"Everywhere in nature we are taught the lessons of patience and waiting.We want things
a longtime before we get them, and the fact that we want them a long
time makes them all the more precious when they come"
Fun Fact: Sustained as Second Counselor for President John Taylor (1880), President Wilford Woodruff (1889), and President Lorenzo Snow (1898).
History: President F. Smith was the last President to have personally known the Prophet Joseph Smith. He was actually Hyrum's (Joseph Smith's brother) son, which makes Joseph Smith his uncle. It's amazing that when Joseph Smith and Hyrum dies, President F. Smith's mother had to raise him and work together to join the Saints in the West. As they journeyed, he saw his mother meet challenge after challenge with faith and was devastated when she died of an illness when he was only 13 years old.
Chapter 15: The Salvation of Little Children
President Joseph F. Smith taught many things, but one that stood out to me was the teaching that little children who die before they reach the years of accountability are redeemed by the blood of Christ. It breaks my heart to know that between 1869 and 1898, he buried nine little children of his own. He mentions in his journal, “I took her on a pillow and walked the floor with her, she again revived but only lingered about an hour and died in my arms at 1:40 a.m. Now God only knows how deeply we mourn. This is the 5th death in my family. All my little ones most beloved! O! God help us to bear this trial!" But through the Atonement of the Savior, he had faith that all was well. One striking experience he mentions, is that he received a vision from the Lord about his mother received his daughter with open arms. I think it's important to remember that Satan has no power over children who have not reached the years of accountability, and honestly, we must have faith that it is true. When I was younger, I attended many baptisms for newborns and sometimes the biggest parties were thrown to celebrate. Being taught this principle, brought happiness because God gave us agency and we in a sense shouldn't force our children to be baptized before they have a chance to obtain their own testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. Prophet Jospeh F. Smith states, "Through Joseph Smith the prophet, in this dispensation, that in the resurrection of the dead the child that was buried in its infancy will come up in the form of the child that it was when it was laid down; then it will begin to develop. From the day of the resurrection, the body will develop until it reaches the full measure of the stature of its spirit, whether it be male or female." Also remember that if we are faithful, we will be reunited with our children beyond the veil. For some reason, children are so special to me, I love kids! They are the most innocent and funny creatures. I have a strong testimony that Heavenly Father is perfect and would not let this innocent children suffer after death and will gladly receive them with open arms in the Kingdom of Heaven.
