Helping Teens Avoid Risky Behavior

Certain behaviors are becoming more pronounced in our teenagers. Delinquency, substance use, and sexual activity are on the rise and it can feel like parents have no control over these behaviors. However, parents can play a role in determining whether a teenager decides to participate in delinquent behaviors, partake of any kind of substance, and engage in sexual activity. How they can is explained in the following sections.

Delinquent Behaviors

Delinquent behaviors come in a variety of forms: theft, aggressive acts, and vandalism, to name a few. Parents have a big impact on an adolescent's choice to participate in delinquent acts. This may seem contrary to popular belief; however, research has shown that when teenagers think their parent is warm and supportive they are less likely to commit acts of delinquency.⁹ At the same time, parents who are more proactive about sharing their values regarding school and delinquency are more likely to have teenagers who agree with these values. Indeed, as communication goes down, acts of delinquency go up.⁴ In addition, boys who think their mother is warm and supportive and girls who think their father is warm and supportive will follow their guidelines rather than the pressure received from a boy or girlfriend. In fact, warm and supportive parents have teenagers who are less willing to date people who participate in delinquent behaviors.² How the family functions, on the whole, is also an important part in a teen's life. Teenagers who feel their family is doing well, in terms of stability, togetherness, little or no conflict, and cooperation in household tasks, report avoiding delinquent behaviors.^12,13

Adolescents who participate in delinquent acts describe that engaging in one behavior lessened their willingness to avoid delinquency.¹³ These adolescents are also more likely to have dropped out of high school.⁴ Parents have the ability to strengthen their teenager's resolve to avoid delinquency through the following suggestions.

• Encourage your teen's education. Explain and emphasize the importance of completing school. Encourage attendance and good grades. Talk to your teen about college. Attend school functions and get to know the teachers, classes, and the homework assignments.⁹

• Share your values. Communicate your values with your teen. This can be done formally or informally. When one son wanted to go on a walk with some friends the mother cautioned him against doorbell ditching, explaining to him that this can be disruptive especially to those families with young children and older adults.⁴

• Guide your teenager with warmth. A parent can share their values and support school in a positive or a negative fashion. A positive way is through warmth. If a son comes home with a note accusing him of truancy, a parent can either reactor act. The difference is this: parents who react turn to yelling and coercion to enforce the rules without explanation and without listening. Parents who act will calmly look over the note and talk about what happened. They will carefully listen to their teen and discuss the possible consequences. Kindness and love will work better than anger and coercion.^9,13,12,2

Being close to your teen, emotionally, will help you choose to act rather than react. Check in with your teen on a regular basis. Over cookies, ask about friends, relationships, and school. Listen and offer advice when asked. Also, know where your teen is and where your teen will be going.^9,13 Finally, bring stability in your teen's life through regular family gatherings.^9,12,13

Substance Use

Substance use is partaking of alcohol, cigarettes, or marijuana. Marijuana and alcohol use is particularly increasing in popularity.^14,17 Teenagers are busy with many extracurricular activities, especially social events. Parents who monitor their teen's whereabouts by asking the basic questions of who, what, where, and when will be able to maintain an idea of what their teen is up to. Regular family meals are an efficient method of keeping tabs on teenagers.⁶ Becoming aware of their teenagers through family meals may discourage the teen's use of substances.¹⁴ This can also override the teen's desire to look to their friends for values. Since friend substance use is an influential factor in teen's decisions to use substances, parents can discourage this behavior through active monitoring and more awareness.^1,18

Teenagers report less substance abuse when they list spirituality as an important part of their life.^1,18 Additionally, a teenager's high educational aspirations can discourage current and future substance use. Parental educational expectations and support are important in protecting against teen's substance use.¹⁸ The following are ideas parents may find helpful in discouraging adolescent drug use.

