Marvelous Things

To my daughter,

                Today I want to encourage you to participate in our family scripture study. You may feel like it is not for you because you can’t read yet like your siblings, but I know that listening to the scriptures will help you to learn about our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. And you too can help each of us learn more about them as you share your thoughts and testimony. One of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon is when the Savior came among the Nephites and blessed the little children. We read this: “And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought. So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him.” Wouldn’t that be amazing to be able to sit at the feet of the Savior and to hear Him talk to you?! 

               The experience was so great that Mormon described it this way: “And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.” At this point then “he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.” He wept and then said to the people watching, “Behold your little ones.” Then another amazing thing happened: “They saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them” (3 Nephi 17:12,16,21-24). Angels came down and encircled the little children about—wouldn’t that have been such an incredible experience to see and hear both Jesus and angels who came down out of heaven? Even if we don’t get to see Jesus or angels right now, reading this story we can still feel of His love and know that He cares deeply for us. And I believe that there are indeed angels watching over you. One of the great lessons from this story is that these little children were part of a great lesson for their parents, and their interaction with Jesus was surely an important teaching moment for all of the others present. And I know that you too can teach us many things about the Savior and His love as you read scriptures with us and share your testimony.

                A little while later another incredible thing happened among the Nephites. Jesus again came among then and gathered their children, and the people “both saw and heard these children; yea, even babes did open their mouths and utter marvelous things; and the things which they did utter were forbidden that there should not any man write them” (3 Nephi 26:16). Can you imagine your baby sister suddenly starting to talk and teach the gospel to us? That’s what happened to then—even babies spoke words that were so amazing that the people could not even write them. I know that you too can teach the gospel to your family and to your friends, both in your words and your example.

Love,

Dad