What Will Little Children Be Like When They Are Resurrected?

 

The Salvation of Little Children Who Die: What We Do and Don’t Know

By Mark A. Mathews

Seminaries and Institutes

What Will Little Children Be Like When They Are Resurrected?

President Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918) lost many children to early deaths. He was comforted by the doctrine that little children would be resurrected as little children and raised to maturity by their righteous parents after the Resurrection. President Smith once shared the following: “Joseph Smith taught the doctrine that the infant child that was laid away in death would come up in the resurrection as a child; and, pointing to the mother of a lifeless child, he said to her: ‘You will have the joy, the pleasure, and satisfaction of nurturing this child, after its resurrection, until it reaches the full stature of its spirit.’ There is restitution, there is growth, there is development, after the resurrection from death. I love this truth. It speaks volumes of happiness, of joy and gratitude to my soul. Thank the Lord he has revealed these principles to us.”²

Not only will little children reach full maturity; they will also reach full exaltation. Abinadi taught that “little children also have eternal life” (Mosiah 15:25). The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “you shall have your children; for they shall have eternal life, for their debt is paid.”³

To obtain the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, those who are accountable must enter into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage (see Doctrine and Covenants 131:1–3). Little children who die will have this opportunity in the future. President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) explained: “The Lord will grant unto these children the privilege of all the sealing blessings which pertain to exaltation. … When they grow, after the resurrection, to the full maturity of the spirit, they will be entitled to all the blessings which they would have been entitled to had they been privileged to tarry here and receive them.”⁴

How to Heal From Any Struggle

 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2021/06/young-adults/how-to-heal-from-any-struggle-one-step-at-a-time?lang=eng

Young Adults

How to Heal from Any Struggle—One Step at a Time

By Liahona staff

Wonderful article about healing, and that it can take time, but the healing is always immediate. Wait upon the Lord and practice self-compassion. 

 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2021/06/together-or-apart?lang=eng

Together or Apart

By Rod Jeppsen

Clinical Mental Health Counselor

Wonderful article about finding common ground with your spouse as you age and kids move out. 

Make Your Children Feel That You Love Them

 

Keeping Our Children Close to Our Hearts

By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Well, I have not proven to be the perfect father I vowed to be that night, but I still want to be and I am still trying. I believe this wise counsel from President Joseph F. Smith: “… If you will keep your [children] close to your heart, within the clasp of your arms; if you will make them … feel that you love them … and keep them near to you, they will not go very far from you. …”¹

… We must not pull away from our children. We must keep trying, keep reaching, keep praying, keep listening. We must keep them “within the clasp of our arms.”

Tender Mercies Among Life's Challenges

 

All Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues

By Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Truly, for those with faithful hearts and eyes to see, the Lord’s tender mercies are manifest amidst life’s challenges. Faithfully met challenges and sacrifice do bring the blessings of heaven. In this mortality, we may lose or wait for some things for a time, but in the end we will find what matters most.¹ That is His promise.

Moral Virtues of Society

 

Sustainable Societies

By Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

As Elder Stephen D. Nadauld once observed, “[Alma’s] inspired decision was not to spend more time trying to make and enforce more rules to correct the behavior of his people, but to speak to them of the word of God, to teach the doctrine and have their understanding of the plan of redemption lead them to change their behavior.”²¹

There is much we can do as neighbors and fellow citizens to contribute to the sustainability and success of the societies we live in, and surely our most fundamental and enduring service will be to teach and live by the truths inherent in God’s great plan of redemption...

If enough of us and enough of our neighbors strive to make our decisions and guide our lives by the truth of God, the moral virtues needed in every society will abound.

Do Not Contend with Anger

 

Love Your Enemies

By President Dallin H. Oaks

First Counselor in the First Presidency

In a democratic government we will always have differences over proposed candidates and policies. However, as followers of Christ we must forgo the anger and hatred with which political choices are debated or denounced in many settings...

So, we are to follow the laws of men (render unto Caesar) to live peacefully under civil authority, and we follow the laws of God toward our eternal destination. But how do we do this—especially how do we learn to love our adversaries and our enemies?

The Savior’s teaching not to “contend with anger” is a good first step. The devil is the father of contention, and it is he who tempts men to contend with anger. He promotes enmity and hateful relationships among individuals and within groups. President Thomas S. Monson taught that anger is “Satan’s tool,” for “to be angry is to yield to the influence of Satan. No one can make us angry. It is our choice.”⁵ Anger is the way to division and enmity. We move toward loving our adversaries when we avoid anger and hostility toward those with whom we disagree. It also helps if we are even willing to learn from them.