Article November 9, 1918 Issue

A Good Example

MOLLIE ORR WALDRON

My attention was arrested recently by these words from the epistle to the Hebrews: "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment." I stopped my reading to ponder the thought contained in these words, "They were not afraid of the king's commandment," and I realized that the world owes a great debt of gratitude to those parents of Moses, who had the moral courage to resist and to defeat one of the most inhuman decrees ever imposed upon suffering humanity.

Though brief, the Bible narrative relating to the infancy of Moses shows clearly that his mother reflected the divine qualities of activity, intelligence, resourcefulness, and fearlessness. She did not sit down inertly to bemoan her fate and that of the child; but she did her work to the best of her ability to meet and overcome the apparent danger. She placed the child in the ark, and then courageously awaited the outcome, having faith, as Paul tells us, in God. The result was that the child was saved from what seemed deadly peril, to become later one of the greatest spiritual leaders and teachers that the world has ever known.

As I pondered these things, it came to me that Aaron, who was deemed worthy to wear the Urim and Thummim on his breast, was of this same household, as was Miriam the prophetess. Truly this Hebrew mother of long ago molded the thoughts of her children "through divine influence 'according to the pattern showed to thee [her] in the Mount,'" to use Mrs. Eddy's words on page 236 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." Now, all this is not merely deeply interesting; it contains as well a direct message or lesson to the parents of this age. Our Leader says on page 61 of our textbook, "The offspring of heavenlyminded parents inherit more intellect, better balanced minds, and sounder constitutions;" and farther on she continues, "Nothing unworthy of perpetuity should be transmitted to children." Knowing as we do that the only transmission is in the mental realm, can we watch our thoughts too carefully or guard our mental homes too closely from the suggestions of error of every sort? Is it not our great and solemn duty as parents to strive to bring out in our home life the beautiful and permanent qualities which are reflections of the divine Mind?

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

A Good Example

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access