Behold your little ones

Today while driving around Overland Park, KS, I was listening to the Christian channel on the radio.  The read something that one of their listeners had written about a scripture that she had read.  The listener's name was Sarah Young.  That caught my attention as I have a very good friend named Sarah Young.  Anyway, as I listened, I thought it might be a good idea for me to share some of my thoughts about the scriptures on my blog. So today I start with some thoughts taken from the April 2011 General Conference talk "Become as a Little Child."

“And he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.

“And when he had done this he wept. …

“And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones” (3 Nephi 17:21–23).

Elder M. Russell Ballard has taught us the importance of the Savior’s admonition to “behold your little ones” when he said: “Notice that He didn’t say ‘glance at them’ or ‘casually observe them’ or ‘occasionally take a look in their general direction.’ He said to behold them. To me that means that we should embrace them with our eyes and with our hearts; we should see and appreciate them for who they really are: spirit children of our Heavenly Father, with divine attributes” (“Behold Your Little Ones,” Tambuli, Oct. 1994, 40; emphasis added; “Great Shall Be the Peace of Thy Children,” Ensign, Apr. 1994, 59).

It's no secret that I adore my little ones.  They are such great examples to me.  They are so full of the spirit and a thirst for knowledge.  If you ask Stone (age 6) what his favorite book is, he will whole heartedly tell you that it is the Book of Mormon.  He has told his teacher this and actually inspired gospel conversations in his classroom.

When I was visiting Michigan a few weeks ago, one night for "scripture study" I had each of the kids choose a picture and tell what they knew about it.  Katy (age 4) chose the picture of Samuel the Lamanite from the Book of Mormon.  I was so impressed as she told me about Samuel standing on the wall trying to preach to the Nephites as they were trying to kill him.  You see, I didn't even know the story to that picture until I was in my early twenties.  Then Stone chose a picture of some boats on the water.  I didn't know what the picture was, but assumed it must be some story from the New Testament.  Then he proceeded to tell me the story of the Brother of Jared, from the Book of Mormon, of course.

My sister-in-law recently decided that she is going to go through the temple.  When she told her family that during a family home evening recently, Lexie (age 11) jumped up and gave her a big hug and said that she was so proud of her, and that she had been praying for that, and she knew her prayers had been answered.

Not only do my little ones have a love of the gospel, but they are such great examples of love in general.  Their sweetness always brings joy to my heart.  They trust so easily and love so easily.

In Mosiah 3:19 it tells us that we must become as a child: "submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things... even as a child doth submit to his father."

It's time for me to take a page from my little ones who so easily embody these characteristics.  How grateful I am for all of the little ones in my life!  Though I have missed out on having children of my own, the Lord has truely enriched the relationships I do have with children, and has put an abundance of childlike love in my life.