Family Proclamation, Part 2

Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when individuals understand and live the principles contained in the inspired document known as “The Family:  A Proclamation to the World.”  The second paragraph of the Proclamation testifies that each one of us is a child of God.  Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits.

“All human beings – male and female – are created in the image of God.  Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.  Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”

Psalms 82:6 explains our relationship to God:  “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”

I believe it is important for us to know and understand that we are children of God.  When we understand that we are embryo Gods,  no one can put us down and make us feel inferior.  This knowledge can change how we think of ourselves.  Another reason why this knowledge is important involves our treatment of other people.  Since we are all children of God, we should treat each other as royalty.  We are all princes and princesses in the kingdom of God.  This knowledge can change our lives and the lives of all with whom we associate!

Because we are children of God and have moral agency, we have the responsibility to make good choices and take personal responsibility for our words and actions.  President Boyd K. Pack of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated:  “We know that gender was set in the premortal world.  `The spirit and the body are the soul of man’ (D&C 88:15).  This matter of gender is of great concern to the Brethren, as are all matters of morality  A few of you may have felt or been told that you were born with troubling feelings and that you are not guilty if you act on those temptations.  Doctrinally we know that if that were true, your agency would have been erased, and that cannot happen.  You always have a choice to follow the prompting of the Holy Ghost and live a morally pure and chaste life, one filled with virtue.”

A hymn entitled “I am a Child of God” (Hymns,#301) explains how being a child of God applies to each of us.  I know that God is our father and that He love each of His children – both you and I.  We should all feel better about ourselves and each other because of this knowledge.  We can strengthen our families, communities, and nations by understanding and applying this doctrine in our lives.