One day my oldest daughter, Rachel, who was probably 6-years-old at the time, watched me as I put on my officiating uniform. When we lived in California I refereed high school and college basketball.
Besides Rachel, I had Emily, 4, and Sarah, 1.
I worked two to three times a week for roughly three hours each time. I was well paid and moving up in the ranks. I like to imagine I had a bright future in officiating. I also enjoyed staying involved in the game and doing something that didn’t take me away from home for long hours and long periods of time.
I could pick and choose the games I worked, but as time progressed, I found myself taking more games, and sometimes they were farther away from home.
One day, while waiting for the babysitter to arrive, I was lacing up my shoes and putting my whistle around my neck when Rachel burst out, “Mom, you like basketball more than you like us.”
It was one of those innocent but searingly insightful comments children often make.
I was taken aback by her comment, but it hit home, and to this day it is still vivid in my mind. A sweet little girl made a remark that challenged me and led me to consider my priorities.
I’m not suggesting that each person needs to respond to such a comment the same way I did. Personally, it was a wake-up call to stop refereeing so I could focus more on my family.
Parents often see their roles as instructing and mentoring children, but the opposite can also be true as evidenced by the well-known saying, “Out of the mouths of babes … ” And the phrase is even more powerful when it is put in perspective.
Jesus Christ arrived in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover to adoring crowds and olive leafs strewn in his path. When entering the temple, he met moneylenders and merchants desecrating that holy complex. He overthrew the tables, called the merchants “thieves” and ran them out. Then he turned and began healing the blind and the lame.
If this alone was not enough to incense priests and members of the Sanhedrin, who realized enormous profit from this defilement, there were the words of the children. While observing Christ’s actions the children in that enclosure began “crying in the temple, and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David.’”
This elicited Christ’s words to the Jewish hierarchy, “Have ye never read, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise.”
James Talmage explains, “With their innocent minds yet unsullied by the prejudice of tradition and their sight yet undarkened by sin, (the children present) perceived in Him the Christ, and burst forth into praise and worship.”
Because they were not yet duped by the “wisdom and learning of the world,” the children’s ability to distinguish right and wrong was more acute.
This truth was reiterated by the prophet Alma who taught that God “imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned.”
We also ascertain from scripture that as soon as individuals are born Satan begins his attacks geared at stripping individuals of light and truth. He is a crafty and wily opponent who excels at making many men “miserable like unto himself.” With great sophistication Satan introduces humans to ideas and customs contrary to gospel truth.
Understanding Satan’s plan forces a second reflection upon the necessity of protecting each child’s innocence.
Where do we start? By personally following gospel principles, having family scripture study, family prayer, family home evening and carefully policing the media that enters our home.
It is not always easy to do.
However, this week two of my grown children expressed appreciation. Sarah thanked me for doing battle with her and her sisters over what they were allowed to watch and how much time they spent watching TV as children and teenagers. Thomas, as we discussed the grotesque, sadistic and addicting games that now flood the market, thanked me for never purchasing a video game player.
After years spent swimming upstream it was nice to hear, after myriad missteps, that perhaps I did one thing right.
Living and applying gospel principles is challenging. Nevertheless, as we teach, protect, respect and learn from our children, we all will be blessed.
