Gaining a Vision for Your Homeschool

Start this next school year knowing what Heavenly Father wants your children to accomplish!

A few weeks ago, a sister in my Relief Society gave a lesson on Elder Dallin H. Oaks' April 2011 General Conference Talk entitled “Desire.” She brought up the story about the hiker who cut off his arm when it was trapped by a rock. She paid especial attention to the part about the hiker having a vision of picking up a young boy with his left arm. That vision let that hiker know that he still had a mission in this life to fulfill and that knowledge empowered him to take the drastic measures to free himself.

This good sister then went to the story of Abraham and when the vision of his posterity was revealed to him and how that single (albeit immense) vision helped define his life and actions thereafter. Story after story came to my mind of figures in church history who had visions. Someone in my Relief Society reminded us that we are all entitled to visions, if we're willing to work to receive them.

I was deeply touched by this lesson, as I had been struggling with the questions of what I should be doing with my family and our homeschool to accomplish the plans that Heavenly Father has for each member of our family. Motivated by the lesson, I committed to working on receiving a vision for my family and our homeschool.

Within a day, my prayers were answered. (This surprised me, as I had been prepared to fast and pray for a loooong time to get an answer!)

I specifically sought a vision for both the spiritual and academic plans for each of my children. I prayed for each of those things to be shown to me, and was delighted to see very telling images in my mind's eye for each child. I won't recount every detail specifically, as it was a very sacred experience; but I saw one child on their wedding, arrayed in their temple clothes, I saw another child working in their profession (which I had already gotten a hint about years ago when they received their baby blessing), I also saw one of my children as a teenager looking into a microscope and heard the word “Biology” as I gazed upon the scene.



I now know that encouraging my daughter's love of animals will go far in preparing her for her future.
(And yes, those are wild Canadian Geese.)

I gained so much information from this simple exercise in faith and prayer. I now know what Heavenly Father wants each of my children to do with their lives, spiritually and academically. My foundation as a teacher and a spiritual leader in our home has been strengthened significantly. I am very thankful for this glimpse that will help so much in shaping our school years to come.

I know that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that each and every one of us can access the same vein of pure revelation in regards to the spiritual and academic training of our children. Heavenly Father wouldn't call us to this huge endeavor without making available some sort of knowledge as to what it is we are supposed to be preparing our children to do. I now know this personally for myself, and I invite you to strive to receive a vision for your family and homeschool a well.

Cara homeschools her four children according to the Classical Tradition.  When she's not reading aloud or correcting papers, you can find her knitting furiously.  You can find more of her writings and projects at her blog, Brooketopia.