Suffer the Little Children

When President Russell M. Nelson addressed Church members for the first time after becoming the president of the Church, he said this, “We are thankful for your prayers. They have been offered throughout the world for us. On the morning following President Monson’s passing, one such prayer was offered by a four-year-old boy named Benson. I quote excerpts from his mother’s letter written to my wife, Wendy. Benson prayed, ‘Heavenly Father, thank you that President Thomas S. Monson could see his wife again. Thank you for our new prophet. Help him to be brave and not scared that he’s new. Help him to grow up to be healthy and strong. Help him to have power because he has the priesthood. And help us always to be nice.’ I thank God for children like this and for parents who are serious about their commitment to righteous, intentional parenting.”  I was impressed that in his first, short address as a new leader of a 16-million-member organization, the only person he quoted was a young child.  To me it was an message of the singular importance of children in the Lord’s kingdom. 

               As I’ve read articles about President Nelson’s worldwide tour, I’ve continued to be impressed with his attention to children as shown in the pictures.  In London we see him kneeling down with his arm around two young boys.  In the account of his trip to Kenya there is a picture of him shaking hands with a young girl.  We see President Nelson holding a young girl in the main picture of the article summarizing his visit to Zimbabwe.  In one of the pictures of his visit to India we see him bending down to give a hug to a little girl with a backpack.  In the article about his trip to Thailand the first picture shows him holding a bald young boy.  And in Hong Kong we see a picture of him and Sister Nelson reaching down to a young girl with a Minnie Mouse shirt on.  Clearly in all of his travels across the world he has not forgotten the little children.  The words of the Savior summarize President Nelson’s focus: “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14).  This highlights a stark difference between most organizations of the world and the kingdom of God: the world typically neglects children because they can’t vote or pay money, but in the Lord’s kingdom the greatest are the children and those who imitate them: “Verily I say unto you, 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” (Matt. 18:3-4).  President Nelson’s example and the Savior’s teachings highlight the need for each of us to love and cherish our little children. We may not have the opportunity to visit faraway lands, but we can at least cherish and love the children around us in day-to-day activities.