I have been pondering the very deep meaning in the teaching of the Lord. This teaching is simple, yet profound as it will be found in Matthew 18:3 which reads...
"Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
The implications are broad,and not without longstanding need of continual reflection. But just what does He mean by that? When I reflect upon this, I also begin to think about the other admonition of the Savior, "Come Unto Me". In Quorum meetings I have mentioned this before, but when I consider the latter of the two well known, and frequently discussed admonitions of the Lord, I think of the gentle correction we as children all at one time were instructed. Whether upon the knee of a father or mother, we were corrected in a way, then after the correction came the outpouring of love. (See also D & C 121)
The same could be said of us, as we "...repent and come unto [Him].." going to Him we bring our sorrows, and being with Him, our hearts are full of inexpressible love!
So, what are some of those things that will help us qualify to become like a child? It is as King Benjamin said: "....and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19)
This is no easy process Brethren, and will take a continual application of effort on our part, just like we are reminded on The Shumway Sequence #2, it will all happen, yet, :
2.
ALL THINGS ACCOMPLISHED
ACCORDING TO THE LORD’S TIMING
“Let not your minds turn back; and when ye
are worthy, in mine own due time, ye shall see and know that which was
conferred upon you.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 67:14)
I have a testimony of this work. I know in my heart this is the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ- Restored to the earth in the Latter-Days just as foretold by prophets of old. I know that Joseph Smith is The Prophet Of The Restoration, and my testimony of him as a Prophet of the Lord is as sure as the sunrise. Now Brethren, the official text for Sunday Lesson July 24th, 2011.
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Our
Father in Heaven, in His great wisdom and love, sends His spirit sons
and daughters to this earth as children. They come to families as
precious gifts with a divine nature and destiny. Our Heavenly Father
knows children are a key to helping us become like Him. There is so much
we can learn from children.
This
important truth was evidenced some years ago as a member of the Seventy
was on assignment in Hong Kong. He visited a very humble ward that was
struggling in many ways, unable to provide for its own needs. As the
bishop described their situation, the General Authority felt the
impression to have the members pay their tithing. The bishop, knowing
their dire circumstances, was concerned about how he could carry out
that counsel. He thought about it and decided he would approach some of
the most faith-filled members of his ward and ask them to pay their
tithing. The next Sunday he went to the Primary. He taught the children
about the Lord’s law of tithing and asked if they would be willing to
pay tithing on the money they earned. The children said they would. And
they did.
The
bishop later went to the adults in the ward and shared with them that
for the past six months their faithful children had been paying tithing.
He asked them if they would be willing to follow the example of these
children and do the same. The people were so touched by the sacrifices
the children were willing to make that they did what was necessary to
pay their tithing. And the windows of heaven were opened. With the
example of these faithful children, a ward grew in obedience and in
testimony.
It was Jesus Christ
Himself who taught us to look to children as an example. The New
Testament records His answer when His Apostles disputed who should be
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus answered their question
with a small yet powerful object lesson. He called a little child to Him
and set him in the midst of them and said:
“Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3–4).
What
is it we should learn from children? What qualities do they possess and
what examples do they demonstrate that can help us in our own spiritual
development?
These
precious children of God come to us with believing hearts. They are
full of faith and receptive to feelings of the Spirit. They exemplify
humility, obedience, and love. They are often the first to love and the
first to forgive.
Let
me share some experiences of how children can bless our lives with
their innocent yet powerful examples of Christlike attributes.
Todd,
a little boy just two years old, recently went with his mother to an
art museum that was showing a special exhibit of beautiful paintings of
the Savior. As they walked past these sacred images, she heard her
little boy reverently saying the name “Jesus.” She looked down to see
him folding his arms and bowing his head as he viewed the paintings.
Could we learn from Todd something about an attitude of humility, of
reverence, and of love for the Lord?
Last
fall I watched the example of a 10-year-old boy in Armenia. As we
waited for sacrament meeting to begin, he noticed the oldest member of
the branch arrive. He was the one who quickly went to her side, offering
his arm to steady her faltering steps. He assisted her to the front row
of the chapel, where she could hear. Could his small act of kindness
teach us that those who are greatest in the Lord’s kingdom are those who
look for opportunities to serve others?
Katie,
a Primary-age girl, taught us as we saw her influence on her family.
She attended Primary and was drawn to the teachings of the gospel. With
growing faith and testimony, Katie left a note on her parents’ pillow.
