Leany family history as written from memory by William Leany

Page 16

( ( PROPERTY OF PagJJWI. STATE HISTORICAL S0CiE1"\' children, that is never allow them to be frightened with sppoks and fanciful notions of spirits, tor I have known their minds to be so worked upon that fear took hold upon them to an alarming extent that they dared not go out in the dark any place, nor ever allow children vexed with nick names or any other foolish nonsence, for they tend to make children cross and peevish to all around them. But lead your little ones by the hand to fast meetings and all Sabbath meetings and all Sabbath Schools and see that they have the Sacraments, also that they receive cards, books and other p"ieces and they will soon ac quire. a taste for learning and not think of loitering around fence corners. And I pray God, my Heave·n1y Father, tha.t you will be better a.ble to teaek your children than I have been, mdng to the old fashioned teach-ers we have had here. And now my dear children, let me point you to a clause in the Law of Moses that provided wherein a child will become a drunkard or a glutton and his parents cannot reclaim him they shall prefer a charge to the authorities who will sentence him to be stoned to death and his ~ parents shall cast the first stone, and I positive believe there are as many who shorten life and injure health by gluttony as there are by ~ard drinking. Therefore I wish to say to you, be temperate in eating as well as in using strong drink, or in other words, strictly observe the Word of Wisdom. There is yet another matter much neglected among the people. I mean Patriarchal Blessings, and I wish to impress it on your minds that all Saints, male and female, as soon as they arrive at the age of fifteen to eighteen should have a Patriarchal Blessing as it will help to bupy them up in sickness and also while upon