Bring the Children

On the front of the Oakland LDS Temple there is a massive bronze plaque bearing scripture from the Book of Mormon about children.  This always struck me as an unusual choice for this building -- children are not regular temple attendees.  Directly in front of the plaque there are a few statutes of children and a dog.

Whenever we are at the temple walking around the grounds to look out at the view of San Francisco, my children cannot resist spending considerable time climbing on those statues.  This gave me ample time to think about that particular scripture which basically says that Jesus gathers the little children around him and that He weeps for the wickedness of the world they will doubtless encounter.  Then He prays for them in a prayer that I would very much have liked to hear.  

There are so many conflicts for me within the LDS church.  My skin bristles when I hear the limits the religion puts forth about families, among other frustrating inexplicable standards and controlled information.  There is much that I believe, there is much that I doubt.  

But that scripture aligns with my belief: that children are precious to Christ and that he knows what they need and that He will give them what they need.

It's hard to believe that prayers I said years ago for them in that Temple hung, suspended in time until they could be bestowed on our family.  God knew what they needed and no amount of obstacles was going to stop them from getting the gifts He believes they need.  All of the hard was pushing us here.

Last Sunday they needed a dad who was willing to sit through three hours of church on a beautiful Spring day perhaps for the sole purpose of providing a shoulder for these little children to lean on.  

Sunday after Sunday, month after month.  

And this is the family that prayers made: