These, Our Little Ones

A vivid memory that the Robison Family shared just before Joelle got married and Justin left on his mission was our family participation in the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Can any of us ever forget the 'assension scene?' Remember how you felt when the words of the resurrected Savior took little children in His arms and wept as He blessed them and said to the people: "Behold your little ones." (3 Nephi 17:23)

How well we remember the 5 J's when they were little and how we treasured them. How much we miss our ten grandchildren...these our little ones.

Christmas Message. President Hinckley made this his theme in the December 2007 Ensign. He is the living prophet and his words are living scripture. Each month we have the opportunity to study the words of the living prophets. This family home evening lesson is adapted from the December 2007 Ensign.

7.4 Earthquake in West Indies. This past week, the people in the Caribbean felt a very powerful earthquake. It lasted for about one minute and half, but seemed much longer. The walls shook and things fell off shelves, but very few buildings fell down. I wondered what the people would think about such an earthquake because severe storms, hurricaines, and earthquakes are prophesied as part of the last days. I hoped people would turn to Heavenly Father and seek His Church.

"When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn't stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother's heart, and she puts it into the baby's mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest foreces in the world are babies." (E. T. Sullivan)

To this quote, President Hinckley clarified that these babies will become forces for good or ill, depending in large measure upon how they are raised?

"I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth." (D&C 93:40)

Can you think of something your parents taught you that has influenced your life and that you quote today? Today in Church a young father, whose father I committed to baptism last month, taught a lesson on friendship. During the lesson he told about how important it is to choose good friends and quoted his father in teaching him that he should choose his friends wisely because some will carry you but they will not carry you back. He meant that if you choose friends who do evil and you follow them, they will not rescue you when you get into trouble. I complimented the father, who told me that it was his mother who had taught him that lesson many years ago and that counsel had protected him often throughout his life.

President Hinckley gave us four imperatives in his message about children: 1) love them, 2) teach them, 3) respect them, and 4) pray with them and for them.

Love them - Look at the pictures of these ten beautiful children and think of the many, many ways their parents are loving them. Each have found that more important than material gifts is the time spent with each child.

Teach them - what is it that the grandchildren feel when they see the scriptures or when they are at Church?

Sylie says Jesus when Jeremy holds his scriptures.

On a humorous note, Julia as a three year old wanted to think about Jesus during the Sacrament, but kept thinking about Shrek (but that was the, not now.)

Respect them - Look on the Robisoncrew blog and see one idea about respect as taught by Emily on December 2nd. She knows about treating children like royalty.

Pray with them and for them - How powerful it is for the grandchildren to hear you pray using their name and to pray for their happiness. We also are grateful that they pray for us while serving a mission. We know they will not forget us for they pray for us.

True Story from Ancient Rome related by President Hinckley:

A group of women loved to show off their jewels to one another. Most of them were filled with vanity. Among the group was a lady named Cornelia, who had two sons. One of the women said to her: "Where are your jewels?" Cornelia replied by pointing to her sons and said "these are my jewels."

This fine woman taught her sons about the virtues they should develop in their own lives and they grew to become Gaius and Tiberius Gracchus - the Gracchi, as they were named--two of the most powerful and influencial reformers in Roman history. Whenever they are remembered and their achievements discussed, their wonderful mother who raised them after the manner of her own life is also remembered and spoken of with praise.

Brigham Young said: "Let it be your constant care that the children that God has so kindly given you are taught in their early youth the importance of the oracles of God, and the beauty of teh principles of our holy religion, that when they grow to the years of man and womanhood they may always cherish a tender regard for them and never forsake the truth."

We must respect our little ones: "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye hall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

Most adults go through trials and make mistakes growing up. President Hinckley asks then if we are all alot like these words shared by Channing Pollock "Contemplating the adolescence through which we scorned the wrong, some of us must wish...that we could be born old, and grow younger, and cleaner and ever simpler and more innocent, until at last, with the white souls of little children, we lay us down to eternal sleep."

What does President Hinckley suggest we do to build spiritual strength in our children?

1. Pray with them, for them and listen to them pray.

2. Look upon them as our most precious assets.

3. Give them Priesthood blessings as often as it appropriate.

Activity questions for Home Evening Lesson

1. Show a picture of the Savior with little children. Read and discuss the scriptures there were given in this lesson. Tell how these scriptures have helped you.

2. Drop a small rock in a bowl of water and teach about the ripple effect. Read the four imperatives and share experiencs you have had with them.

3. Show the power of example by having each member of the family mimic one person. That one person could clap hands, take three steps, turn around and so forth. Remind them about what Grandpa learned in Church from the man whose father taught him about friends. Share the story about the Roman woman and her attitude towards children. Talk about how her example influenced her sons. Testify about the power of example.

4. Look at the ten grandchildren pictured in this lesson and ask them why grandpa and grandma love these little ones so much.