I Am a Child of God. You Are Too.
I Am a Child of God. You Are Too.
by Angela Halliday
There’s a song that Mormon children sing practically from birth. Youth sing it. Adults sing it. It’s a favorite. I Am a Child of God. It is one of our most basic doctrines; the earliest thing our children learn. It almost becomes trite. Does it deserve our attention? Most definitely! It’s true! You and I are all children of God!
Remember. It’ll get you through lots of life’s scrapes. You fail a test… Remember you’re a child of God. You lose your friends… Remember you’re a child of God. You lose all your earthly possessions… Remember you’re a child of God. Knowing and remembering this important truth can change everything.
When we recognize that we have a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother, we realize that we have divine potential. We have parents that love and care for us, whether or not our earthly parents do. We already belong to a family that has lasting value. We can become like Them. Knowing this is a real game-changer!
How would we treat those around us when we realize they are children of God too? How will we see the annoying neighbor, the grating coworker, the obnoxious teen, when we remember that they are children of God too? Perhaps even more importantly, how can we be kinder to ourselves, be gentler in our internal talk, and be more forgiving, when we realize we are a daughter or son of God?
As teenagers, young women (girls ages 12-18) repeat over and over each week our Young Women Theme:
“We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him. We will ‘stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places’ (Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:
Faith • Divine Nature • Individual Worth • Knowledge • Choice and Accountability • Good Works • Integrity • and Virtue
We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values, we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.”
Maybe knowing WHO we are determines WHAT we do, HOW we act, and WHERE we are. WHY not?
- Check out the song I Am a Child of God. Click here for a beautiful version.
- Check out the talk by Elder Russell M. Nelson, an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Click here.
