Psalm 127:3; Mark 10:14; Matt. 18:1-6; refer in this text to 3 Ne. 26:14, 16
“His invitation in verse 11 was neither casual nor inconsequential. ‘He commanded that their little children should be brought.’ And notice what verse 11 doesn’t say. It doesn’t say never mind the little ones because they aren’t accountable yet. It doesn’t say the children were to be taken elsewhere so they wouldn’t disrupt the proceedings. And it doesn’t imply that the children won’t understand… . ‘So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst.’ (v. 12). Do any of us ever consider serving children to be beneath us? Clearly the Savior felt that the Nephite children were worthy not only to be in his presence, but they were also worthy of his time and his attention. The children needed him, and he stood right in their midst. Verse 12 also indicates that Jesus waited ‘till they had all been brought to him.’ He wasn’t looking for a representative sample, and he wasn’t content with just some of the children. He wanted them all to be there, and he ministered to them all. Then Jesus prayed unto the Father so powerfully that ‘no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous thing.’ (v. 17). And the children were there! They heard that prayer; they saw that event, and they were affected by it. Children can understand and should witness marvelous events—events like priesthood blessings, special ward and family fasts, the testimonies and prayers of their parents and leaders, and gospel discussions with people they love. ‘He took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.’ (v. 21). Jesus was ministering to a group of about 2,500 men, women, and children. Consider how much time it must have taken for him to bless and pray over each child, ‘one by one.’ He must have held many of them in his arms or on his lap. And he wept because he was overcome with joy. ‘He spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.’ (v. 23). Jesus specifically directed the attention of the multitude to the children. To me, the word behold is significant. It implies more than just ‘look and see.’ When the Lord instructed the Nephites to behold their little ones, I believe he told them to give attention to their children, to contemplate them, to look beyond the present and see their eternal possibilities… . It’s significant to me that later the Savior gave the most sacred teachings only to the children, then loosed their tongues so they could teach the multitude. (See 3 Ne. 26:14). 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… .” (Michaelene P. Grassli, Ensign, Nov. 1992, pp. 92-94)
“When the Savior invited the multitude to behold their little ones, was He speaking in the collective sense of a group of little children? Or was He drawing their attention, and ours, to the individual nature and importance of each of those little ones—each of those little individuals? I believe that by His example the Savior was teaching us of the individual and tender care we should give to each one of our little children—indeed to each of our Heavenly Father’s children. It may be the loveable toddler or the wayward teen, the grieving widow… . It may even be your own son or daughter or your own husband or wife… .” (Wm. Rolfe Kerr, Ensign, Nov. 1996, p. 80)