I had a particularly sweet moment tonight as I was tucking Elijah
into bed for the night. I sang him his
special song (The Hearts of the Children).
He asked me why everyone else had a longer song with two verses and why his
was so short. I told him that when he
was a baby that is the song that fit him. I explained to him that Elijah and
Malachi were prophets and they told about a time when the children would remember
their fathers and grandfathers and want to be with them and that they would do
their Temple work so they could be together
again in Heaven. Elijah then
asked me who our greatest great-great-great grandfather was. I told him it was Adam. We had a little conversation about the creation,
Adam and Eve and some of their children and descendants. He started talking about when he reads his
scriptures (which for him can mean listening to them as well since he is just
five and reading is still slow going for him) and then asked, “Why did they
listen to that snake?” I explained that
Satan wanted to get them to make wrong choices.
I told him that Adam and Eve had grown up bodies, but that their minds
were like little children. They didn't understand
everything really well and that Satan tricked them. We talked for a while about
other things like being in Heaven again. I wish I could remember everything we
talked about………..it was truly sweet and good.
I do remember this. He was lying back
on his pillow and got teary. He said, “When
we talk about things like this, I cry a little.
I like talking about holy things.”
Then he moved his blanket down and rubbed around his heart and said, “And
it feels warm here.” I told him that
that was the Holy Ghost he was feeling and to always remember that feeling. The Spirit was very strong at that
moment. I could have missed that moment
if I had not sung to him and taken the extra few minutes to answer his questions
and to listen to him. He really loves the scriptures and I think he is learning
a lot from them. I let him listen to the
scripture readers with pictures on the Mormon Channel almost every day. It has helped him know the scripture stories
and how to understand them. He is excited to share them with us. He is an active participant in our family scripture
studies and discussions. Today, I was
shown a tender mercy by Heavenly Father.
I was allowed to see a small glimpse of who my son is and what he can
become. I felt the Spirit very strongly……it
made me so happy. Our children can teach
us and lead us if we let them. For a brief
moment his bedroom felt like the Temple.