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| Cute kids |
I have a confession.
I was really, really freaked out when I got called as Primary President of the BYU Married 4th Ward. When I got called to Bishop Schroeder's office, I knew I was getting a calling. Dalin had just been called as Sunday School President, and I had just been released as Ward Bulletin Specialist. Still, getting called as Primary President had not even occurred to me. I happily accepted the calling. It wasn't until later that it sunk in that I would be teaching the children every week and additionally would be in charge of the primary program in the fall. I called some great women to lead with me and they have been a huge blessing for me in this calling. They know their responsibilities and do them well. But it is the primary children who have had the most significant effect on me.
They are so humble and pure of heart in all they do. They are joyful and love to laugh and share the things they know about the gospel. Children are great teachers. They teach me more about being like Christ than I could ever teach them. As I have taught primary (alongside my counselors) for the last seven or so months, I have learned that it is my duty to reinforce the principles of the gospel being taught in the children's homes. We are helping them to build a foundation of faith in the gospel. We are not forcing them to believe in what we are teaching, but rather encouraging them to make good choices and exercise their agency.
I love the primary children. They bring me happiness when I do not feel like being cheerful. They have taught me to strive to maintain purity in heart and have humility and meekness. The children have increased my desire to be a mother. They have the pure love--and light--of Christ within them.
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| President Gordon B. Hinckley with some children |
President Spencer W. Kimball said:
"I should like . . . to pay special tribute to the divinely inspired
Primary organization of the Church. It is just a hundred years ago that
Bishop Hess, with the approval of the First Presidency, called Aurelia
Spencer Rogers to organize the first Primary in Farmington, Utah. From
that humble beginning has grown a worldwide organization that has
touched the lives of millions of people. I am confident there is not one
within the sound of my voice who has not had his or her life influenced
for good by the teachings of the devoted officers and teachers of this
Primary organization."
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| Jesus loves the little children |
President Boyd K. Packer gave a great talk on children.
“Children are an heritage of the Lord: and … happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.”
The
creation of life is a great responsibility for a married couple. It is
the challenge of mortality to be a worthy and responsible parent.
Neither man nor woman can bear children alone. It was meant that
children have two parents—both a father and a mother. No other pattern
or process can replace this one.
The
ultimate end of all activity in the Church is to see a husband and his
wife and their children happy at home, protected by the principles and
laws of the gospel, sealed safely in the covenants of the everlasting
priesthood. Husbands and wives should understand that their first
calling—from which they will never be released—is to one another and
then to their children.
One
of the great discoveries of parenthood is that we learn far more about
what really matters from our children than we ever did from our parents.
We come to recognize the truth in Isaiah’s prophecy that “a little
child shall lead them.” In Jerusalem, “Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, “And
said, 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.” “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, and departed thence.”
We read in the
Book of Mormon
of the visit of Jesus Christ to the New World. He healed and blessed
the people and commanded that the little children should be brought to
Him.
Mormon
records, “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.” He
then commanded the people to kneel. With the children around Him, the
Savior knelt and offered a prayer to our Father in Heaven. After the
prayer the Savior wept, “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 again.”
I
can understand the feelings expressed by the Savior toward children.
There is much to be learned from following His example in seeking to
pray for, bless, and teach “those little ones.”
I cannot wait to have little children to light up my life and serve as a constant reminder of who am trying to emulate.
I am grateful for primary and little children.
