Hallstrom - I Am a Child of God - April 2016

One of the great truths that came from the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ is our relationship with God the Father and His son Jesus Christ.  Elder Hallstrom reminds us that we are literally children of a loving Heavenly Father.

• Our most fundamental doctrine includes the knowledge that we are children of a living God. That is why one of His most sacred names is Father—Heavenly Father.
  

Understanding our relationship with the Father and the Son is needed to gain eternal life.  Knowing this relationship provides us guidance and directions throughout our life.

• A correct understanding of our heavenly heritage is essential to exaltation. It is foundational to comprehending the glorious plan of salvation and to nurturing faith in the firstborn of the Father, Jesus the Christ, and in His merciful Atonement. Further, it provides continual motivation for us to make and keep our indispensable eternal covenants.

We each identify with who we are from a worldly perspective.  Our heritage means a lot to us.  But our most basic heritage is that of being a child of God.

• Here on earth, we identify ourselves in many different ways, including our place of birth, our nationality, and our language. Some even identify themselves by their occupation or their hobby. These earthly identities are not wrong unless they supersede or interfere with our eternal identity—that of being a son or a daughter of God.
  

Without continually reminding ourselves that we have a personal relationship with God, we can lose focus of what matters most and what the purpose of our existence here on earth is about.

• We live in a world that can cause us to forget who were really are. The more distractions that surround us, the easier it is to treat casually, then ignore, and then forget our connection with God.
  

We should always keep in our minds and hearts that we are Children of a loving Heavenly Father.  Doing so will help us stay on the correct path back to Him.

• In today’s world, no matter where we live and no matter what our circumstances are, it is essential that our preeminent identity is as a child of God. Knowing that will allow our faith to flourish, will motivate our continual repentance, and will provide the strength to be “steadfast and immovable” throughout our mortal journey [Mosiah 5:15].

I had a talk with one of my daughters the other night about her self image and how she views herself in relation to her friends.  I told her that she knew something that her friends didn't and that she can always rely on this truth to help her throughout her life.  I told her this simple truth is something she speaks about every Sunday in Young Women's.  I reminded her that the Young Women's theme says that she is a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father who loves her.  This most basic truth will give her guidance throughout her life and remind her that all the distractions of the world really don't matter.  What matters is that her Father in Heaven loves her and that she has a personal relationship with Him.