You remember that the Savior said, “Except ye…become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”? (Matthew 18:3)

That statement is true. So why are we trying so hard to get our children to grow up? From them we can learn much of what manner of men and women we ought to be – as illustrated:

I wanted a haircut. So my wife and daughters gathered around on a family Sunday night, and all gave their input as to how my hair should look. After the hair was cut, I let them teach me how to style it – what was left of it. It was a lot of fun and laughs!

Then when my haircut was over, my little boy Adam hopped up on the chair and asked that his hair be cut exactly like Dad’s. His mother complied and soon his hair was just like mine. Then his sisters did to him just what they had done to me.

Then, a little bit later just before we went to bed, Adam overheard me mentioning that I was leaving for work around six in the morning. A few minutes later I heard him say that he was setting his alarm for 6:00 in the morning. Now I asked him why he was getting up two hours early.

“So I can give you a hug before you go to work,” he said.

Little children are holy. (DC 74:7) They’re not capable of sin. The devil can’t tempt them. They are whole and alive in Christ, (Moroni 8:12) and He adores them. (Matthew 18:16)

They are by nature what we must all become. (Moroni 8:10) They are trusting, full of love, and affectionate. They do not tend to arrogant independent pride. They are quick to forgive and easy to be led. (Mosiah 3:19) In moments of discipline if I could be as patient with Adam as he always is with me, we would do much better.

Perhaps, my friends, all of us should worry less about making our children like us, and try a little harder to be like them. There would be a lot less “maturity” that they would have to unlearn if we did. The more we are like our children, the more powerful with God we are. (3 Nephi 11:37-39)

Now, the end of my story:

The next morning a sleepy disheveled little boy met me as I was going out the door to work. He gave me a big hug and he said, “I love you, Dad.”

That’s the son I want to be for my Heavenly Father. I want to get up early just to be with Him and I want to be just like Him.