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Lynnette Sheppard

Dear Grace

All About Me· Letters· Motherhood· Parenting

I have always been a writer. When I was in third grade, I wrote a story and won third place…
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Hi! I’m Lynnette. Welcome to my little corner of the Internet, where I help Latter-day Saint women stand firm in their faith and share their light. I'm so glad you're here!

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My goal is to have the first draft completed withi

My goal is to have the first draft completed within the next three weeks

That means I need to FOCUS!

And stop getting distracted by scrolling IG 😳😩😂

But here’s the lowdown:

What’s it about?

The mothers of the Stripling Warriors: what we know about them and how they were able to raise faithful and obedient kids when the odds were STACKED against them

Each chapter highlights one attribute these incredible women exemplified, as found in the book of Alma, and how we can emulate their example TODAY

It is packed full of modern day examples, insight from scripture and prophets, and encouragement for all who desire to raise faithful kids in an increasingly faithless world

Latter-day Saint women are the intended audience, but anyone who wants to strengthen their faith will benefit

It’s MUCH more about personal conversion than the mechanics of raising children

Because the main thing the mothers of the Stripling Warriors have taught me is this:

Our personal conversion is our kids’ FIRST line of defense against the adversary

Publishing is still up in the air, so stay tuned for more info on that

For now, I just need to get this manuscript WRITTEN!

So, forgive my IG scarcity for the next few weeks

These three words stopped me in my tracks: I was

These three words stopped me in my tracks:

I was studying my patriarchal blessing the other day

Praying for inspiration on how it applied to my life right now

And these three words leapt off the page in more than one location:

Teach * Testify * Love

And it was like a lightening bolt hit me

I may not be able to see

How all the pieces fit together in this vast online playground

And what exactly the Lord needs me to do here

But teaching is my favorite

I can testify of Christ all day long

I am learning what it means to lead with Christlike love

And maybe that’s all I need

Perhaps, my purpose is tied directly to those three words

Teach * Testify * Love

I am really good at those things

It’s like the Lord knows me or something 🤷🏻‍♀️

It’s been 29 years since I received my patriarchal blessing

And I am still learning new things about myself as I study it

What does your patriarchal blessing teach you about your purpose?

Tell us here👇🏻

This quote stopped me in my tracks 👆🏻 I hav

This quote stopped me in my tracks 👆🏻

I have been at this parenting thing for 25 years, in which time I have watched discipline become public enemy number one in the realm of parenting

The underlying message is this: the most loving parents only use positive reinforcement because discipline is damaging

In my early years of parenting, I bought into that idea

And, for YEARS, my highly determined children walked all over me

Their behavior deteriorated instead of improved

Until I decided to draw firm lines in the sand

I made sure the kids understood where the boundaries were

And then, I held them responsible when they decided to cross them

By administering appropriate consequences (aka discipline)

And guess what happened?

They eventually stopped pushing the boundaries

And learned to live comfortably within them

They developed SELF discipline

And my job was relatively easy after that

Little reminders here and there were all they needed

And, to this day, I have a fantastic relationship with all five of them

One thing I learned through that process is this:

Some kids don’t need much discipline because they are naturally wired to please their parents (Lucky parents!)

Other kids NEED a firmer touch to help them learn the importance of obedience (which is an eternal law)

How much or how little discipline a child requires is between their parents and the Lord

And will look different for every child and every family

So, don’t be afraid to hold firm boundaries with your kids if you feel inspired to do so

Even though it isn’t always socially acceptable

For us, the “permission” to discipline was the answer to years of desperate prayers

And I am fully convinced that one decision set our children up for success

I think I could do this everyday for the rest of m

I think I could do this everyday for the rest of my life

Except I’m exhausted…so maybe not every day!

I have so many more thoughts about the @valiantconference but I need sleep to process 😂

Thanks to all you valiant women who came today!

Your faith inspires mine 💛

It has been a soul-searching summer for me I took

It has been a soul-searching summer for me

I took a break from my podcast

I was not super active on social media

I spent the summer writing

And thinking about why I share the things I share

And what the future of my work might look like

The truth is that the Lord usually only gives me one step at a time

And the only thing I know right now is that I need to get my book finished

Everything beyond that is unclear

(P.S. I’m getting close to a completed draft)

But, as I have prayed and pondered about this work I feel called to do

I have grown increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of being an “influencer”

Especially in the realm of faith

I often see people give influencers more power than prophets

They allow the thoughts and ideas of public figures to shape their views about faith and what it means to follow Christ

Instead of going straight to Him

I have seen too many people follow influencers right out of the Church

And, while my faith is solid, I don’t ever want people to ask,

“What does Lynnette have to say about this subject?”

Rather than, “What do the Lord and His prophets have to say about this subject?”

I want to be a window to Him

I want people to see Him and not me

But, in the confusing world of competing social media voices,

Where one must stand out to be heard

That is easier said than done

I guess what I am trying to say is this:

I stand firmly with Jesus Christ and His prophets

That has not changed

But I am reevaluating where I fit into this vast online landscape

And how I can be certain I am always sharing His light

Instead of my own opinions

So, if I am a little scarce around here,

Please know it is because I am hard at work on a book I hope you will love

And a soul-searching wrestle with the Lord about what it means for me personally to stand as a witness of Him

Thanks for being here!

It can feel straight up terrifying to raise childr

It can feel straight up terrifying to raise children of faith in this crazy world

There are days when I wonder how it is even possible because there are spiritual landmines at every turn

But these words from Jeffrey R. Holland remind me that MY faith is the most important factor in raising righteous children

And, while I have little control over what my kids experience when they are outside of my home (especially once they reach the teen years)

I CAN control the things I do to build my own faith

I can TESTIFY to my kids and LIVE my faith so they can see what discipleship looks like

I can make sure they KNOW I stand with Christ

I can give them a SAFE place to learn the gospel and build a foundation of faith

And, even if they choose to wander for a time

They will know where to come when they are ready to return

(Source: “A Prayer for the Children,” Jeffrey R. Holland)

I invite you to consider this question: Would you

I invite you to consider this question:

Would you stay in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ even if every person who has helped to shape your faith leaves?

Would you stay?

And how can you get to a point where you will stay, no matter what happens?

Utah now holds another piece of my heart As we go

Utah now holds another piece of my heart

As we got her settled into her dorm yesterday, these lyrics from an old Alan Jackson song were playing in my head:

“Remember when we said when we turn gray

When the children grow up and move away

We won't be sad, we'll be glad

For all the life we've had

And we'll remember when.”

This is our fourth rodeo

And goodbyes are always hard

But, man alive, I have found that there is more to celebrate than mourn

Through 25 years of raising children,

There have been good days

And bad days

But most days have been pretty boring and uneventful

It hasn’t always been easy

But it HAS been a gift

And I have done this for long enough to know

That the effort to build strong relationships in the first 18 years of a child’s life pays off a million fold in the years that follow

And life does not end when kids leave home

In many ways, it begins

So, hold on through the tough spots, my friends

Keep teaching

Keep nurturing

Keep loving your people fiercely

Even when it feels like you are getting nowhere

Someday, you will see that, all along, you have been weaving a beautiful tapestry,

Strand by strand

Until the strands become a stunning masterpiece

One thing parenting has taught me

Is that our lives swing on small hinges, indeed

Small and simple things, over time, yield GREAT dividends

And goodbyes lead to beautiful new beginnings

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