• Be aware of your teen's activities, friends, and life in general. Your teen wants to know that you are aware of what is going on in his life. Female teens need the emotional support you can provide through routines, affection, and identifying with what is happening with their lives in terms of friends and school. Male teens also need affection and identification but, unlike females, they need to have their parents home at key times, like after school, social events, and dates. Being aware of your teen will provide opportunities for you to share your values with them in an informal setting. This, in turn, will give your teen confidence in adopting these values rather than the values her peer group might suggest.^1,14,18

• Have regular family dinners. Teenagers need routines. Set aside a time each night for family dinner. Use the opportunity of good food to inquire into your teen's life. Find out if anything is worrying them, things they are struggling with, what things they enjoy, and how school is going. Use the time to discuss the importance of school, higher education, and your own values. Family dinners ensure that you are home with your teen at the right time. Connect with your teen. Talking with them while preparing dinner will open communication boundaries. Take advantage of your teenager being home by encouraging their good behavior and expressing how proud you are of them.^6,1,18

• Encourage religion. Dean states that "highly religious teenagers appear to be doing much better in life than less religious teenagers".⁵ She offers four resources in fostering religious behavior. First, a creed to believe. Worship, music, bible study, and seminary are oft stated tools that teenagers rely upon. Second, a place to belong. Belonging to a congregation and involving the family allow teenagers to connect to a group which will provide them with support for the wise decisions they desire to make. Third, a call to live out (i.e. missionary service). Teenagers who have this do not see a division between Sunday and Monday; they look forward to youth leadership; or plan on serving a mission in the future. Fourth, a hope to build onto. This idea includes a belief in heaven. It embraces progress and the hope to live with God someday. Encourage your teenager in each of these areas by going to church with them. Your influence will guide them as they decide whether they want religion to be apart of their life or not.

Sexual Activity

In one recent study, researchers reported that 11% of their 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th-grade sample had reported engaging in sexual intercourse.⁸ Although the research does not specifically state direct influences parents have on their teen's sexual decision, it does have a number of reasons why teenagers either avoid or engage in sexual activities. As such, using these reasons will guide parenting behavior by promoting an encouraging home atmosphere which may discourage engaging in sexual activity. To begin with, male and female adolescents suggest that mothers who are responsive to their questions about sex feel open to their beliefs regarding sexual intercourse.⁷ Plus, teenagers report that the more their parent reasonably monitors their activities, while promoting autonomy, the less sexual activity they engage in.^7,8,16 Next, teenagers list social aspects like popularity and peer attitudes as reasons for engaging in sex. If their friends are more open toward or are engaging in sex, they will feel more pressure and less discouragement to engage in sexual activities.^7,8,16 Finally, those teens who do delay sexual intercourse name personal values as the number one reason for this decision. Adolescents also report that the more their mothers express their beliefs regarding sex, the more they are willing to agree with these beliefs.^8,15 With all these reasons in mind, the following are three things parents can do to discourage interest in early sexual activity.

• Regularly talk with your teen about sex. As a parent, you can either be demeaning or inviting in your discussions. A parent that is demeaning, when asked questions about sex, will respond with accusations and lectures. An inviting parent when asked questions, will respond with honesty, warmth, and engage their teenager in a two-way discussion about the question. Be open and share your own personal values about sexual activity. At the same time, use the discussions to monitor your teenager's activities. Ask questions and stay tuned to who your teen is hanging out with, where they are going, and what your expectations are when they leave the house. Discuss the negative social consequences of having sex. This includes a bad reputation and that people will know. Help your teen know that engaging in sexual activities will not increase her popularity. Be responsive and make your teen feel comfortable by not judging, labeling, or accusing him of participating in the very activities he has questions about. Be straight with your teen, avoid being preachy.^7,8,16

• Share your values with your teen. Teenagers will adopt their parent's values when their parents share them in a warm manner. As a parent, share with your teen how you feel about early sex and what brought you to that conclusion. Emphasize the negative social aspects of engaging in teen sex and express the positives of waiting. Talk about what your own decision was and how this effected your teenage years. Discuss that the popular beliefs and the seemingly good things that arise out of teenage sex are false and explain that they do not accurately depict what truly happens to a teenager when they engage in sexual intercourse. Sharing your own values warmly will encourage your teen to internalize these values. Formal and informal sharing is important as the teen continues to mature.^8,15

• Be aware of your teen's friends and their friends' belief systems. Aside from parents, teens glean their values from their friends. Encourage your teen to be friends with other teens who share his values. Find out who their friends are and what their friends are doing. Invite your teen's friends to your house in order for you to get to know them.^7,8,16 Provide a welcome environment for your teen and her friends.

