The Fifth Commandment
Consider an alternate interpretation of the Fifth Commandment:
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
I often add a word to answer those who take the common step toward hating their parents: Bring honor to your father and mother.
I was concerned that common interpretation of this commandment puts the child over their parent in being the judge of the honorable-ness of parents.
Our behavior reflects on how we are raised - if we don't honor our parents, have we not been taught to not render them honor? It is far more important to have the Lord praise you than to worry much about the praise of our parents, though they can often be complementary.
My various family members have been religiously critical of me over time and if I spent a lot of time trying to "honor" their wishes, I would likely have walked away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the concepts of a physical God and shared exaltation with him through Christ. I am grateful for the faith embraced by my parents, often at variance with our earlier ancestors.
I want God to say "well done, my good and faithful servant" in reference to me among my progenitors. I don't know how they will feel about it, but that is strong praise and recommendation in spite of what my ancestors desired. I would rather have the praise of God beyond the praise of my parents.
