By Nettie H. Francis
Several summers ago, my husband was asked to be the Director at the local Boy Scout Camp. I was thrilled! Our whole family could live in the cool mountains for six weeks. I was especially excited at the opportunities my children would have, out of the heat of the city, roaming freely in the great outdoors.

As we drove up to camp, I rolled down the windows and felt the cool air. What a wonderful summer lay ahead! However, as we pulled in, my husband’s face went white.
“I just saw a rattlesnake over there,” he said. My heart stopped! It had never occurred to me that there were dangers in camp, especially rattlesnakes!

Just then the camp ranger drove up and said, “I know you have young children. Watch out for rattlesnakes because I’ve already seen five this week.”

I was sick! Visions of our carefree summer vanished, and instead I pictured vicious reptiles lurking behind every rock, waiting to strike my innocent children.

That night I couldn’t sleep. I looked up rattlesnakes in our wildlife book and learned that the rattlesnakes at that camp were the Mojave Green—one of the deadliest and most aggressive rattlesnakes alive! I spent most of the night reading and worrying, desperately hoping to find some protection for my young children. How could I let them roam freely outdoors, knowing what dangers threatened them? I was sure there must be a “rattlesnake repellant” that I could spray on them each morning, or some sort of fence I could build around our motor home to keep rattlesnakes out. However, I soon discovered there was no easy solution.

After a sleepless night I concluded that all I could do as a mother was to teach my children 1) How to avoid the most probable rattlesnake hideouts, and 2) What to do if—or when—they encountered one.

Our situation in the world today is similar to my summer snake experience. While there are thrilling opportunities available to our families, there are also hazards which threaten them. Dangers such as drugs, pornography, apathy, and immorality lurk like snakes, waiting to strike unsuspecting children.

Sometimes, as a mother, I have wished for an “evil repellent” to spray on my children each morning, or a spiritual fence I could build around my home. Just as there was no easy solution for protecting my family against rattlesnakes, there is no guarantee that our children won’t encounter these evils in the world.

However, the scriptures and the prophets give us some very real clues to teach our children how to avoid the most probable evil hideouts, and what to do when (not if) they encounter temptation. Following are some ideas for dealing with the “spiritual snakes” that threaten our families.

Scripture Strength: One of the most precise scriptural accounts on protecting families is found in Alma 43-50 about Captain Moroni and the battles he fought. I suggest reading these chapters and imagining yourself as Captain Moroni and your family as the Nephites. There are two main things we learn from Moroni’s battle preparations: first, he strengthened his cities (or homes), and second, he strengthened his warriors (or children). Likewise, we should focus on strengthening both our homes and our families.

Make Home a Haven: We can’t control the evil—or snakes—outside of our home, but we can control what’s inside. One way to strengthen our homes is to keep filthy media out. Internet access, television, music, entertainment and computer games should be monitored. Elaine S. Dalton, General Young Women’s President, referred to “persuasive media messages” and asked, “Are we being poisoned by degrees?” Don’t bring the world into your home, just for the sake of familiarizing your family with it. Make your home a fortress, like the cities of Moroni, and don’t let your guard down.

Attend the Temple: The unseen blessings of temple attendance on our homes and our children are godly barriers against evil. We can’t take our children into the temple, but we can bring the temple to our children. Each time parents attend the temple, they bring traces of the temple spirit home with them. Children can feel that spirit, and will bask in its warmth. They will feel a distinct difference between home and the world, and will naturally gravitate towards good and light.

Work Will Win: Strengthen your warriors, or children, by teaching them to work hard.
While physically hard opportunities do not abound in the world today, spiritually hard opportunities are everywhere. Prepare children for spiritual battles by helping them conquer physical ones. In our homes those battles may be mowing lawns, digging ditches, scrubbing floors, washing dishes, etc. Beyond household chores, activities which require physical effort, such as hiking or running, will also build endurance and strengthen spiritual stamina. Unfortunately, marriages and missionaries today often fail because the individuals never had to do anything “hard.” Strengthen your warriors with hard opportunities before they encounter the real tests of life.

Promise of Protection: “Those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times”(Alma 50:22). Keeping the Commandments is the “snake repellant” we all long for. Even though Moroni’s cities and warriors were well protected, they still fought vicious battles. However, their deliverance was guaranteed because of their preparations and righteousness, and they were ultimately victorious.

Successful Summer: Even though the rattlesnakes abounded in camp that summer, my family never had a negative encounter with them. We had a glorious summer despite the threats, and our weeks in the mountains are a memory we’ll always cherish. Alma records, “There never was a happier time among the people of Nephi…than in the days of Moroni”(Alma 50:23) Why were the Nephites so happy, even in times of war? They were prepared against the evils of their day. Despite the many threats which face our children, we too can enjoy these days as some of the “happiest times” for our families.