This brother is like a milkshake not a headache

Sunday, at church, my friend Stacy asked me if I would drop into her Primary Class and talk to the class about what I thought of Jesus.  She teaches the four year old children and I said I would be glad to.  So I came at the appointed time and stepped into her class.  It was perfect timing because she was holding a big picture of Jesus as I walked in.  She welcomed me and immediately one little boy says "You're not supposed to be in here you are not my teacher!"  He then determines that he better turn and look at the wall, presumably so he won't see me encroaching in his classroom.  If he doesn't see it then I didn't do it.

That's when I realized that it might be a little more difficult than I thought to talk to the children about Jesus.  So immediately I latch onto this tact to get their attention.  I point the picture of Jesus and say, "This is my big brother," I see that catches them slightly, not what they imagined I would say and I see the head of the one facing the wall come up a little.  Before I can finish my thought he whirls around and says something like "My brother is mean and takes my things and fights with me and he threw something at me and it hit me and it gave me a headache and then my Daddy came and got me and took me somewhere and we had a milkshake!" 

So it seemed obvious what I should say next, "This brother is more like a milkshake than a headache!"  Now I had their full attention!

So as I thought about that little episode in the primary and my penchant for saying something surprising and unexpected I realized that maybe I was right!  The Savior is the best brother we have.  Not only does he have all the righteous attributes but he loved us so much that he gave everything so we could have everything.  Awesome!

When Stacy first asked me to come into her class I realized that what really impressed me at that moment about Christ was what he did in the pre-existence.  I don't know exactly how it happened but Heavenly Father had presented the plan and then Satan interrupted and gave his plan which was significantly different.  Aside from the fact that Satan wanted the glory for himself rather than give it to Heavenly Father he also wanted to take something away from us that we already had -- free agency.  He wanted not only the glory but he wanted to have control, detailed control of each one of us.  That is what he fights for now.  He wants to control each of us still.

So, in that moment when, I imagine, we are all letting Satan's outburst sink in and we are realizing he is going against Father and demanding something for himself, at that confusing moment when we may be holding our collective breath and having seen something we may not have expected to see (rebellion) at that uncertain moment when we might have felt fear or confusion, our Oldest Brother steps forward and reaffirms and supports Heavenly Father's plan.  To me that was a big deal.  He came forward at exactly that moment when we all needed to be reassured and comforted.  He loved us then so much that he overcame his own concerns in response to our needs and fears.  Just as he has always done.  I love him for that.  I look forward to the day I can remember how good that felt!