Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students - Ellen G. White

glory of God. To this end they must learn the
lesson of obedience, for only by lives of willing
obedience can they render to God the service He
requires. Before the child is old enough to reason,
he must be taught to obey. By gentle, persistent
effort the habit should be established. Thus to a
great degree may be prevented those later conflicts
between will and authority that do so much to
arouse in the minds of the youth alienation and
bitterness toward parents and teachers, and too
often resistance of all authority, human and divine.
Let children be shown that true reverence is
revealed by obedience. God has commanded
nothing that is unessential, and there is no other
way of manifesting reverence so pleasing to Him
as by obedience to that which He has spoken.
The mother is the queen of the home, and the
children are her subjects. She is to rule her
household wisely, in the dignity of her
motherhood. Her influence in the home is to be
paramount; her word, law. If she is a Christian,
under God’s control, she will command the respect
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