"The Language of our Fathers"

In the first chapter of 1 Nephi, Nephi talks about being taught in all the learning of his father including his language which we know was reformed Egyptian which they used to engrave the plates. Later in the chapter Nephi speaks of another part of the language of his father.

14 ....Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!

15 And after this manner was the language of my father....

In the March Ensign of 1994 there is an article entitled "Helping Children Hear the Still, Small Voice" in it there is a paragraph that Karen shared with me that really got me thinking. It reads: Many teachers of foreign languages believe that children learn a language best in “immersion programs,” in which they are surrounded by other speakers of the language and called upon to speak it themselves. They learn not just to say words, but to speak fluently and even to think in the new language. The proper “immersion” setting for a spiritual education is in the home, where spiritual principles can form the basis for daily living. “And thou shalt teach [the Lord’s words] diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deut. 6:7).

I feel this is precisely the experience Nephi had with his parents and I know this was the experience we had being raised by Tid and Rose. I would encourage all of us to make this a part of our homes to ensure that our children are being immersed in the gospel. There is a great talk by Elder Holland entitled "A Prayer for the Children" that speaks of this that I would encourage all of you to read.