Out of the Mouth of Babes

[ruthiechan]

My daughter is seven years old. We have been reading the Gospel Principles manual for a while now. Today, after reading the first part of Chapter 16: The Church of Jesus Christ in Former Times, there was a question to answer. Why does the Church of Jesus Christ need these six features? (Those features are, Revelation, Authority from God, the Church Organization, First Principles and Ordinances, Ordinances Performed for the Dead, and Spiritual Gifts.)

This was her answer:

Without spiritual gifts you would't be able to have visions, prophesy, or perform miracles. Everything gets out of order without the Holy Ghost.

Without the Holy Ghost we wouldn't know what to do. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit and you can't have Spiritual gifts wihout the Holy Ghost.

If we never taught the spirits of the dead they'd never hear the Gospel and never get to accept the Gospel. How can you accept something you don't know about? That'd be a little silly. It wouldn't make sense.

If we didn't have authority from God we wouldn't have revelation or the church organization. It would be like we had nothing, no church.

(edit: here's the link to the lesson we read: LDS.org - Sunday School Chapter Detail - The Church of Jesus Christ in Former Times)

[spamlds]

Yesterday I replied to a post here on LDS.net where a fellow was asking for "unbiased history" he could read to find "proof" that the Church was true. A dozen or more "helpful" brothers and sisters tried to point him to various historical books and web sites.

I made the point that the proof comes through the Spirit. A person who has no agenda--no need of some kind of "ego prop" to justify to his professor, his friends, or his chums on some anti-Mormon web site--can easily find the truth simply by reading the Book of Mormon and listening to the Spirit in his heart.

We all instinctively know the truth. It is a misguided desire to look educated or sophisticated that takes us away from what we know in our hearts.

Your 7 year-old daughter is perfect proof of that. The gospel is easy to understand. It isn't complicated. Even children understand it. Those who don't "get it" are looking for some reason not to get it.

[Guest]

This is from my 8-year-old (I posted in the evolution thread):

I like how my 8-year-old son thinks. Now, we've discussed Adam and Eve and all that Genesis stuff on FHE's and his Primary class, of course.

And he is learning about the earth from National Geographic or History channel. He has saved episodes about Top 10 ways to blow up the earth and that crazy stuff. If you watch that show it talks about how there could possibly be more than 1 parallel universes and how the big bang could have occurred by 2 parallel universes colliding and that how this could happen again which will blow up the earth...

Anyway, I asked him not too long ago. So, do you think the earth was created by the Big Bang? And he said, yep. He said (remember, this is an 8 year old), some really big thing blew up - maybe because 2 universes bumped into each other, which then created all the planets then gravity pulled the earth so it spins slowly so that storms are not as bad as in Jupiter, then all the plants and animals got created and they got so big so that a meteor hit the earth to wipe out the dinosaurs because they would have killed man, so that when everything was perfect, then the Spirits came down to earth. God is so smart like that. He knows how to use a big bang and gravity and meteors to make earth perfect for us.

I like how his brain works.

But then, this is the same 8-year-old that sings:

Daniel was a prophet...

Don't paw the prophet, don't paw the prophet.

Jonas was a prophet...

Swallow the prophet, swallow the prophet.

sigh.

[Hemidakota]

Yesterday I replied to a post here on LDS.net where a fellow was asking for "unbiased history" he could read to find "proof" that the Church was true. A dozen or more "helpful" brothers and sisters tried to point him to various historical books and web sites.

I made the point that the proof comes through the Spirit. A person who has no agenda--no need of some kind of "ego prop" to justify to his professor, his friends, or his chums on some anti-Mormon web site--can easily find the truth simply by reading the Book of Mormon and listening to the Spirit in his heart.

We all instinctively know the truth. It is a misguided desire to look educated or sophisticated that takes us away from what we know in our hearts.

Your 7 year-old daughter is perfect proof of that. The gospel is easy to understand. It isn't complicated. Even children understand it. Those who don't "get it" are looking for some reason not to get it.

I was going to counter your remark but you made an intelligible statement of (little) research/study first then pray for truth. Let you know, if it is not written or specified to specific individuals, while others receive more detailed way obtaining truths, the person has been on the board long enough to know. This is always the intent of this board and some of its members. You are not alone in this fact.

However, what was left out, it actually starts with a “DESIRE” to receive specific truths. It has been pointed out with patterns of past dispensation prophets up to Joseph Smith, the key is “desire” in knowing a specific topic and thus, researching/study, is the key to summarize a question or proposed answer to GOD in order to receive an confirmation by the Holy Ghost. Or, it can be given as instruction by the Godhead or a ministering spirit in person. .

[Hemidakota]

My daughter is seven years old. We have been reading the Gospel Principles manual for a while now. Today, after reading the first part of Chapter 16: The Church of Jesus Christ in Former Times, there was a question to answer. Why does the Church of Jesus Christ need these six features? (Those features are, Revelation, Authority from God, the Church Organization, First Principles and Ordinances, Ordinances Performed for the Dead, and Spiritual Gifts.)

This was her answer:

Without spiritual gifts you would't be able to have visions, prophesy, or perform miracles. Everything gets out of order without the Holy Ghost.

Without the Holy Ghost we wouldn't know what to do. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit and you can't have Spiritual gifts wihout the Holy Ghost.

If we never taught the spirits of the dead they'd never hear the Gospel and never get to accept the Gospel. How can you accept something you don't know about? That'd be a little silly. It wouldn't make sense.

If we didn't have authority from God we wouldn't have revelation or the church organization. It would be like we had nothing, no church.

