Pray for the Children

One of the consistent themes between the Savior’s ministry among the Nephites in the Book of Mormon and His ministry recorded in the Old Testament is His concern for and care over children.  For example, we read of this incident in His ministry in Judea: “Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them” (Matt. 19:13-15).  He blessed and prayed for their children.  Among the Nephites He did the same: “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 again; And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones” (3 Nephi 17:21-23).  Later He again “did teach and minister unto the children of the multitude” and did “loose their tongues, and they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things” (3 Nephi 26:14).  Clearly He was concerned for and cared deeply for the children around Him and took significant time to pray for and bless them.  Among the Nephites He asked them to do the same: “Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed” (3 Nephi 18:21).  We are under a mandate to pray to the Father in the name of Christ that our children will be blessed. 

               There are two powerful examples of prayers for their children in the Book of Mormon.  One is that of Alma who prayed for his rebellious son Alma.  When the angel came to Alma and the sons of Mosiah to call them to repentance, he said, “Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth” (Mosiah 27:14).  We don’t know how long Alma the father had been praying for his son, but it could have been years or even decades.  His prayer for his child was heard and answered in a powerful way due to his great faith and earnestness.  At the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni recorded a letter from his father Mormon to him.  In it Mormon stated, “I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end” (Moroni 8:3).  Mormon didn’t just say that he had prayed for his son, but rather that he “continually” prayed to God in the name of Christ (exactly what the Savior invited the people to do in 3 Nephi 18:21) that Moroni would be blessed.  In particular he prayed for the faith of his son that it would endure, that Moroni could stay faithful to the end.  This is the kind of constant, earnest pleading with the Lord that we must have for our children as we seek to help them to be faithful to the Lord.  And surely Mormon’s prayers were answered, for Moroni wandered for over 35 years alone after his father died and his people were destroyed, but he did indeed endure faithfully to the end.