death | MichaelFoust.com

I’m not sure at what point during our courtship my wife and knew we were headed for marriage, but it may have been around the time we realized we shared an odd interest: We each enjoyed visiting cemeteries.

After we married and before we had children, we visited the graves of nearly 10 presidents – sort of normal, I suppose — but we also walked through the old historic cemetery in the city and just about any small graveyard we stumbled upon.

It’s a fun and quirky habit I’ve maintained with my oldest son, who is 6, and one that I plan on continuing with his two younger siblings. Each time, we have a blast.

Perhaps you are confused as to why any parent would willingly take his or her child to a cemetery, over and over. Here are four reasons I do it, and you should, too:
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I won’t ever forget the first time I shared the Gospel with my oldest son. It was right after he spit up on my shoulder, and just a few minutes before I placed him gently in his crib. I don’t think he understood much at all that evening. He certainly didn’t ask any questions. In fact, I’m pretty sure he already was asleep.

He was an infant, about six months old.

I’ve repeated that routine every single night since then, and have now incorporated it into a bedtime song. For his twin brother and sister, I began telling them the Gospel message much earlier, right after birth.

Parents sometimes wonder when their children are “ready” to learn certain difficult concepts. The Gospel, though, shouldn’t be on that list.

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