Suffer the Little Children to Come to Christ

The Savior stood among the people of Nephi calling for parents to bring their children to Him to bless each individually. What was the significance of that act? What does the Savior mean when He says to “suffer the children to come unto” Him?

On a social media site, I saw the phrase to suffer the children. To my understanding, it meant to allow the children to go toward the Savior. It meant to present them to the Savior without hindering them in any way.

I felt a tug in my mind and a new concept entered into it. Suffering children means so much more than avoiding to prevent them from going to the Lord. I envisioned a web of behavior that all of us must engage to suffer (allow, encourage, entreat, espouse) the children to go to Christ.

We wouldn't dream of blocking a child’s progress towards discipleship of Jesus Christ! In our behavior, however, do we stand like a stumbling stone? In our words, do we close off the path leading to the Holy One? With our entertainment, do we prevent a child from feeling His grace through the Spirit?

There's more to suffering the children to come to Christ than I initially considered. To suffer or allow the children to come to Christ means I must come unto Christ!

I am a child of His. Who am I to prevent, me, a child of God from coming unto Christ and therefore preventing a young child or children from going to Him with me?

What does it mean to come unto Christ?

Serving as a missionary in the Cape Town South Africa mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my first area was in Mthatha (originally Umtata) in the Western Cape. Nelson Mandela, I was told, is from that area, though not the city itself. That area is important to me because it is where I noticed the invitation of the Savior to Come unto Him.

Now, I italicized it because of how significant that statement became to me at that time in my life. There I was in a foreign land teaching people about what I believe to be true! I taught them to come unto to Jesus Christ! I did the inviting! Who were they coming towards? They came to me!

While in Mthatha, I issued many invitations. Some were accepted. Though I had joined the Church and, at the time, served a mission, I'm sure I understood the coming-to-Christ process, at least, a little. I heard a song from the Seminary soundtrack for the New Testament called Come Unto Him.

The lyrics profoundly affected me, and I wanted to hear them daily! The words brought me to tears. There's nothing about the performer of that song that screamed “Big Celebrity” to me when I heard it. There's, however, a burning feeling that entered my heart when I heard the words.

Invitingly, I pictured the Savior standing in the distance, my path clear before my feet leading to Him. When the singer melodiously provided the invitation to come unto Him, in my heart, I went.

In my heart now, as I type, I feel the desire to be more holy just because I know more what the invitation means now! It means to change my life to be in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and follow the examples He provided through the Scriptures and other people. Now that's something!

I had already decided to be baptized into the Church. I had already promised to tell people about Jesus and represent Him and His Church. Why did I think I needed to do more to go to Christ?

The 2014 theme for the youth of the Church used the phrase Come Unto Him. It is the name of a song, other than the one in the New Testament Sound Track. After googling the title, I listened to the song while typing this article.

Tears came to my eyes because I knew exactly what it meant to come unto Christ. The invitation comes from my heart, as I have accepted Him as my Savior when I was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church. Now that I have made that great step, He wants me to be like Him. I come to Him by making changes that turn me into a savior, as He is the Savior.

Christ taught, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" Matthew 5:16.

Now, I know this seems strange to some, but it's the truth. I sat thinking after reading those words, #Come Unto Him on that social media site. It bothered me that I'd been careless with my forms of entertainment for so long--so much filth to view added to, otherwise, good shows!.

I decided to look at the Andy Griffith Show because of John Bytheway, a motivational speaker I listen to on and off since my teen years. It came up as if a beacon to me to pull me out of the black abyss of lascivious-showdom. I just made that word up and I am keeping it!

I clicked on the Andy Griffith Show, using Netflix, and began with the first episode. I did not think I would enjoy it but, I did. I went to the second episode and enjoyed it. I stopped and evaluated myself and found that I felt like I had been cleaned!

I kid, not! It felt like the show scrubbed all the bad thoughts and images I allowed myself to experience away. It worked! I discovered, at that moment, if I put wholesome entertainment in my life I feel better! If I put questionable entertainment in my life, I feel… well, questionable. If I put bad entertainment… you get the picture.

How could I, in good conscience, tell my children to make good choices when it comes to entertainment if I'm making questionable ones? Jesus Christ said to let my light so shine so kids will see my good works and glorify God! I took some liberty with the verse here.

If I am letting my light shine by looking at darkness, then my kids will see that darkness in me and glorify who? How can I suffer them to come to Christ with a gaping hole of blackness blocking the light I shine?

It'll be hard to change. I love darkness, apparently. The salacious and gory things put out by the media titillate and excite. It's hard to change because it is my favorite sin. As the ancient Greek Proverb kept alive in the KJV of the Bible wisely states, It is hard to kick against the pricks. [Acts 9:5] With that in mind, I still kick, weakness.

God reveals to the prophet Ether:

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Ether 12:27

We must trust and believe as we are weak, He's strong. Yes, Jesus loves us. The Scriptures tell us so. We suffer (encourage, allow, entreat) the children to come to Christ by the light we shine, the example we set by the way we live.