
To me, inspiring children academically is just icing on the cake. It is built on the shoulders of the parents' example, the homeculture, and how families live.
Now some argue God requires. Well, yes and no. He does not require accountability for children under eight. He does not require we accept Him or believe in Him. He invites and entices us to do so. For those who are accountable and desire to return to Him, He does have requirements.
The Lord does command parents to teach certain spiritual concepts to teach their children. The consequence if the parents do not teach their children, is that the sin that results will be on their own heads. Yes, accountability begins with the parents. (Doctrine and Covenants 68:25-28) However, when it comes to academics, the Lord has not placed before us a detailed list of content and resources He requires. He has commanded us through our prophets to get all the eduction we can get, but He has not specified how that is required to look. In Doctrine and Covenants 88, the Lord does give a general list of areas to study for missionaries (Doctrine and Covenants 88: 74-80) to prepare to magnify their callings and serve.
"Inspire, not require," is a quote from Oliver DeMille and deals specifically with academic learning. First, he does not ever say to never ever require at any age. He says this deals with children in pre-scholar phases, which are about building their central core, a breadth of knowledge, and a love of learning. These are foundational phases that give context to later scholar learning. When a youth enters into scholar phase (generally around 12+) and especially when working with a mentor, the youth is accountable, commits to what they are studying, and they give an accounting on what was accomplished. This is where the require comes in.
I like to use President Hinckley's childhood home as an example of inspire, not require. His parents supplied a family library, good lighting, a table and comfortable chairs. His parents set the example and used the library. The parents memorized poems, passages from great literature, and scriptures, but did not "require" it of their children. Yet their children grew up to do it. Why, I ask? Well, when children have good relationships with adults in their lives, children see those adults as examples of what they are trying to become. You will notice as children participate in imaginative play, they are mimicking the adults around them such as parents, teachers, doctors, and so forth. So, we want to develop good relationships of trust and to be a good example. Some parents invite other adults into their home to join their family at dinner. Benjamin Franklin's father did this. The people would share about their profession and thus increase interest of the children about options for their future.
To me, inspiring children academically is just icing on the cake. It is built on the shoulders of the parents' example, the homeculture, and how families live.
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