Teach the Children about Jesus Christ

                We can strengthen our families, communities, and nations by teaching the rising generation about Jesus Christ.  Knowledge of the Savior helps us to meet the stresses and strains of life and comforts us during adversity.  Our children and youth deserve the power that comes from knowing about the Savior.

                After the resurrection of the Savior, He visited among the inhabitants of ancient America.  On one occasion He commanded that the children to be brought forward and waited for all of them to come. Then “he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.”  (See the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, 3 Nephi 17:21.)

                The Savior later spent time with the children again.  He taught and ministered “unto the children of the multitude of whom hath been spoken, and he did loose their tongues, and they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things, even greater than he had revealed unto the people; and he loosed their tongues that they could utter.”  (See 3 Nephi 26:14.)

                Sister Michaelene P. Grassli spoke of the ability of little children to have spiritual experiences:  “It’s significant to me that … the Savior gave the most sacred teachings only to the children, then loosed their tongues so they could teach the multitude….

                “Is it any wonder that following the Savior’s visit to the Nephites, they lived in peace and righteousness for two hundred years?  Because of miraculous instructions, blessings, and attention they and their children received, righteousness was perpetuated by their children’s children for many generations.

                “Let us not underestimate the capacity and potential power of today’s children to perpetuate righteousness.  No group of people in the Church is as receptive to the truth” (“Behold Your Little Ones,” Ensign, Nov. 1992, 92-94).  

                A stake president described a similar experience taking place when President Spencer W. Kimball attended an area conference.  Fifteen thousand members of the Church from four countries met in a stadium in Chili.  “We asked President Kimball what he would like to do after the conference.  His eyes full of tears, he said, `I would like to see the children.’  One of the priesthood leaders announced over the microphone that President Kimball would like to shake the hands or bless each of the children in the stadium.  The people were astounded – there was a great silence.   President Kimball greeted about two thousand children one by one, crying as he shook their hands or kissed them or put his hands on their heads and blessed them.  The children were very reverent and looked at him and cried too.  He said he’d never felt this kind of spirit in his life.  It was a tremendous moment in the lives of all the Church members there.” (See Janet Peterson and Eduardo Ayala, “Friend to Friend,” Friend, Mar. 1996, 6-7.)

                We who love children and youth must do all that we can to strengthen against the darkness of our world.  The very best way to do so is to teach them about Jesus Christ.  When we have strengthened the rising generation, they will then have the power to strengthen their families, communities, and nations.