As Jesus hung on the cross, he looked down and saw His mother, Mary, who must have been overcome with anguish. Near her stood the apostle John. He didn’t have to say much. He simply said to His mother, “Behold thy son!” and to John, “Behold thy mother!” They both knew what He meant. “From that hour that disciple took her unto his own home” (John 19:26-27).
Shortly after, when the resurrected Savior visited a large group of people on the American continent, He invited them to bring their children forward. After praying for them and blessing each child “one by one,” He tearfully said to the multitude, “Behold your little ones” (3 Nephi 17:23).
Elder S. Mark Palmer interprets “beholding” as “looking deeply and penetratingly into [a person’s] soul, recognizing his goodness and also his potential, as well as discerning his greatest need.” When Elder Palmer and his wife served as mission leaders, as he greeted the missionaries he served, he would “pause and look deeply into their eyes, beholding them—an interview without words.” Then, he said, “without fail, I was filled with great love for these precious sons and daughters of God” (“Then Jesus Beholding Him Loved Him,” General Conference, April 2017, italics in original).
It’s so easy to be busy or distracted and not to really behold the people around us, even the people we love most. It takes intentional effort to observe, to be aware, and to acknowledge them—their joys, their sorrows, their successes, their challenges. In order to serve and support them the way we want to, we have to start by beholding them.
Today, I will pay attention to the people around me, particularly my immediate family members. I will avoid distractions when I am with them, listen intently, be grateful for their goodness, and strive to understand how I can better support their continued growth and development.
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