Janick Weidmann of Recherswil, Switzerland

By Corliss Clayton

Life is a delight to five-year-old Janick Weidmann. He loves jumping on the trampoline, especially with his dad, and it’s his sister Vanessa’s (8) favorite thing to do with him. When he isn’t doing trampoline flips, he can be found climbing trees, riding his bike around the block, or accompanying his father, Louis, on a morning jog. His sister Natalie (13) said, “It would be boring if he weren’t around.”

But even though Janick is often a whirlpool of activity, there are times when he quietly thinks about the gospel. One day his father was giving Natalie a father’s blessing because she had a difficult test coming up at school. Janick also asked for a blessing. He was very serious about it. In the blessing he was told that he should always remember to pray. And he does. “We should pray because it is a commandment. We should ask for Heavenly Father’s protection and thank Him,” Janick explained.

The priesthood has always been very important in his family. Janick was born eight weeks early and was a very small and sickly baby. He needed blood transfusions frequently to keep him alive. Then, after receiving a father’s blessing, the hospital told his parents that he was finally getting better and would no longer need any transfusions.

Sometimes Janick’s enthusiasm for life carries him away. One day his mother, Esther, called his father at his office, which is near their home. She was having a hard time getting Janick to settle down; she asked her husband to come home and talk to him. His father came home. He told Janick that he needed to learn to help his mother in preparation for the day when he would hold the priesthood. “He really listened seriously to me,” his father said. “He behaved much better. He knew that we expected something of him.”

“Having the priesthood means that you have to be a good example,” said Janick.

He is also preparing for the day when he will serve a mission. “I would like to go to Frankfurt, Germany, where Dad went on his mission.” But wherever the Lord sends him to teach the gospel is fine. “Everyone should believe in Heavenly Father.”

Life isn’t always serious for Janick. Whether he’s dancing to records or roller-skating with Fabienne (11), building things with Natalie, or playing house with Vanessa, he loves to be with his family. He helps around their home by cleaning his room and helping Cassandra (2) clean hers. He also keeps his eye on her so that she doesn’t wander away.

He’s very sensitive to the feelings of his family. He gives his mother and sisters hugs when they are sad and tries to cheer them up. “If I’m upset with him, it really bothers him,” his mother said. “He can’t go back to play until we talk about the problem and are happy with each other again.”

In family home evening he likes to sing and tell what he learned in Primary. “He remembers the stories from Primary really well,” his dad recalled. “Sometimes, right out of the blue, he tells some of the stories.”

Janick doesn’t like to sing just at home or at church. One of his favorite Primary activities was when the children from his ward went to a rest home and sang to the people there. “It felt good,” he said. And that’s a feeling Janick often gets as he tries to do what’s right.

Photos by Julie Wardell

1. Playing soccer

2. Janick

3. The Weidmann family

4. Jumping on the trampoline

5. Swinging with Cassandra

6. Climbing a tree

7. Fixing his bike with Cassandra