Authoritative Parenting

Research shows that the authoritative parenting style is more effective than other parenting styles(permissive, coercive, or uninvolved) in decreasing risk behaviors. Therefore, parents need to know what this kind of parenting looks like and how they can change. Since pieces of authoritative parenting have been included in the above helps for parents in the discussions of each of the three risk factors, this is a more broad definition that will enable parents to adopt this style as their own.^10,11

• Love your teenager. Show your adolescent son that you love him. Be affectionate. Hug your daughter, provide a shoulder to cry on, comfort her when she has had a tough day. When you need to correct your teen, do so in a loving manner. For example, if Holly brings a report card home with A's and B's and one D, express your joy in the A's and B's and find out about the D. Avoid lecturing and being coercive. Instead, discuss ways that she can bring that D to a better grade and listen to her ideas. Support her as she follows through on the commitment she made with you. Connect with your teen through acceptance. Rather than angrily rejecting Brandon's desire to form a band, support his desire and go to his performances. Enjoy shared activities like a game of basketball with Ben or going to an ice-cream shop with Susan. Let your teenager know that you care for him and desire to be there anytime he needs you. Love is the foundation of authoritative parenting; allow it to guide your interactions with your teenager.

• Set limits. Teenagers need appropriate boundaries. Use your teen's temperament to figure out how best to set limits. Hart used this analogy:

"In that way, parenting is like riding a horse. For some children parents may need to hold the reigns tighter. Other children may require less parental steering. And with some children, holding the reigns too tightly may only lead to defiance. Knowing when to let up on the reigns and when to tighten your grip takes a lot of creativity. . ."¹⁰

Rather than set rules on the spot, agree upon rules with your teenager ahead of time and let them know clearly what you expectations are. Remember that the less rules the better. When these rules are broken, be firm. If Johnny comes home 30 minutes after his curfew, lovingly remind him of the rule and the punishment previously agreed on. Then, take the keys for a week. Limits provide boundaries and guidelines for your teenager when they are clear and consistent. Your teenager will learn to regulate herself with your help.

• Provide latitude. Teenagers are growing up fast. They are seeking independence and autonomy. You can foster this growth by providing choices for your teen. When you realize that something needs to change because Lucy is spending too much time with her friends and not enough time on her homework, take her out to get a soda and tell her your concerns. Listen to what she has to say and find a balance. Allow her to make the decision while sticking to the rules that have already been put in place. Teenagers do best when they are given the chance to make decisions. When Joe suddenly wants to quit playing the tuba that he has been playing since he was eight and you want him to continue to develop his talent, find a creative solution. Advise him to wait a few months and if he still feels the same then he can stop the lessons. These choices prepare your teen for when they do become adults. They also encourage them to reason through the decisions that they make on a regular basis, like whether to smoke marijuana or not. Above all else, love your teenager when they do make decisions that you do not agree with.

Conclusion

The turbulent world of changing values of teenagers can frighten parents into paralysis. However, parents have and will always influence their teenagers for either the good or the bad. Foster the good through authoritative parenting and paying attention to what your adolescent is doing and especially what they are saying. Parents will make the difference in stopping the current trends and helping them return to where they used to be.

Additional Reading

Hart, C. H., Newell, L. D., & Frost, S.F. (2003). Parenting skills and social-communicative competence in childhood. In J. O. Greene & B. R. Burleson (Eds.), Handbook of communication and social interaction skills (pp. 753-797). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Web Links

Family Day

Parent-Child Relationships

Teen Sex: The Parent Factor

Troubled with

Texas Juvenile Justice Department

Written by Amber Turner, Research Assistant, and edited by Laura Padilla-Walker and Stephen F. Duncan, Professors in the School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.

