I Am a Child of God

            Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when each individual has a firm belief that they are a child of God. A person can gain no greater knowledge that knowing that God is their loving Father and desires to help them. This knowledge brings comfort in difficult time as well as strength to continue. Greater comfort and strength comes from knowing the Father.

            We can learn to know the Father by learning about His Son, even Jesus Christ. President Russell M. Nelson testified, “Something powerful happens when a child of God seeks to know more about Him and His Beloved Son.” (See “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?” Ensign, Nov. 2017, 61.)

            As we learn about our divine Father, we come to understand that we also have a spark of divinity within us. We are His child; therefore, we have the potential to become like Him. Elder C. Scott Grow of the Seventy suggests that we do the following things in order to come to know the Father and the Savior. (See “And This Is Life Eternal,” April 2017 General Conference.) 

My … friends, we can begin to know God through prayer…. When you pray with faith, you will feel God’s love as His Spirit speaks to your soul. No matter how alone or uncertain you may feel at times, you are not alone in this world. God knows you, personally. As you pray, you will come to know Him.

As you study the scriptures, you not only learn about the Savior, but you can actually come to know the Savior….

Scripture study becomes the channel for the Spirit to give each of us a customized tutorial. As you study the scriptures each day, alone, and with your family, you will learn to recognize the voice of the Spirit and will come to know God.

In addition to our praying and studying the scriptures, we need to do God’s will…..

You and I do the will of the Father by honoring our covenants, keeping the commandments, and serving God and our fellowmen….

As we seek to do God’s will by faithfully serving Him and our fellowmen, we feel His approval and truly come to know Him.

The Savior tells us that the very best way to know God is to become like Him. He taught: “Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am. (See Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ,

3 Nephi 27:27.)

Worthiness is essential to becoming like Him…. Starting on the road to becoming like Him, we repent and receive His forgiveness, and He cleanses our souls. …

Through our faith in His atoning sacrifice, the Savior cleanses us, heals us, and enables us to know Him by helping us to become like Him. … As we strive to become like God, He can make of us more than we could ever make of ourselves.

            As we strive to become more like the Savior, He will lead us to the Father. We are children of God. As His child, we each have the potential to become as He is. When we know and understand that we are children of God, we desire to become like Him. As we become more like Him, we strengthen our families, communities, and nations.