“Your Worth Is Not Conditional,” Ensign, September 2018
Digital Only: Young Adults
Your Worth Is Not Conditional
No matter what the world says, Heavenly Father knows your true worth.
We are eternal beings with a heavenly heritage. But we’re constantly bombarded with worldly pressures that make us forget who we really are. How can we know what our true worth is? Here are some points to remember.
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Your worth is not determined by outside influences.
As cliché as it sounds, who you are inside is what really counts. Satan wants you to believe that your worth comes from external factors like physical appearance, intelligence, talents, health, success, and popularity. But “the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Heavenly Father knows your true worth because He understands your desires and the characteristics of your spirit.
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Your body is beautiful—even if it doesn’t conform to the world’s standards.
Most of us struggle to feel good about our appearance. But be assured that your body is beautiful, no matter what it looks like. Man or woman, you were created in the very image of God (see Genesis 1:27). Heavenly Father is the great Artist of the universe—and you are His greatest work of art! Your body is a miracle—delicate and strong and graceful and grand all at once. There is so much that is pleasing in both its form and its function if you learn to view it as the stunning gift that it is.
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When you follow the Savior, the beauty of your spirit shines.
Jesus Christ Himself had “no beauty” in the eyes of men (see Isaiah 53:2). But how could the Savior not be beautiful? His beauty stems from His goodness and purity. And so does yours! True disciples of Christ have an appeal that has nothing to do with their looks. When you have “received his image in your countenance” (Alma 5:14), you carry a light that shines from the inside out. And when others recognize your light, you are more attractive to them. Best of all, being able to walk uprightly before God gives you a major confidence boost.
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You have infinite worth exactly as you are.
Korihor the anti-Christ taught that “every man fare[s] in this life according to the management of the creature” (Alma 30:17). In other words, the way you handle yourself determines your worth—it’s something you have to earn or prove. But that just isn’t true! Although we should always strive to improve ourselves, “the worth of souls is great in the sight of God” (D&C 18:10) no matter what. Even when you make mistakes, your value isn’t diminished. As Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary General President, taught, “If we sin, we are less worthy, but we are never worth less!” (“Value beyond Measure,” Ensign, Nov. 2017, 14).
Though you may often overlook it, there is a spark of divinity in you. It’s there even when you feel overwhelmingly un-divine. And God can see it—always. If you nurture that spark, He can make of you so much more than you believe possible.