The Faith of Little Children

The other day at dinnertime I shared a little object lesson with my children.  I had done the same object lesson in my Sunday School class that day and wanted to show the kids. 

I took a balloon and had a volunteer come up.  I asked the class to tell me all the things that bring sorrow, sadness, pain or anguish into their lives.  Then I told my volunteer that whenever he heard a response he was to add more air into the balloon.  The balloon kept getting bigger and bigger.  I was expecting it to pop....but it didn't!  So, I improvized.  I told him to hold it.  Earlier I had drawn a dot on the chalkboard.  I asked the class, "What would you say if I told you that if you just looked at this dot, you would be free from all that pressure" (release balloon & watch it fly around)?" 

The adults responded as I expected:
"Yeah, right!"
"I'm looking at it, I don't feel any better." 
"You don't know what pain I'm really carrying around." 

Well, when I did the same demonstration with the kids that night, I was completely shocked by their answers.  It brought tears to my eyes.
"Okay!" 
"I'll do it!"
"Why wouldn't you?  I mean, it's worth a try!"

Really!  Why wouldn't you?

"O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief and be slothful that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?  If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atonefor their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works"  Alma 33:21