Responsibility to Parents “Lesson 16: Responsibility to
Parents,” The Latter-day Saint Woman: Basic Manual for Women,
Part B, 126 The purpose of this lesson is to encourage us to
love and honor our parents. Why Should We Honor Our Parents? The
first four of the Ten Commandments tell us how we should relate
to our Heavenly Father and remind us of our responsibility to
Him. The fifth commandment tells us of our responsibility to our
earthly parents. • Read Exodus 20:12. Why did our Heavenly
Father give us the commandment to honor our parents? As with all
the commandments, the Savior is our example in keeping the
commandment to honor our parents. Even in His suffering as He
hung on the cross, Jesus demonstrated His concern for His
earthly mother (see John 19:26–27). We tend to think that
honoring our parents means nothing more than obeying them.
Surely, however, the Lord included more than obedience when He
said, “Honor thy father and thy mother.” Dictionaries provide
several definitions of the word honor. Most