In the LDS religion we have our own hymnal that we sing from. The same hymn book is used across the world with little variation. There is one song in particular that is popular. It's called "I am a Child of God" and it is taught very young to our youth.
While I will be the first to teach about and testify of the reality behind the words, I don't particularly care for the song. There are two instances in my life, however, where the song has played a significant role.
The first was on my mission. While a missionary in Virginia, we were teaching a family. One inactive husband, one beautiful mother, and two awe-inspiring-crazy-tae-kwon-do-ing boys. We sat with the two boys in the living room and played the song as a video which can be found at the end of this post. We taught the boys the words and together we watched the video as the parents stood talking in the next room. I will never in all my life forget the feeling I felt as those two boys testified of the reality of their spiritual lineage - they sang out about their relationship with God - specifically that we are his offspring, that he is our Father. As the song played and the boys sang, we glanced over and saw the parents standing in the doorway. Tears were clearly evident on the mother's face as she listened to her children testify through song.
That was an important moment for me as a twenty two year old missionary. It played an active role in the rest of my proselyting mission. I would look back on that moment in the darkness of insecurity and the pain of loneliness. In the intense and frequent moments of discouragement, I would recall the image of those two boys learning and teaching of the reality that we are children of God and the image of their parents watching from the doorway. A softening of hearts. A strengthening of familial relationships. Perhaps a remembrance of things forgotten. God is our Father. We are His children. And He loves us.
The second moment happened today actually. The woman leading the music in our worship service changed the song at the last minute. As the congregation began singing, a small child realized what song was being sung and knew that he knew the words and he lifted his voice with us. One singular child in the congregation. It was beautiful.
Do your children know that they are children of God? Do you?
Do you know what that means?
The world is filled with things meant to make us forget this essential aspect of our spirits. It is the most important lesson we can learn on earth. It is so important, that it is the very first lesson that missionaries are taught to teach. Before we teach anyone anything, we are to make sure that they know that they are children of Heavenly Father and that he loves them. Until we truly understand that, all other aspects of the gospel are hollow, meaningless.
As I said, it's the first thing we are to teach people. In the manual/study guide for missionaries we read in the first lesson these words:
"God is our Heavenly Father. We are His children. He has a body of flesh and bone that is glorified and perfected. He loves us. He weeps with us when we suffer and rejoices when we do what is right. He wants to communicate with us, and we can communicate with Him through sincere prayer.
"Heavenly Father has provided us, His children, with a way to be successful in this life and to return to live in His presence... Central to our Father's plan is Jesus Christ's Atonement. The Atonement included his suffering...as well as his suffering and death on the cross. Through the Atonement we can be freed from the burden of our sin and develop faith and strength to face our trials."
A powerful, incredible truth about love. I would hope that we all have a relationship with Christ but do we have a relationship and an understanding of our relationship with God? I was once chastised lovingly by a leader of my local congregation at school when I bore testimony of Christ and showed an insignificant understanding of my relationship to God. I was told, "It is true that Christ gave his life for us. He died for us. But it was God who sent Him."
I will never forget that lesson.
"I am a child of God. And he has sent me here...Lead me, guide me, walk beside me...teach me all that I must do to live with [You] someday."
You are a child of God. You are loved. President Henry B. Eyring has said, "We never need feel alone or unloved...because we never are."
While I will be the first to teach about and testify of the reality behind the words, I don't particularly care for the song. There are two instances in my life, however, where the song has played a significant role.
The first was on my mission. While a missionary in Virginia, we were teaching a family. One inactive husband, one beautiful mother, and two awe-inspiring-crazy-tae-kwon-do-ing boys. We sat with the two boys in the living room and played the song as a video which can be found at the end of this post. We taught the boys the words and together we watched the video as the parents stood talking in the next room. I will never in all my life forget the feeling I felt as those two boys testified of the reality of their spiritual lineage - they sang out about their relationship with God - specifically that we are his offspring, that he is our Father. As the song played and the boys sang, we glanced over and saw the parents standing in the doorway. Tears were clearly evident on the mother's face as she listened to her children testify through song.
That was an important moment for me as a twenty two year old missionary. It played an active role in the rest of my proselyting mission. I would look back on that moment in the darkness of insecurity and the pain of loneliness. In the intense and frequent moments of discouragement, I would recall the image of those two boys learning and teaching of the reality that we are children of God and the image of their parents watching from the doorway. A softening of hearts. A strengthening of familial relationships. Perhaps a remembrance of things forgotten. God is our Father. We are His children. And He loves us.
The second moment happened today actually. The woman leading the music in our worship service changed the song at the last minute. As the congregation began singing, a small child realized what song was being sung and knew that he knew the words and he lifted his voice with us. One singular child in the congregation. It was beautiful.
Do your children know that they are children of God? Do you?
Do you know what that means?
The world is filled with things meant to make us forget this essential aspect of our spirits. It is the most important lesson we can learn on earth. It is so important, that it is the very first lesson that missionaries are taught to teach. Before we teach anyone anything, we are to make sure that they know that they are children of Heavenly Father and that he loves them. Until we truly understand that, all other aspects of the gospel are hollow, meaningless.
As I said, it's the first thing we are to teach people. In the manual/study guide for missionaries we read in the first lesson these words:
"God is our Heavenly Father. We are His children. He has a body of flesh and bone that is glorified and perfected. He loves us. He weeps with us when we suffer and rejoices when we do what is right. He wants to communicate with us, and we can communicate with Him through sincere prayer.
"Heavenly Father has provided us, His children, with a way to be successful in this life and to return to live in His presence... Central to our Father's plan is Jesus Christ's Atonement. The Atonement included his suffering...as well as his suffering and death on the cross. Through the Atonement we can be freed from the burden of our sin and develop faith and strength to face our trials."
A powerful, incredible truth about love. I would hope that we all have a relationship with Christ but do we have a relationship and an understanding of our relationship with God? I was once chastised lovingly by a leader of my local congregation at school when I bore testimony of Christ and showed an insignificant understanding of my relationship to God. I was told, "It is true that Christ gave his life for us. He died for us. But it was God who sent Him."
I will never forget that lesson.
"I am a child of God. And he has sent me here...Lead me, guide me, walk beside me...teach me all that I must do to live with [You] someday."
You are a child of God. You are loved. President Henry B. Eyring has said, "We never need feel alone or unloved...because we never are."
Comments