Susan H. Porter, Primary General President, taught: “When you know and understand how completely you are loved as a child of God, it changes everything. It changes the way you feel about yourself when you make mistakes. It changes how you feel when difficult things happen. It changes your view of God’s commandments. It changes your view of others and of your capacity to make a difference.”

This change is illustrated as we read about Moses when talking with God face-to-face.

Satan Tried to tempt Moses

 “And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold, Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me.  And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee?  For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man. Is it not so, surely?” (Moses 1:12-14 in Pearl Of Great Price)

 Similarly, when we are confronted with the challenges of mortality or when we feel like anyone is trying to label us by our weaknesses, we need to stand strong in the knowledge of who we truly are. We must seek validation vertically, not horizontally. And as we do, we too can boldly proclaim, “I am a child of God.”

In a worldwide devotional for young adults, our beloved President Russell M. Nelson taught: “So who are you? First and foremost, you are a child of God, a child of the covenant, and a disciple of Jesus Christ. As you embrace these truths, our Heavenly Father will help you reach your ultimate goal of living eternally in His holy presence.”

It is no coincidence that in likely the most repeated scripture, God reminds us of our relationship with Him. Of all the names He could be identified by in the sacrament prayer, He has asked to be called “God, the Eternal Father.”  As we come to truly know who we are, we will believe more strongly that our loving Heavenly Father has provided a plan for us to return to live with Him again. Elder Patrick Kearon taught: “Our Father’s beautiful plan, even His ‘fabulous’ plan, is designed to bring you home, not to keep you out. … God is in relentless pursuit of you.” Think about that for a moment—our all-powerful, loving Father is in “relentless pursuit of you.”

I have found that the quality of my prayers improves as I take a few minutes to prepare to talk to my Father. The scriptures show us that this is a pattern that works. Whether it is Joseph Smith; Nephi, the son of Helaman; or Enos, all have some form of pondering and reflecting prior to their recorded communication with God. Enos said that his soul hungered as the words of his father sunk deep into his heart. Each of these examples teaches us the need to spiritually prepare for our time each day to “be with God”.  The greatest manifestation of Heavenly Father’s love for us as His children is the reality that He sent His Son, our own personal Savior, to help us come home. Therefore, we need to know Him.

Our Royal Birthright

As sons and daughters of God, we have a spark of divinity in each of us with great potential.  One purpose of Heavenly Father creations is that we might reach our potential.  The Lord doesn’t care if we spend our days working in marble halls or stable stalls. He knows where we are no matter how humble our circumstances. He will use, in His own way and for His holy purposes, those who incline their hearts to Him.  God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior’s example and spend the days of their lives doing good.  The Lord uses a scale very different from the world to weigh the worth of a soul. 

Glorious Future Potential

The most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of our spirits. He knows us. He loves us with a perfect love.   God sees us not only as mortal beings on a small planet who live for a brief season, He sees us as His children. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him.  May we ever believe, trust, and align our lives so that we will understand our true eternal worth and potential. May we be worthy of the precious blessings our Heavenly Father has in store for us.

Some of the article was taken from remarks by Brik V. Eyre, “Know Who You Really Are” November 2025 Liahona Magazine.