We humans do like to talk.  Some of us may be a bit shy in public, but put our newborn baby in our arms and we suddenly have a whole lot to say.  At first we babble and coo, looking foolish but making important connections with a little one who already knows our voice.  As our child grows, we keep right on talking.  It is our nature to do so.

That teaching nature is programmed into us for good reason.  It is a Divine gift, given first to our parents so we would be better cared for, and then to us in behalf of our children.  We express this nature in many ways.  Sometimes we teach by accident, such as the examples we set in our words and actions, including our body language responses to people and situations.  Other teaching we do more purposefully, in planned lessons, in soft conversations in unexpected moments, or in angry, finger-wagging lectures.   Most of us talk too much and listen too little.  

We usually feel pretty confident when our children are young.  We talk and we show and we assess and we encourage and we correct.  Watch me.  Follow me.  Like this.  Try again.  We teach tidbits of information, basic core values, and life skills:  Cry when you need something.  Get up when you fall.  Tie your shoelaces like this.  Write on the paper instead of the couch.  Leave the snails outside.  We answer endless queries of Why this?  Why that?  Why not?  We require Please and Thank You and expect the toys to be put away before dinner.  And we read.  Just one more story, pleeeeese!

Since we do all this teaching right at home, we are technically all Homeschoolers.  Woops!  The title at the beginning is wrong then -- the question is not Should Latter-day Saints homeschool? but Should we stop?  Should we at some point -- some say the earlier the better -- turn our Divine calling over to the state?  Or should we instead stand fast in our duty, employing others to help as the lessons become more challenging, but always keeping the office (the authority) at home?

A few years ago I rented a booth at our county fair to share information about homeschooling.  I was very impressed by the young mothers and the couples who came through with their little children.  As I visited with them I could tell that they were teaching parents.  They all said they read daily to their children, and it was obvious that they taught them in normal conversation.

I was especially impressed by the dads and their involvement in the teaching of their children.  These dads had no idea how remarkable this was.  When my first children were born, almost four decades ago, fathers were not even allowed in the delivery room; they certainly weren't expected to change diapers, read stories, or put children to bed.  No wonder these very involved young fathers warmed my heart.

And here they all were, young families on field trips, learning about cows and pigs and kitchen knives and super cleaners -- these wonderful undeclared Homeschoolers.  But sadly, when I asked if they had considered official homeschooling, they all said no; in fact, they were appalled at the thought!  Vibrant, capable adults apparently turn to mush when their children turn five!  All that they have enjoyed, and all that was yet to come, they will now give away to strangers, and their authority in the eyes of their children will be forever altered.

For many generations American and European children grew up with the story of Bambi, whose mother taught him the ways of the forest while his father watched over the family in his animal way.  Those children understood that the order of nature is for every youngster to have a mother and a father to nurture and protect.  This pattern is everywhere in the animal kingdom, and the animals stand true to the commandment given them. 

Satan's goal is to destroy the order of Heaven in our homes.  He would be happy to see your Bambi in day care and preschool and all day kindergarten, away from your influence.  He would be delighted if you did not have sufficient time to nurture your child so your child would not know how to nurture the next generation, and eventually Family would be destroyed from the earth.  We only have to look around us to see this happening.

Our Heavenly Father, in his Great Plan of Happiness, has charged us with a teaching duty, for which he will hold us accountable; and with great love and wisdom he has programmed us with a teaching nature to enable us to fulfill the duty.  He begs and pleads with us to use this gift wisely, but leaves us free to choose.  Will we polish and enhance our teaching natures, or will we tarnish and suppress them?  Will we fulfill our teaching duty, or will be leave it to the state and the church?  

Whether we have beautiful, long days with our children or just minutes here and there, we should Homeschool as much as we can.  The first reason parents ought to homeschool, at least to age eight . . . and maybe just one more year . . . . or maybe another year or two after that . . . . and maybe all the way through high school . . . is that teaching our children is our nature and our duty.