A Child's Prayer

Kate's prayer tonight was the sweetest thing I've ever heard. It's taken a while for her to grasp what prayers are. She has always rushed through them, making it as short as possible, saying, "When I'm a teenager I'll say long prayers." For whatever reason, that has changed in the last couple weeks. Here's her prayer from tonight--

"Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the world.

Thank you for the earth.

Thank you for my body.

Thank you for my spirit.

Thank you for my heart.

Thank you for my family.

Thank you for my mom and dad.

Thank you for my little brother.

Thank you for my happy family days.

Thank you for Valentine's Day.

Thank you for my new big bed.

Thank you I can go to heaven.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

A couple nights ago we read the intro to the New Testament stories book, and it was all about the Plan of Salvation. She has been very upset at the thought of dying -- for quite a while now. As we read, she cried and cried, and said that Heavenly Father needed to make Earth prettier (so there would be no need, in her mind, to go to the Celestial Kingdom). We talked at length about death and the resurrection, etc., and I thought she was feeling better, so I continued reading. Then she'd start crying again, and would hug me, saying, "I want you to go to the Celestial Kingdom with me. I want to go together." SO SWEET.

I've always felt it important to talk to her about death while she is young so that she will be as prepared as she can be for when someone she knows dies. You never know when it might happen, and I want her to understand it as best she can before it does. I've wondered if maybe she was too young to talk to about it, but I just feel that she should know -- it's just a fact of life that you can't get around. I couldn't have dreamed up a sweeter little kid!