References

1. Brook, J. S., Brook, D. W., Arencibia-Mireles, O., Richter, L., & Whiteman, M. (2001). Risk factors for adolescent marijuana use across cultures and across time. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 162(3), 357-374.
2. Cauffman, E., Farruggia, S. P., & Goldweber, A. (2008). Bad boys or poor parents: Relations to female juvenile delinquency. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 18(4), 699-712.
3. Coley, R. L. & Medeiros, B. L. (2007).Reciprocal longitudinal relations between nonresident father involvement and adolescent delinquency. Child Development, 78(1), 132-147.
4. Davalos, D. B., Chavez, E. L., & Guardiola, R. J. (2005). Effects of perceived parental school support and family communication on delinquent behaviors in Latinos and White Non-Latinos. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 11(1), 57-68.
5. Dean, K. C. (2005). Numb and numb-er: Youth and the church of "benign whatever-ism". Paper presented at the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry.
6. Eisenberg, M. E., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Fulkerson, J. A., & Story, M. (2008). Family meals and substance use: Is there along-term protective association? Journal of Adolescent Health, 43, 151-156.
7. Fasula, A. M. & Miller, K. S. (2004). African-American and Hispanic adolescents' intentions to delay first intercourse: Parental communication as a buffer for sexually active peers. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38(3), 193-200.
8. Guilamo-Ramos, V., Jaccard, J., Dittus, P., Bouris, A., Holloway, I., & Casillas, E. (2007). Adolescent expectancies, parent-adolescent communication and intentions to have sexual intercourse among inner-city, middle school youth. The Society of Behavioral Medicine, 34(1), 56-66.
9. Hair, E. C., Moore, K. A., Garrett, S. B., Ling, T., & Cleveland, K. (2008). The continued importance of quality parent-adolescent relationships during late adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 18(1), 187-200.
10. Hart, C. H. (2003, Spring). Three essential parenting principles. Brigham Young Magazine, 56(1).
11. Hart, C. H., Newell, L. D., & Frost, S.F. (2003). Parenting skills and social-communicative competence in childhood. In J. O. Greene & B. R. Burleson (Eds.), Handbook of communication and social interaction skill (pp. 753-797). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
12. Hyun-Sil, K. & Hun-Soo, K.(2008). The impact of family violence, family functioning, and parental partner dynamics on Korean juvenile delinquency. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 39, 439-453.
13. Ingram, J. R., Patchin, J. W., Huebner, B.M., McCluskey, J. D., & Bynum, T. S. (2007). Parents, friends, and serious delinquency: An examination of direct and indirect effects among at-risk early adolescents. Criminal Justice Review, 32, 380-400.
14. Ledoux, S., Miller, P., Choquet, M., &Plant, M. (2002). Family structure, parent-child relationships, and alcohol and other drug use among teenagers in France and the United Kingdom. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 37(1), 52-60.
15. Paradise, J. E., Cote, J., Minsky, S., Lourenco, A., & Howland, J. (2000). Personal values and sexual decision-making among virginal and sexually experienced urban adolescent girls. Journal of Adolescent Health, 28(5), 404-409.
16. Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J. & Helfand, M. (2008). Ten years of longitudinal research on U.S. adolescent sexual behavior: Developmental correlates of sexual intercourse, and the importance of age, gender and ethnic background. Developmental Review, 28(2), 153-224.
17. Peterson, P. L., Hawkins, J. D., Abbott, R. D.,& Catalano, R. F. (1994). Disentangling the effects of parental drinking, family management, and parental alcohol norms on current drinking by black and white adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 4, 203-227.
18. Scal, P. Ireland, M., & Borowsky, I. W. (2003). Smoking among American adolescents: A risk and protective factor analysis. Journal of Community Health, 28(2), 79-97.

The statistics of the youth in the majority of the world tell a rather sad story. Most are floundering under the pressure of Satan and participating in sinful behaviors. One might think the youth in Zion must be doing better. While the statistics do validate this belief, it also relates that many of the youth are still falling into the tempter's snare.¹³ Despite the challenges facing our youth, we have been taught that if we are prepared, we shall not fear (D&C 38:30). The Family: A Proclamation to the World declares that parents have a sacred duty to "rear their children in love and righteousness ... to observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live" (¶ 6). Parents can wholeheartedly follow the guidance in the Proclamation in three ways: they can strengthen the family, provide an environment for strengthening their teen's testimonies, and encourage good friends.

Strengthen the Family

One suggestion to strengthen the family is to increase family togetherness. The following are three ways parents can do this.

• Mealtimes help create a family atmosphere. Mealtimes allow discussion about subjects relating to the teenager which allows parents to catch up with what is happening in their teen's life. To emphasize this, Elder Dallin H. Oaks stated "There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you"¹¹ (¶ 11). Allow the camaraderie surrounding delicious food to free conversations in the direction the Spirit whispers you should direct it.

