A teacher in a high school a few months ago began her instruction one day by asking students who supported a political issue to stand on one side of the room, while those who opposed it were instructed to stand on the other side.

After students had formed their sides, the teacher took her stance on the opposing side. Singling out one young woman on the side of the supporters, the teacher commenced an attack on her and the other classmates for their views.

The young woman, who was a Mia Maid in her ward, absorbed the assault that criticized her beliefs.

Remaining calm in the face of a public attack leveled by someone in authority is a difficult circumstance for many people, especially youth.

This is just one of many confrontations that, Church leaders indicate, will only increase.

How, then, ask parents and leaders, are youth to be prepared so that in the hour of such an unsuspecting attack they can stand to confidently and articulately defend their beliefs?

It is important for parents, leaders and teachers to understand the powerful impact praise, acceptance and encouragement have on a child's sense of individual worth and confidence, reported Brent L. Top, professor of Church History, and Bruce A. Chadwick, professor of Sociology at Brigham Young University in a well-publicized study of 5,000 high school students titled, "Helping Children Develop Feelings of Self-Worth," Ensign, Feb 2006.

"Likewise, we need to be aware of how ridicule, rejection and continual criticism can create personal doubt.

"Equally important, Latter-day Saint parents need to recognize how feeling Heavenly Father's love, sensing the comfort and spiritual guidance that come with the Holy Ghost's companionship, and gaining a personal testimony enhance a child's sense of worth, personal confidence and self-respect."

The answer centers in the home and the quality of faith of the family. Children who have kneeled in family prayer and heard their parents pray for them with sincere expressions of love and appreciation have felt their sense of worth expand. Such love somehow empowers the soul with confidence.

The study, which surveyed youth from across the U.S., Great Britain and Mexico over a decade, reported "that the young people with the strongest feelings of self-worth gained this confidence through gospel learning and spiritual experiences that took place primarily in the home. Regular family prayer, scripture study and family home evening are cornerstones for establishing a household of faith. All of these activities are closely associated with stronger feelings of confidence in youth. …

"A strong sense of individual worth comes naturally to those who have developed their own testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and have experienced firsthand the fruits of the Spirit. Spiritual strength yields a confidence that cannot be obtained in any other way."

1. Give daily outpourings of love

"Feeling acceptance and affection from parents is vital for a child's sense of acceptance. Sadly, about one out of every four LDS teens reported that they felt their parents did not adequately demonstrate their love for them. … It is difficult for teenagers to feel a sense of worth if their parents do not express love, appreciation and respect for them. Those young people who exhibit a healthy confidence not only have come to feel Heavenly Father's love for them but also have experienced consistent expressions of love and support from their earthly parents. … A daily outpouring of love is not only vital for emotional well-being but also essential to spiritual development.

2. Parent by praise

"Children, particularly adolescents, thrive on recognition and acceptance. Parents should look for opportunities to praise their children. Children's accomplishments need not be monumental to deserve parental recognition and praise. Youth in the study who reported the most confidence and who felt best about themselves had regularly received praise and positive reinforcement from their parents. Conversely, those with low levels of spirituality and confidence overwhelmingly reported that they received far more criticism than praise from their parents and rarely felt respected and acceptable.

3. Encourage expression of ideas and feelings

"Encourage children to have their own ideas, feelings, opinions and perceptions and to express them respectfully. It is allowing them to be their own persons. Young people who are denied this kind of emotional freedom may become fearful adults who lack confidence in their ability to cope with the world.

"In the study, more than one-third of the youth reported that their parents tried to psychologically control them with feelings of guilt, or by withdrawing love, or dismissing their thoughts and opinions as unimportant.

"In contrast, the study found that young people who have internalized the gospel, gained their own testimonies, and developed a healthy sense of individual worth are those whose parents have counseled with them but have not sought to control them emotionally and intellectually.

"Faith and family are powerful instruments in bringing about a sense of spiritual worth that positively affects both attitudes and actions. Children who feel good about their relationship with their Heavenly Father and their earthly family feel good about themselves. This kind of confidence — not the self-esteem of the world that is thought to be obtained by popularity, stylish clothes, a fancy car or other fleeting factors — inevitably leads to greater love for God and increased righteousness."

"To you brethren who are fathers, bishopric members and youth leaders," said Elder M. Russell Ballard in the October 1997 general conference, "please remember that all young men and young women have a great need to feel loved, respected and valued and to succeed in ways that will help them gain a sense of confidence and self-worth. Appropriate and uplifting activities should be planned that will provide a safe and wholesome environment in which our youth and their nonmember friends can strengthen one another and draw closer to the Savior."