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Little Children May Be Christians, September 21
Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come
unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:14
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God wants every child of tender age to be His child, to be adopted
into His family. Young though they may be, the youth may be members
of the household of faith, and have a most precious experience.
I was eleven years old when the light broke into my heart. I had
pious parents, who in every way tried to make their children acquainted
with their heavenly Father. We sang the praises of God in our household.
Every morning and evening we had family prayer. There were eight
children in the family, and every opportunity was improved by our
parents to lead us to give our hearts to Jesus.
Children are most susceptible to the teachings of the gospel; their
hearts are open to divine influences, and strong to retain the lessons
received. The little children may be Christians, having an experience in
accordance with their years.
Happy are the parents whose lives are a true reflection of the divine,
so that the promises and commands of God awaken in the child grati-
tude and reverence; the parents whose tenderness and justice and long-
suffering interpret to the child the love and justice and long-suffering of
God; and who, by teaching the child to love and trust and obey them,
are teaching him to love and trust and obey his Father in heaven. Parents
who impart to a child such a gift have endowed him with a treasure
more precious than the wealth of all the ages—a treasure as enduring as
eternity.
Never allow your children to suppose that they are not children of
God until they are old enough to be baptized.
If properly instructed, very young children may have correct views
of their state as sinners and of the way of salvation through Christ.
In love, faith, and prayer let parents work for their households, until
with joy they can come to God saying, “Behold, I and the children
whom the Lord hath given me.”
Isaiah 8:18
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