Behold Your Little Ones

Last night I saw the lights of Temple Square through the wide eyed excitement of my 28 month old niece. The lights were brighter and the joy was tangible. She'd point and say "Somie look!" as she pulled my face in the direction of whatever had caught her eye. She oohed and awed, pointing to the mural of the universe, as she was carried up the ramp on her daddies shoulders to see the Christus. As soon as the statue of our Savior was in sight she squealed, "Jesus! Daddy go there!" She wiggled her way to the ground and pushed through the crowd of people until she stood at the feet of Christ. I stood there, little tears silently finding there way onto my cheeks, watching as her parents kneeled to talk with her about our older brother and Savior. I thought of the resurrected Saviors visit to the Book of Mormon people...

Jesus "wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took
their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed
unto the Father for them. And when he had done this he wept again: And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones. And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes toward heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them."
(3 Nephi 17:21-24)

I love that little girl so much. For those few moments, I had a small glimpse into the depth of the Father and the Son's love for me. I ache for the time when I will share that love with my children, when I will indeed behold my little ones.