She wrote that the gospel truths had found a “home in her heart.” She
shared her longing to be close to her Heavenly Father, to be obedient to
His commandments, and to have their family sealed in the temple. The
simple testimony of their sweet daughter touched her parents’ hearts in a
powerful way. Katie and her family did receive sacred temple ordinances
that bound their family together forever. Katie’s believing heart and
example of faith helped bring eternal blessings to her family. Could her
sincere testimony and desire to follow the Lord’s plan lead us to see
more clearly what really matters most?
Our
family is learning from a close relative, six-year-old Liam. This past
year he has battled aggressive brain cancer. After two difficult
surgeries, it was decided that radiation would also be necessary. During
these radiation treatments, he was required to be all alone and lie
absolutely still. Liam did not want to be sedated because he disliked
the way it made him feel. He was determined that if he could just hear
his dad’s voice over the intercom, he could lie still without the
sedative.
During
these anxious times, his dad spoke to him with words of encouragement
and love. “Liam, although you can’t see me, I am right here. I know you
can do it. I love you.” Liam successfully accomplished the 33 required
radiation treatments while holding perfectly still, a feat his doctors
thought would be impossible without sedation for one so young. Through
months of pain and difficulty, Liam’s contagious optimism has been a
powerful example of meeting adversity with hope and even happiness. His
doctors, nurses, and countless others have been inspired by his courage.
We
are all learning important lessons from Liam—lessons about choosing
faith and trusting in the Lord. Just like Liam, we cannot see our
Heavenly Father, but we can listen for His voice to give us the strength
we need to endure the challenges of life.
Could
Liam’s example help us to better understand King Benjamin’s words to
become as a child—submissive, meek, humble, patient, and full of love?
(see Mosiah 3:19).
These
children are providing examples of some of the childlike qualities we
need to develop or rediscover in ourselves in order to enter into the
kingdom of heaven. They are bright spirits who are untarnished by the
world—teachable and full of faith. It is no wonder the Savior has a
special love and appreciation for little children.
Among
the transcendent events of the Savior’s visit to the Americas, His
tender ministry to the children stands apart. In a poignant way He
reached out to each 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).
There
is not a more perfect place to behold our little ones than in our
families. Home is a place where we can all learn and grow together. One
of our beautiful Primary songs teaches this truth:
God gave us families
To help us become what He wants us to be—
This is how He shares His love,
For the fam’ly is of God.
It
is here in our families, in an atmosphere of love, where we see and
appreciate in a more personal way the divine attributes of His spirit
children. It is here in our families where our hearts can be softened
and in humility we desire to change, to become more childlike. It is a
process by which we can become more Christlike.
Have
some of life’s experiences taken from you the believing heart and
childlike faith you once had? If so, look around at the children in your
life. And then look again. They may be children in your family, across
the street, or in the Primary in your ward. If we have a heart to learn
and a willingness to follow the example of children, their divine
attributes can hold a key to unlocking our own spiritual growth.
I
will always be grateful for the blessing of my own children. The
example of each one has taught me lessons I need. They have helped me to
change for the better.
I
bear my humble but certain testimony that Jesus is the Christ. He is
the one perfect Son—submissive, meek, humble, patient, and so full of
love. May each of us have a heart to follow His example, to become as a
little child, and thereby return to our heavenly home, I pray in the
name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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The Shumway Sequence
1.ALWAYS STRIVING TO INCREASE TIME SPENT AROUND THE SPIRIT
“…Humble yourselves before the Lord…call upon His holy name…watch and pray continually… and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all longsuffering.” (Alma 13:28)
2.ALL THINGS ACCOMPLISHED ACCORDING TO THE LORD’S TIMING
“Let not your minds turn back; and when ye are worthy, in mine own due time, ye shall see and know that which was conferred upon you.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 67:14)
3.THERE IS SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE SERVICE YOU ARE GIVING
“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)
4.INCREASE OUR DESIRE TO HAVE A DEEPER LEVEL OF TRUST AND FAITH
“…exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” (Alma 32:27 –Faith) “I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good- yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously ; and this is my Spirit.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 11:12 – Trust)
5.IF YOU ARE HERE NOW, YOU ARE FOREORDAINED TO BE HERE.
“And this is the manner after which [we] were ordained – being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; …therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling…which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.” (Alma 13:3)
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