We are Children of a Heavenly Father

We are God's children and we have been created in His image. He has a body like ours, except it is perfect and cannot die. Paul said: "The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God," (Rom 8:16) and he later emphasized that: "We are the offspring of God." (Acts 17:29) God is not an unknowable and incomprehensible being. While "[His] ways are higher than our ways, and [His] thoughts [higher] than our thoughts," (Isaiah 55:9) He is not so difficult to understand as some have made Him to be. He is more personable than anyone you or I have ever met, and is always waiting for us to call upon Him in prayer.

To show His infinite and eternal love for us, God sent His perfect Son, Jesus Christ to teach us through example and word, exactly what we must do to return to our Father in Heaven. (John 3:16-17) The most important part of Jesus Christ's earthly mission was His suffering in Gethsemane, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead - collectively called the Atonement of Jesus Christ - which frees us from the consequences of sin and death, and makes it possible for us to return to our Father in Heaven. (Isaiah 44:22)

As Jesus prayed to the Father so should we pray to the Father. God hears our prayers and will give us answers to our questions. (John 11:41) He will not favor one of His children over another, but rather He treats us all equally in giving us opportunities to grow and learn from our mistakes. (Romans 2:11) God's plan includes the success of all His children and not a select few. He wants us all to be happy and to have all the happiness that He has. (Romans 8:17)

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I know that God loves us like a Father because He is our Father. I have personally felt His answers to my prayers, and know that He is my Father as well as yours. Personally, I can't think of anything that makes more sense or brings more comfort than a knowledge that God knows my name, is my Father, and has great things in store for me. Since I have come to know these things about God, I have had greater confidence in this uncertain world. I've found His planning for me to be so detailed and specifically designed for my happiness that I want to show Him my gratitude and make Him proud by living the best I can and keeping His commandments. (John 14:15) Now that this knowledge of how to live has been restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith, I can make Him proud so that some day He may say to me: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matt 25:21)