2021
Strengthening My Relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
August 2021


“Strengthening My Relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ,” Liahona, August 2021

Young Adults

Strengthening My Relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ

Building a stronger relationship with Them always seemed abstract to me, until I tried something new.

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woman praying in meadow at sunset

Photograph posed by model

The older I get, the more I realize how much I rely on relationships—relationships with friends, family, and even the delivery people who never fail to bring me my latest online order (bless them).

And for years, I knew that the frequent counsel from our Church leaders to build relationships with Heavenly Father and the Savior was true and important.1

But I just couldn’t figure out how to actually do that.

Earthly relationships with my friends and family involve having conversations, sharing inside jokes, and spending time together. So the thought of having a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, who aren’t physically present, always seemed so abstract to me.

However, as I was pondering, I realized that everyone’s relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is personal and unique. So what if I applied some practical approaches that have helped me develop strong relationships with my loved ones here on earth to my relationship with Them?

That idea was the spark I needed.

I decided to put this idea to the test and to reevaluate my relationship with Them after 10 days.

10 Ways to Strengthen Relationships

As I was pondering ways to come closer to Heavenly Father and the Savior, I researched 10 basic relationship tips that are often given by professionals and combined them with prophetic counsel to give them a spiritual focus.

Here are the 10 tips:

  1. Communicate honestly, out loud, and with real intent through prayer.2

  2. Be a good listener.3

  3. Show Them appreciation.4

  4. Make sacrifices for Them.5

  5. Learn about Them.6

  6. Spend quality time with Them.7

  7. Serve together.8

  8. Show Them trust and commitment.9

  9. Admit when you’re wrong.10

  10. Learn how They show you love.11

To start out, I chose to learn about my Heavenly Father and the Savior (#5), to spend quality time with Them (#6), and to learn how They offered me love (#10).

1. Learning about Them

To learn more about Them, I focused on studying Their character traits. I studied “The Living Christ,” stories of miracles in the Book of Mormon, and general conference talks. I also watched the Church’s Bible and Book of Mormon videos to get a visual of the Savior’s attributes and how He taught and interacted with others.

One attribute of the Savior I studied was His willingness to do the will of the Father (see 3 Nephi 11:11). I can’t fathom someone being willing to suffer and die for all the mistakes, sorrow, sins, and pain that everyone will ever face when this individual did no wrong. And yet, someone was willing.

He was.

I have always had faith in Him, but pondering His love and willingness to give up His life for me deepened my faith, my gratitude, and my own willingness to follow Him. And His courage inspired me to move forward with faith and hope, even while sometimes facing anxiety and fear of the unknown.

And then I turned to Heavenly Father’s character.

I’ve dealt with perfectionism for most of my life, and I used to imagine Him as an angry figure when I disappointed Him with my weaknesses and mistakes.

But as I have studied more of His nature, I’ve learned that He is not a merciless being (see Alma 32:22). He is patient and kind and loving (see 2 Peter 3:9). He is always willing to forgive me (see Mosiah 26:29–31). He is my biggest supporter (see 2 Nephi 26:24).

And I realized that He really is my Father and I am His divine child. He loves me completely (see John 3:16–17) and simply wants me to return.

Learning about the nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ changed my whole perception of how They feel about me and how present They actually are in my life. And I realized that They are not strangers to me—I’ve known Them since the beginning, and They have always known me too.

2. Spending Time with Them

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young man gazing at sky

Photograph from Getty Images

Just as I might set aside time to visit a friend, I made time to spend with Heavenly Father and the Savior every day. I said heartfelt prayers out loud and took time to listen. I played and pondered my favorite hymns. I meditated. And because temples were closed (due to COVID-19), I would go on peaceful walks.

I usually have a podcast or audiobook sounding in my ear when I go walking. But during these walks, I disconnected from the world. I chose to listen for Them. Doing this helped me connect with the Spirit and recognize and ponder the intricate details of the world and my purpose.

I realized how much thought Heavenly Father and the Savior put into Their creations—including me.

I felt a lot of spiritual power come from that quality quiet time with my Heavenly Father and Savior. I recognized more of my blessings, I found greater gratitude for life overall, I received more assurance in my decisions, and I could feel Their quiet strength sustaining me.

Just as with any other relationship, prioritizing quality time brought us much closer.

3. Recognizing How They Show Me Love

We all best receive love in certain ways.12 I thought about how other people have shown me love and what has affected me the most over the years, and I realized that I’ve always felt most loved through the meaningful words of others.

And when I realized this, I also realized that for me, the most profound answers to prayer or the greatest comfort from Heavenly Father or the Savior has always been through words, whether those words came from someone who was prompted to talk to me, through truths in the scriptures, through books, or through beautiful quotes from prophets and apostles. Words have always filled my soul and given me comfort more than anything else.

I also thought of how They offer me love through other means, like through my loved ones, through strangers, and even through pleasant “coincidences” and mercies. I was moved to tears when I recognized just how They show me love in so many ways, but especially in the way I receive it best. They truly know us and how to reach us personally and effectively.

We too can show Them love in the best ways we know how—by sharing the gospel, following Them, and serving others.

If you need help figuring out how They show you love, ask Heavenly Father for help in recognizing it. He will show you.13

Building Real Relationships

This experience gave me a glimpse at how much spiritual strength I can gain by prioritizing my relationship with Heavenly Father and the Savior.

And I plan to keep on utilizing these relationship tips. I now truly see my relationship with Them as real, powerful, precious, and eternal. They aren’t intangible, as I once thought.

They are with us. They are in the details. They stand ready to shower us with strength, comfort, wisdom, guidance, and peace, especially when we make time and room for Them in our lives.

Try out your own methods to grow closer to Them and see what happens! I can testify that as we prioritize these vital relationships and follow Them, we will be able to access the Savior’s healing influence, move forward with faith (see Philippians 4:13), and find greater confidence and joy.

I know I have.

In an interview with the Church magazines, three young adults share their witness of Jesus Christ’s Atonement and how scripture study and prayer can help us develop a more personal relationship with God.