• Limit the number of outside activities surrounding your teens. Establish family traditions, like family dinners and family home evening, and pursue healthy activities. Elder Oaks pointed out that there are good, better, and best family traditions and activities.¹¹ Limit the family activities to those that strengthen the family. "Parents should act to preserve time for family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, and the other precious togetherness and individual one-on-one time that binds a family together and fixes children's values on things of eternal worth. Parents should teach gospel priorities through what they do with their children" (¶ 10). The world is full of distraction. Make your home a haven in which the Spirit resides.

• Hold regular family home evening, family prayer, and family scripture study. Elder James E. Faust expressed that "One of the most important ways to foster unity in the home is holding family home evening regularly...Family home evening is for everyone"⁸ (¶ 32). President Gordon B. Hinckley affirmed this statement while adding that parents need to teach their teens to pray.⁹ As families gather in prayer and feel the Spirit, teens will be inspired to offer their own personal prayers. President Thomas S. Monson eloquently described how family prayer might affect teenagers: "Father, mother, and each of the children kneel, bow their heads, and close their eyes. A sweet spirit of love, unity, and peace fills the home. As father hears his tiny son pray unto God that his dad will do the right things and be obedient to the Lord's bidding, do you think that such a father would find it difficult to honor the prayer of his precious son? As a teenage daughter hears her sweet mother plead unto the Lord that her daughter will be inspired in the selection of her companions, that she will prepare herself for a temple marriage, don't you believe that such a daughter will seek to honor this humble, pleading petition of her mother, whom she so dearly loves? When father, mother, and each of the children earnestly pray that the fine sons in the family will live worthily that they may, in due time, receive a call to serve as ambassadors of the Lord in the mission fields of the Church, don't we begin to see how such sons grow to young manhood with an overwhelming desire to serve as missionaries?"¹⁰ (¶ 6) There is strength in the old adage, "The family that prays together stays together." Family scripture study may change as children get older. Elder Henry B. Eyring suggests finding a pattern that suits your family.⁶ He also counsels parents that "scripture study works well only if your children know you love the scriptures and they also know as individuals that you love them. Then whatever pattern you have will work. If scripture study is forced for either them or you, if your children feel pushed, or if you don't really love the scriptures yourself, then scripture study doesn't have as much power"⁶ (¶ 16). While regular scripture study is encouraged, "Teens may say, "I'd rather read on my own." My encouragement to families in that situation is to see that as victory, not defeat. Your child may be saying, "I'm getting something when I'm alone that I don't get when we're all here together." Take that as a wonderful sign that scripture study is beginning to take hold in your teen's heart. The main purpose is to fall in love with the scriptures and feast upon them, whether we are alone or together"⁶ (¶ 17). Adjusting family home evening, prayer, and scripture study to your teenager can help in building a together family.

Strengthen Spirituality

Smith and Denton, experts in the field of youth and religion, found in a national survey of all youth that those teenagers who were labeled as devoted in their religion were the most likely to avoid alcohol, substances, and delinquency.² These teenagers were faring the best. The devoted teenagers attend church services each week, view their faith as very important in their lives, feel very close to God, are involved in a church youth group, pray a few times or more a week, and read the scriptures a few or more times a month. Smith and Denton also found that parents were the greatest indicators of how their teenager views religion. If the parents are more religious, the teen is more likely to be religious as well. You can help strengthen your teenager's spirituality merely by being religious yourself.

In a study of seminary students, Top and Chadwick found that gospel principles protected youth as they were making decisions regarding morality, delinquency, and substance use.¹⁴ They found five useful helps for parents in helping internalize gospel principles and strengthen the testimonies of their teens based on the teen's reports.¹⁴

• Be an example by using principles you want your teen to internalize.

• Hold regular family home evening, scripture study, and prayer.

• Provide practical applications of gospel principles for your youth in both formal and informal settings.

• Use service and family activities to promote spiritual experiences.

• Persuade your teen to find and build their own testimony.

As the Proclamation teaches, "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities"¹² (¶ 7).

Youth programs can help strengthen the spirituality of the youth. Sister Elaine S. Dalton emphasized the importance of youth programs during General Conference.⁵

"Youth programs such as Personal Progress and Duty to God encourage youth to be worthy to attend the temple. These programs are designed to help youth make and keep commitments, thus preparing them to make and keep covenants. They also encourage youth to participate in journal writing, family history, and performing baptisms for their ancestors. The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet teaches doctrine and principles that, if understood and lived, will help youth be worthy to attend the temple. These programs are powerful tools to be used by youth, parents, and leaders"⁵ (12).

