Student Choice 3 Matthew 18:3-4 Explain in writing the ways we are like little children, in this verse, how does the Lord say He will help us?

Read Mosiah 3:19 and list the ways in which we are to become as little children.

When I think of little children I think of their innocence, their willingness to be taught, and their humility.  Children are innocent.  They have yet to be exposed to many of the evils of the world and are very receptive to goodness.  I currently serve in primary, and I love to see the goodness that each child possesses. They are so easy to love, even the more challenging ones, because they are receptive to the spirit of goodness.  They look for ways to be kind to one another and most by nature are pleasers.  Children are also very teachable.  Once a month I prepare a sharing time lesson and it is so fun to see the children soak up the information.  Last week our lesson was on repentance and when the lesson was over one of our three year old sunbeams went to his mom and said “mommy, I need to tell you something. I watched Star Wars with daddy and I don’t think I was supposed to.  I need to tell you that I’m sorry and ask what I can do to make it better.”  Isn’t that the cutest!!  Kids are like sponges that absorb information.  They submit themselves to being taught which makes them very teachable. 

Lastly, children are humble. One of the definitions of humility on lds.org states “Humility includes recognizing our dependence upon God and desiring to submit to his will.” Children recognize their dependence upon parents, family, teachers and friends.  They are also willing to (in most cases) do what they are asked to do.  This applies to following the Savior.  It takes very little coercing to get them to live the commandments and to try to be like Jesus. Sister Jean A. Stevens of the Primary General Presidency gave a talk entitled “Become as a little child.”  In it she shared a story about a ward in Hong Kong that had been struggling financially. They were having difficulty providing for their own needs.  A General Authority visited the ward and felt impressed to advise the bishop to tell his ward members to pay their tithing. The bishop had his concerns because of the economic hardships that the members were experiencing however he decided “he would approach some of the most faith-filled members of his ward and ask them to pay their tithing. The next Sunday he went to the Primary. He taught the children about the Lord’s law of tithing and asked if they would be willing to pay tithing on the money they earned. The children said they would. And they did” (Stevens, 2011). Six months later the bishop went to the adults in the ward and explained to them that their faithful children had been paying their tithing. “He asked them if they would be willing to follow the example of these children and do the same. The people were so touched by the sacrifices the children were willing to make that they did what was necessary to pay their tithing. And the windows of heaven were opened. With the example of these faithful children, a ward grew in obedience and in testimony” (Stevens, 2011). I thought this was such an amazing example of children being humble and obedient.

So what would things be like if we were “as little children”? We can become more humble and submit ourselves to the Lord more readily and with greater ease.  We can also become more teachable and allow ourselves to learn from others while putting away our personal pride.  We can also become more innocent with goodness and stay far away from the evils of the world that will pull us away from righteous living.  The Savior promised that if we will become as little children we will be worthy to enter into his kingdom. In Mosiah 3:19 we are instructed on how we should become like little children.  It reads that we are to be “submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” Some of these qualities may be difficult for us to possess but in Doctrine and Covenants 78: 18 the Lord promises that for each person he will “lead you along.” He also promises that “the kingdom is yours, and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.”