Being the Prince or Princess

When I was a girl I spent many hours in the cherry orchard behind our house daydreaming. I had a favorite tree where I could nestle into the branches, (I called it my nest) and I’d watch the robins eat cherries and pretend I was Heidi in the Alps, or one of the Mickey Mouse Mousketeers. But most often I imagined myself to be a princess that ruled over the robins. The orchard was my kingdom, and having a very vivid imagination, I could spend hours feeling elegant while watching the affairs of my kingdom from the high tower of my beautiful castle.

I miss the magic of those days. But I’ve come to understand that my make-believe wasn’t all that far off. Building and watching over a kingdom—the kingdom of God—is what life is all about. And building that kingdom begins in the mind by the way we think.

The Savior instructed, “Seek ye to bring forth the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Luke 12:31). Later in the book of Luke we are told that “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). While the kingdom of God is not brought about by imagining elaborate clothing and carriages like I used to imagine, it is brought about by visualizing ourselves as the princes and princesses of the kingdom. As we think of ourselves as the children of the King, and act accordingly—with love, kindness, joy, gratitude and all the other virtues that belong to our Heavenly King—the kingdom of God within us begins to grow. We change. We act differently. And as the kingdom within us grows, we discover hidden treasures of knowledge and gifts and talents with which we can serve others.

This isn’t make-believe. It is real. And the first step to bringing forth the kingdom of God within us is to use our minds to visualize who we really are.

Like Children

I’ve had my daughter here from Texas this week and so I’m very late posting today. But it has been so wonderful watching grandchildren. We adults have a lot to learn from children. I’ve watched as five-year old Anna takes great delight in ants devouring a table scrap. I’ve watched Isaac and Eli race and chase until I’m exhausted. (They aren’t!) I’ve answered more questions that I can count. I’ve listened to the giggles a simple shadow brings forth and am amazed at the wonder, delight, and joy children greet most moments with. I’m not sure I fully understand the connection, but it made me think of the verse of scripture which says, “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein” (Luke 18:17).

I do think, however, that if we want to understand the kingdom of God, we need to be more like children.