Encourage Good Friendships

Friends are a powerful influence on your teenager's decisions. Top and Chadwick found that Latter-day Saint teens who had friends with different values felt stressed as they struggled fitting in their personal beliefs with their friend's beliefs.¹⁴ They also felt pressure and were more likely to give into temptation. President Gordon B. Hinckley was aware of this and counseled parents to teach their teenagers to seek for good friends.⁹

"They are going to have friends, good or bad.Those friends will make a vast difference in their lives. It is important that they cultivate an attitude of tolerance toward all people, but it is more important that they gather around them those of their own kind who will bring out the best they have within them. Otherwise, they may be infected with the ways of their associates"⁹ (¶ 22).

Although you cannot decide who your teenager is friends with, you can influence their decision. Top and Chadwick suggest that parents encourage their teen to become involved in clubs, organizations, and sports that will bring them in contact with good supportive friends.¹³ Parents can also provide a warm and inviting atmosphere for their teen's friends when they come over. Teenagers will be more likely to bring their friends over, which allows parents to monitor what activities the teenagers are participating in. Finally, as President Hinckley counseled and Top and Chadwick confirmed, assist your teenager with developing the ability to resist peer pressure and temptation.⁹ During a family gathering, times such as family prayer, scripture study, or family home evening, discuss peer pressure as well as the reasons to avoid risk behaviors.

With these tools to aid you as you teach and guide your teenagers, you will feel more confident in your sacred role as a mother or father. Latter-day Saint youth are facing difficult temptations on all fronts. Parents fear the choices their teens may make during their teenage years. Elder Henry B. Eyring wisely stated that the choices they make are the products of the beautiful gift of agency. He counseled that parents can help our young men and young women by their reaction to "their determination to choose for themselves"⁷ (¶ 21).

He advised parents further by emphasizing an eternal perspective:

"They [your teenager] will sense whether we see them as if they could well have been one of the faithful warriors from the premortal existence, committed still to the defense of moral agency and aware of its great value to bring them happiness. If we can see them as faithful warriors from the premortal existence, we may also see their claims of independence as a sign of their potential, a sign that they are testing the power of agency which will bring them happiness. That is hard because we know the risk should they choose sin. But when fear for them comes, as it does, it helps for us to remember and take comfort that there are opposing pulls. There is an influence of evil in the world, but there is also in the world and across all creation the powerful light of Christ"⁷ (¶ 21).

While allowing teenagers to make their own choices may be frightening, it is also a chance for them to learn. As parents seek to strengthen their family, strengthen their teenager's spirituality, and encourage good friendships, and trusted to make righteous choices, parents can influence their teens to avoid risky behaviors.

Additional Reading

1. Top, B. L. & Chadwick, B. R. (1998). Rearing righteous youth of Zion: Great news, good news, and not-so-good news. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft.
2. Smith, C. & Denton, M. (2005). Soul searching:The religious and spiritual lives of American teenagers. New York: Oxford University Press.

3. Written by Amber Turner, Research Assistant, and edited by Stephen F. Duncan, Professor in the School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.

   References
   

4. Dalton, E. S. (2004, November). We did this for you. Ensign, 89.
5. Eyring, H. B. (2005, July). A discussion on scripture study. Ensign, 22-26.
6. Eyring, H. B. (2001, July). A life founded in light and truth. Ensign, 6.
7. Faust, J. E. (2003, June). First Presidency message: Enriching our lives through family home evening. Ensign, 2-6.
8. Hinckley, G. B. (2000, November). Your greatest challenge, mother. Ensign, 97-100.
9. Monson, T. S. (2009, March). Come unto Him in prayer and faith. Ensign, 4-9.
10. Oaks, D. H. (2007, November). Good, better, best. Ensign, 104-108.
11. The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (1995, November). The family: A proclamation to the world. Ensign, 102.
12. Top, B. L., & Chadwick, B. A. (1998, Summer). Raising righteous children in a wicked world. BYU Magazine.
13. Top, B. L., & Chadwick, B. A. (1999, March). Helping teens stay strong. Ensign, 27-34.