Behold Your Little Ones

Elder M Russell Ballard said:

"The Savior tearfully urged his Nephite followers to 'behold your little ones' (3 Ne. 17:23). 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.

When we truly behold our little ones, we behold the glory, wonder, and majesty of God, our Eternal Father. All children are His spirit offspring. We have no more eloquent testimony that our Heavenly Father lives and that He loves us than the first raspy cry of a newborn child. All babies have faith in their eyes and purity in their hearts. They are receptive to the truth because they have no preconceived notions; everything is real to children. Regardless of physical limitations or the challenge of circumstance, their souls are endowed naturally with divine potential that is infinite and eternal." ("Great Shall Be the Peace of Thy Children," Ensign, Apr. 1994, 59).

At institute this morning, we read how when Jesus visited the Nephites after his resurrection, he taught them for a while, and then told them he had others to visit. When he saw how much the people desired him to stay, however, he had compassion on them and spent time healing those who needed healing. Even after finishing healing all who were in need, he didn't go, but he commanded that their children be brought to them. The Savior prayed for the children, and then he took the time to take each child, one by one, and bless them individually. I don't know how many children there were; we read that there were 2,500 people altogether, so there were probably several hundred. I imagine the process took hours, but Christ loved those children enough to bless them individually.

Sometimes, I think I get so wrapped up in the process of getting ready for school, getting homework done, getting chores and laundry done and meals made and cleared that sometimes I forget to give my children the individual attention that each of them needs. I forget to set aside what I'm doing and give them my full attention when they are telling me (sometimes at length) about what they did, or read, or imagined. They are precious souls, and I realize that time is racing and someday I will look back and wonder where it went, and how my children became parents with children of their own so quickly. So today I was reminded to slow down, to behold my little ones, to really see them and appreciate them, and discover the divine potential that is within them.

(The pictures were taken yesterday either before or during Family Home Evening.)