(edit: here's the link to the lesson we read: LDS.org - Sunday School Chapter Detail - The Church of Jesus Christ in Former Times)

At a fast and testimony meeting, there was a ten-year old boy who walked up to the podium. Not knowing his age, my first thought when he spoke; he was a dwarf for his age – seeing his testimony resound of someone who was either late teen or in his early twenties. Even when he carried himself, it was not noticeable he was ten.

While attending priesthood, I asked the father the boys name and age. After he mentioned he was ten-years old, my mouth just dropped in awe. I asked the father if this boy had a patriarchal blessing and he stated no. I then mentioned the story about David O. McKay receiving his PB at an early age and remark to him, he should do the same. This boy was beyond his age of accountability and the PB would be a great treasure (pearl) to his salvation.

This is a rare case where I have met young children and young teens who shame must of us in faith and maturity.

[JThimm88]

Overall I enjoy this thread -- it is good to hear that children, even at an age where I tend to think, "They're so young, how on earth are they really understanding it?" ... ARE understanding it! Part of the thanks for these youngsters understanding the gospel (sometimes better than we do ourselves) belongs to the Church, and yet of course, part of the thanks goes to you parents who are clearly teaching your children the ways of the Church and doctrine (therefore, "the truth"), and clearly both the church and the families that make up the membership are teaching the young ones to understand how to follow the Spirit. It's just refreshing to read about. :)

[ruthiechan]

The desire to learn is fostered by parents and other influential adults.

Anatess, your kiddo is awesome.

JThimm88, that's exactly why I posted this. :)

Sunday worship is great, but it's the daily efforts of parents that fortify, (or fray, when parents do not make the effort), the testimony of a child.

Hemi, Hazel wants a Patriarchal Blessing. I told her she has to at least be baptized first and then pray about when to get it. I am constantly encouraging her to pray and receive spiritual confirmation of something, and try to get her to write in her spiritual journal. Just today, she prayed about me posting my original post on facebook (it was her idea to do that), and got a spiritual confirmation to do so. I felt it too. :)

[Hemidakota]

What a blessed parent. You are not alone in this teaching method.

I do the same with my children regards to PBs. I do not compel or force them to receive one if there is no desire to do so. As to baptism, I do not baptized any of my children when they reach the age of eight but allow them the time to ask for it themselves. Thus, allowing them their own agency to choose for themselves when to be baptized. It becomes more meaningful later in life and not a normal church ritual with age.

[GADBabaganoosh]

Relevantly, i think that phrase in the title of this thread applies to hot women bearing their testimonies. Just a thought.

[Traveler]

The desire to learn is fostered by parents and other influential adults.

Anatess, your kiddo is awesome.

JThimm88, that's exactly why I posted this. :)

Sunday worship is great, but it's the daily efforts of parents that fortify, (or fray, when parents do not make the effort), the testimony of a child.

Hemi, Hazel wants a Patriarchal Blessing. I told her she has to at least be baptized first and then pray about when to get it. I am constantly encouraging her to pray and receive spiritual confirmation of something, and try to get her to write in her spiritual journal. Just today, she prayed about me posting my original post on facebook (it was her idea to do that), and got a spiritual confirmation to do so. I felt it too. :)

It is interesting to me the effect that mothers have on children. The stripling warriors of the Book of Mormon were by my calculations about 13 years old. In ancient Hebrew traditions a boy could take on the roll of a man at age 12. The next time you observe the deacons passing the sacrament think of sending them off to war. The great faith was not just in the hearts of such boys but in the faith and hearts of their mothers. And G-d stood by them and not one died in battle - perhaps because of the prayers of their mothers.

The Traveler

[Intrigued]

Yesterday I replied to a post here on LDS.net where a fellow was asking for "unbiased history" he could read to find "proof" that the Church was true. A dozen or more "helpful" brothers and sisters tried to point him to various historical books and web sites.

I made the point that the proof comes through the Spirit. A person who has no agenda--no need of some kind of "ego prop" to justify to his professor, his friends, or his chums on some anti-Mormon web site--can easily find the truth simply by reading the Book of Mormon and listening to the Spirit in his heart.

We all instinctively know the truth. It is a misguided desire to look educated or sophisticated that takes us away from what we know in our hearts.

Your 7 year-old daughter is perfect proof of that. The gospel is easy to understand. It isn't complicated. Even children understand it. Those who don't "get it" are looking for some reason not to get it.

That 7 year old daughter probably 'instinctively' believed in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy too. Bottom line is that she believes it because she was taught to believe it (for now).

Basically, what you're proclaiming is that everyone outside of Christianity (especially those who have read the BoM) is misguided because they have a desire to look (or be?) sophisticated and educated. What a load of junk. I bet a simple search will turn up a large amount of people who didn't believe the Church was true after reading the BoM.

It's an awesome thread and my apologies go out to the original poster for derailing it like this. Your daughter sounds like she has a gift for memorization/learning.. hopefully that will make paying for college easier

Edited August 12, 2010 by Intrigued

[ruthiechan]

Ha ha, Intrigued.

Ya know, it's interesting that you mentioned Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. We did not teach her that these things are real. She would have readily believed them if she had been taught to believe, but we felt that purposefully lying to our child would be a bad idea. So, she knows about them, knows that other families teach their kids that they're real, and we have fun with them. She knows it's her parents, and the Godhead, are the people who do things for her, not something that's not real.

Traveler, I truly believed it was the combined faith of the mothers and the stripling warriors that spared the striplings' lives.

Edit: It'd be okay by me if a mod changed the title of the thread to "Out of the Mouths of Children - Gospel Principles"