Last Sunday it was fast and testimony meeting. Adaliah asked Pete if she could bare her testimony. Pete told her yes, and with out much thought sent her up onto the stand all by herself. As a mother I was horrified for her. “Did you ask her what she was going to say?” “Does she even know what she’s doing?” I asked Pete. “No- she’ll be fine” Pete answered.
Of course, I would have gone about it much differently if she would have asked me. I would have been very hesitant, and would have spent a few minutes coaching her through some ideas of what to say. But one of the things I love most about Pete is that he is not me. He has his own way of seeing things, and doing things, and in Adaliah’s case on Sunday, he was just going to let her sink or swim up there in front of hundreds of people.
Adaliah sat on the stand and waited for it to be her turn. When the time came she stepped up on the stool and reached up to pull the microphone down. Then loud and clear my little three year old started, “I want to bare my testimony…” and then she was silent. My heart sank. I was so scared for her as she looked out into our huge congregation with no words. Then finally what seemed like hours later her little voice continued, “I know the gospel is real. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen”. Then she stepped off her stool and ran down the steps into her dads arms feeling so proud of herself.
I learned a lot in those few minutes at church. First of all, I need to have more faith and confidence in my children. Hopefully Adaliah looked out to see Pete’s proud smiling face to reassure her and not my horrified face to fill her with doubt.
But more than that, I sat and thought about her short brief testimony for the rest of the meeting. “I know the gospel is real…”
The gospel IS real. I know that is true. I know that Christ lived on the earth and that he died for me. I know that Joseph Smith saw what he said he did in the sacred grove. I know that’s real. I know the gold plates he translated into the Book of Mormon are real and the Book of Mormon is true and good. I know the strength that that book gives me every time I open it is real. I know the priesthood power that was restored to this earth is real. I know our Prophet today, Thomas S. Monson is really called from God. I know that’s real.
I know that the joy that living the gospel brings is real. It floods our home with peace, security, comfort, and love. Our home is far from perfect but it is a sanctuary from the world, a safe haven to raise my children in. I know that’s real.
Adaliah is only three years old, and she knows the gospel is real because we have told her that. I know that with time and through her own experiences she’ll know it’s real not just because we said so, but because she can feel it too.
I love having these little spirits in my home to remind me daily of what is really important and what life is really about. It's easy for the spirit to fill our home when it's full of beautiful little girls that I know are loved and watched over by their Heavenly Father. Beautiful little girls that were chosen for this day and time for a reason. I am blessed.
