If He Called Me by Name

                When I read 3 Nephi 11, I often imagine what it would be like to be there with the multitude as they cried, “Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!”(3 Nephi 11:17). I feel his love as he called the prophet Nephi by name and asked him to come forth. I imagine that I would fall to his feet and kiss them and wash his feet with my tears. I think how amazing it is that he knows each of us by name. If I could hear his voice saying, “Gina, come unto me.” What would it be like to hear my name on his lips, to see his eyes look my way, and to feel the prints in his hands and his feet. Tears come to my eyes as I imagine such an event.

                Then he called the little children to come forth so that he could bless them. “And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought. So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him.” (3 Nephi 17:11). He waited for all the children to be brought, every single one of them. He left no one out. I imagine that all my little grandchildren are around his knee. Their little heads being kissed by the Savior. The love that he feels for them is amazing and pure. Then he blessed every one of the children individually. “And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones. And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angles did minister unto them.” (3 Nephi 17:23, 24)

                What can each of us do to have this kind of experience in our lives today? Can we have the Savior bless our lives like he did the prophet Nephi and the children of the Book of Mormon? We absolutely can have this kind of experience in our lives. We must know the Savior with all our hearts, our minds and our souls. We can do this by studying the scriptures every day and getting to know him. We must read about him to know him. Then we can pray meaningful prayers in feel his spirit in our hearts. Then finally we need to become more like him. Each and every day we can become more like him by acting as he would act and loving the little children in your life as the Savior would love them. See the children through his eyes. See others that are not children through his eyes.

                We can experience knowing the Savior like the people of Nephi. We have it within our power to hear him call us by name, and to feel his loving hands on our head as he blesses our lives. It is up to us to come near unto him. We must be the ones who open the door and let him into our lives.