A Family for Peter

One evening when my son Peter was only seven weeks old, I sat rocking him in our living room. I was telling him what a beautiful and precious little boy he was when a question came to my mind: “Who would you want to rear this child if you couldn’t do it yourself?”

“Hmmm,” I thought. “I would choose a loving family who had peace and harmony in their home. They would love and encourage him and help build his self-esteem. Even when they were annoyed, they would speak in quiet tones. They would also be honest in both word and deed. I would want Peter to feel comfortable and secure with them.

“Yes,” I thought, “I would want such a family to love him and to help and encourage him as they reared him in the gospel.”

Then a second thought came clearly to my mind, almost as if Heavenly Father had spoken to me: That’s how I felt as I passed this little spirit into your care.

I knew then how our loving heavenly parents must feel as they give their children to us to rear in mortality. I realized, too, how precious each child is to them just as my children are to me.

As I reviewed in my mind the parenting traits I would look for, I felt humbled, for I knew that I would often fall short. But I also felt a sense of great joy as I promised my Heavenly Father that I would try hard to be the kind of mother he would have me be.