How to explain the economy problems to your teens

[RainofGold]

moved

Edited October 14, 2008 by RainofGold

[Palerider]

I lost my job in 1996, it left for another country......and I was told in regards to dealing with my kids....you just need to tell them whats going on.

[a-train]

I once read an article in the Ensign (years ago in the 80's) about a woman who reading the scriptures with her children found one of them crying as they discussed the prophesied tribulations and terrors of the latter-days. She first had some tendency to feel defensive for her child. Her reaction was to cease from covering those topics.

But after prayerful thought it occurred to her that the purpose of the presence of those subjects in the scriptures was to prepare the saints and protect them in the coming trials. With that perspective, she realized that to avoid the subject would be to cheat her child of very necessary and important knowledge given from the LORD.

Paul drew a great distinction between those prepared with the words of the prophets and those who are not:

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (1 Thes 5:3-4)

The political/economic system of the world is controlled by Satan. His dominion in that system is known as "the great and abominable church" and the "whore of all the earth". These scriptural images are ugly and filthy because the LORD wants us to see these things in the same way He sees them. Satan's will is to take of the treasures of the earth and buy up armies and navies and tyrants who oppress and reign with blood and horror on this earth.

After all the house of Israel [has] been scattered and confounded... ...the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land [the Americas].

Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.

And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood. And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.

Read the full chapter of 1 Nephi 22. It is written in great plainness. The economic calamities and terrors will continue to afflict and torture those that fight against Zion and the Saints will only find safety therein. Only in following the admonitions of the LORD and in seeking refuge with the saints will we find peace.

The economic hardships upon this nation are only the beginning. The treasures of the world will become more and more slippery as the people's lusts grow. (Mormon 1:18)

Let your children know the truth. The family unit is where these lessons are to be taught first. Teach them to work together toward financial goals. Don't let them all go out and finance things individually. Pool your resources and model your family economy as closely to the LORD's counsels in the scriptures as possible.

My children are still too young to learn these things (4 years and 1 month respectively). Still, I already teach my 4 year old daughter the value of saving.

Pray about it and talk to your children.

-a-train

Edited October 14, 2008 by a-train

[rastler000]

The political/economic system of the world is controlled by Satan.

I think I'll pass on the end days type stuff. It doesn't seem particularly condusive to raising a normal productive member of society. It does seem pretty condusive to raising a scared kid who may want to hurt those "Satanists" if given the chance however. I know when I was a kid, being fit, rowdy, a bit impulsive, and some skills, I would have been all over that. Pity the poor Satanist that got in my way!

Seriously, I know kids like this now.

[RainofGold]

Thank you guys for your replies, I moved the post to the "advice thread", because I thought it belong in the advice instead of general discussion.

I will pray about it before I talk to them, I don't want to scared them but at the same time I don't want to keep them from knowing what is going on in our country.

Thanks, Rainofgold.:p

[bcguy]

You know,

It really depends on how old the children are to truely understand what is happening to the US economy.

In simplified terms, tell them that the CEO's of the Banks and Mortgage companies basicly lent money to just about everyone who could and could not qualify. It was litterly a run on the bank by any speculitive investor who would make money on just about any type of realestate. Problem was, the realestate was now 100 per cent speculative with more and more properties selling further and further out of the hands of people who could TRULY afford the property. The Value of the property was HYPED.

Every time the bank made a loan, the loan officer and CEO made more money. Thay did not do the true math of DEBT load VS TRUE Value of the homes thay had loaned money against.

A year ago I told my wife the lending practices of these banks was like a Tidal wave that was building and building and when it finally came it its end the base aka, TRUE value of the properties could no longer support the actual loan values anymore and the Tidal wave eventually crashed. It took some time for all these forclosures to reach the top of these banks but eventually thay did.

I am very sad that Washington Mutual was a casualty of this lending practice. Not only do I have a account there so does my wife. In the two weeks the banks stock was tanking many people were panicking and pulling out billions of dollars out of there accounts and closing them. The debt load from all the failed forclosures is what killed the bank.

There are still good stock companies to invest in even today. I plan on buying some this comming week :)

[deseretgov]

Be sure to put the blame where it actually belongs. On the Bankers that control the Federal Reserve and the Politicians.

Why the Federal Reserve Violates the U.S. Constitution.

The editing on this video isn't that great but the content is good.

America: From Freedom to Fascism

This one is great!

Our children deserve to know the truth!

Edited October 14, 2008 by deseretgov

[a-train]

The political/economic system of the world is controlled by Satan.

I think I'll pass on the end days type stuff. It doesn't seem particularly condusive to raising a normal productive member of society. It does seem pretty condusive to raising a scared kid who may want to hurt those "Satanists" if given the chance however. I know when I was a kid, being fit, rowdy, a bit impulsive, and some skills, I would have been all over that. Pity the poor Satanist that got in my way!

Seriously, I know kids like this now.

This philosophy would be in direct contradiction to the counsel of the LORD and everything I said in my post. We need not raise a finger to "hurt those satanists". "Those satanists" are not our enemies, but our kindred, our loved ones, our parents, our children. The whole point is that the political and economic system of the self-interested will cave in on itself without any help from us. Our work is not to promote that catastrophe, but to save as many from it as possible.

-a-train

Edited October 14, 2008 by a-train

[FunkyTown]

This philosophy would be in direct contradiction to the counsel of the LORD and everything I said in my post. We need not raise a finger to "hurt those satanists". "Those satanists" are not our enemies, but our kindred, our loved ones, our parents, our children. The whole point is that the political and economic system of the self-interested will cave in on itself without any help from us. Our work is not to promote that catastrophe, but to save as many from it as possible.

-a-train

Quoted for truth.

[rastler000]

This philosophy would be in direct contradiction to the counsel of the LORD and everything I said in my post. We need not raise a finger to "hurt those satanists". "Those satanists" are not our enemies, but our kindred, our loved ones, our parents, our children. The whole point is that the political and economic system of the self-interested will cave in on itself without any help from us. Our work is not to promote that catastrophe, but to save as many from it as possible.

-a-train

I guess I must be a Satanist then..... need to make a sacrifice...... here kitty, kitty, kitty.