Distracted and then blindsided - Helaman 1 - 2

Helaman 1 -2 outline and notes draft

• Nephites became distracted with inner conflicts over leadership of the country.
• with much of their focus and resources being spent on quelling the inner turmoils, enemies of the Nephites seemingly easily came in and swept through the land and took over
• As dad and mom, husband and wife, we must quell and stamp out and reduce and avoid contention breaking out in our homes
• we must vigilantly "audit" and monitor closely the relationships in our home
• brother - brother
• husband - wife
• father -son: 
• one on one father - son recreational activities are vital to nurture these relationships. 
• Also father and multiple or all sons. I can do better at one on one activities with each son. 
• Remember to take advantage of spontaneous/unplanned one on one opportunities
• one on one family councils / father-son interviews on a regular basis. I can be more consistent in this
• mother - son
• son - father
• son - mother
• The Lord has spoken on this matter: parents are commanded to teach children to love and serve one another, and to keep them from fighting and quarreling with one another. 
• I think this doesn't mean break up every quarrel, since I think important skills are developed over time as the boys come into conflict with each other day by day.  But I do think it means monitor closely interactions and relationships. Don't let it get too far and nip vagrant behavior in the bud such as hitting and yelling. Attack those negative communications with vigor and onions!
• The Nephites were surprised by an attack by a secret society that had been festering in their society for a period of time long before it matured into a calamity.
• parents desperately need to pray for the gift of discernment to see the unseen, to sense the secret thoughts and intentions of the heart, EARLY, before they mature into calamity and bear wicked fruit and cause calamity
• we must heed spiritual warning signs - talk by Bednar
• Consider each child: what wild seeds do you see in the child that could over time mature into sin and contention. how can we root these weeds out together
• what virtues or seeds of virtue do you see in the child? how can be help these to grow?