Jesus Christ gestures to the child in an attitude of tender protectiveness, reminding us that “whoso…cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God.” (3 Nephi 9:22) The child holds the palm branch, a metaphor for the people of God who must thrive spiritually in the driest part of the wilderness; “the righteous shall flourish as the palm tree.” (Psalms 92:12) Christ is an oasis in the desert that will nourish and strengthen the saints no matter how desolate the world is around them. The palm is also symbolic of royalty and victory, and was used to celebrate Christ during his Triumphal Entry as the King of Kings. So the palm leaf here can also serve as a reminder that he who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven must “humble himself as [a] little child.” (Matt 18:4) - Joseph Brickey