My first Primary class was fairly wild—seventeen preschoolers—and I was a teenaged convert with no training in teaching and no classroom aide. One day, I felt overwhelmed as the children were running around the room, giggling and chasing each other. In frustration, I said, “It makes me so sad to see everyone running around and being noisy, because that means Jesus can’t be here.” To my surprise, the children stopped running and turned to look at me. One child asked, “Could Jesus really come here?” “Well, not when everyone is so silly. He can only be where people are reverent and feeling the Spirit. We couldn’t see Him here of course, but if we were reverent and He came, we’d feel His Spirit.”
The children walked quietly to their seats without being told. Only one boy remained up. He went to the corner where the extra chairs were stored and dragged an adult-sized chair to the end of the half-circle. I asked him what the chair was for. He looked up, surprised I didn’t know. "It’s for Jesus. When He comes, He will need a place to sit down."
That day, I learned one of the many lessons on faith I would learn from teaching Primary. Adults talk about the Spirit being present, or the Savior being nearby. Children save Him a seat.
While we often talk of teaching our children to be spiritual and to love the Gospel, we need to remember to learn the gospel from them as well. I’ve often said no one’s testimony is stronger than that of a four-year-old. By listening when they pray with everyday words, telling God about their games, their scrapes, and their treats, by following their lead when they instruct us in how to act with faith (Mommy, just pray about it!), and by learning to imitate their simple joy in having a Father in Heaven who loves them, we can grow our faith. As the Savior taught, a little child shall lead them. Aren’t you glad to have one so close at hand to guide you?
Planting Seeds of Faith: Fun Character-building Activities for LDS Children
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