In the middle of a passage about the peace that will fill the earth during the Millenium, Isaiah inserts a phrase which can have meaning in our lives today. After listing several pairs of animals which are natural enemies—a wolf and a lamb, a leopard and a young goat, a lion and a calf, Isaiah adds this detail: “And a little child shall lead them” (2 Nephi 21:6, Isaiah 11:6, see also 2 Nephi 30:12).
Obviously, the inclusion of a small child in this scene simply adds to our sense of wonder at the unlikely peace that will prevail when the Savior returns to the earth. But Elder Boyd K. Packer suggested a more immediate application of this phrase:
One of the great discoveries of parenthood is that we learn far more about what really matters from our children than we ever did from our parents. We come to recognize the truth in Isaiah’s prophecy that “a little child shall lead them.
“And a Little Child Shall Lead Them,” General Conference, April 2012
On the first day of the Savior’s visit to the Americas, He blessed the children, and angels came down from heaven to minister to them. (See 3 Nephi 17:21-25.) But the following day, something even more miraculous occurred. After teaching them some very difficult doctrines and urging them to study the scriptures in order to understand them better, Jesus “did teach and minister unto the children of the multitude…, and he did loose their tongues, and they did speak unto their fathers [and mothers] great and marvelous things, even greater than he had revealed unto the people; and he loosed their tongues that they could utter” (3 Nephi 26:14). On a subsequent day, the children repeated this miracle, but apparently without the Savior being present. (See 3 Nephi 26:16.)
What lesson did these parents learn from these experiences? I think they learned to listen to their children: to pay more attention to their children’s words and to be prepared to learn from them.
Of course, not everything a child says is profound, and we have much to teach them. But if we assume that we always know more than them, we may miss treasures of wisdom that we can only learn from them.
During Jesus’s last week in Jerusalem, some religious leaders were irritated to see children shouting “Hosanna” to Jesus in the temple. In response, He paraphrased the words of a psalm: “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise” (Matthew 21:16; see also Psalm 8:2).
Today, I will listen to my children. I will take seriously Elder Packer’s counsel that I may be able to learn more from them than I have even learned from my own parents.
Thanks for this thought Paul. Just yesterday I learned of a mistake that my child had made for what seems like the 100th time…and as I reflected on their error, I couldn’t help thinking about my own mistakes that I’ve now made for the 1,000th time. It was profound to think about my child’s frustration and how much it is like my own. It was also sweet to think about how my initial frustration with my child’s mistake quickly turned to compassion for them and how our Savior’s arm of mercy is continually stretched out towards both my child and me. I couldn’t agree more that children are a powerful portal through which we can find knowledge, truth, wisdom and ultimately God’s love.
Thank you for sharing your experience with this principle! As you point out, we can learn from our children in a variety of ways if we are humble and teachable. I love how your initial frustration turned into a meaningful learning experience. I appreciate the comment!
When my son was two years old we moved from the city to the suburbs. As he walked across the lawn in his new home, I watched as he examined with a sense of wonder each bug he encountered. It made me aware of the small miracles that we overlook each day.
What a beautiful example of this principle. Thank you for sharing your experience!