Childviews

Honest Art Choice

My teacher was out of the room, helping other students. Some of the rest of us who didn’t need to use the computers were messing around—walking around, reading, goofing off. I was at my desk, quietly drawing a comic page I had been working on.

Jason* came over and said, “Will you draw this for me?” He pointed to a picture in our social studies book that he wanted to use for an assignment.

When I asked why, he replied, “I can’t draw very well, so can you draw this for me? The teacher won’t know it was you, I swear.”

I thought, What should I do? He knows I’m a good artist, but this just doesn’t seem honest.

“Ehhhh, no,” I said.

“Why not? Please, man,” he begged.

“Because this isn’t right. I don’t want to,” I told him.

“OK, if you can tell me five reasons why it’s not right, I won’t bug you anymore.”

“Look,” I said, “why can’t you do it? Just do your best. It isn’t like he’s going to give you a bad grade for a not-so-good picture. Just try.”

“But …” he started, then trailed off and walked away from my desk.

It was really hard to make that choice. I thought that if I didn’t draw the picture, he wouldn’t like me and I couldn’t be his friend. But now he’s just like normal. I’m glad I made the right choice.

Austin Lee Ballard, age 11
Rexburg, Idaho

Thinking About Jesus

In sacrament meeting, we take bread and water because it helps us to think about Jesus. I look at pictures of Jesus, too. My favorite pictures are the picture of Jesus wearing a red sweater and the one where He is walking on a white cloud. In the cloud picture, He is saying to me, “Come give Me a hug.”

Brynlee Paige Norton, age 3
Park Forest, Illinois

Lunch Break

When I was seven years old, my family moved to Canada from Horsham, England. Choosing the right in England is the same as choosing the right in Canada. At school on my lunch break, sometimes I go to the corner store with friends. I see kids smoking, using bad language, and looking at inappropriate magazines. By learning to choose the right while I was in Primary, I’m still able to make good choices now by staying away from bad influences.

Daniel Brownlee, age 12
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

• Name has been changed

Illustrated by Amy C. Davis