Understanding Your Divine Identity

By YA Weekly staff

When we seek to truly understand our divine identity, our perspective changes.

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photo of young adult

Photograph by Amanda Steed

Who am I? Who do I want to be? These are two questions that all of us might ask at some point in our lives.

Understanding our identity is key to how we view ourselves and others. But these questions can be hard to answer when voices all around us say that our identity and worth come from temporal things like our looks, social status, or success at work or school.

The world is far too easy to listen to, and its voices can leave us feeling overwhelmed, disheartened, or lost. But when we really understand our divine nature, we can begin to see ourselves and others as God sees us.

Who Are We?

Some of us either grew up singing “I Am a Child of God” (Hymns, no. 301) or learned it at some point. But even if you know the words by heart, it’s easy to overlook the importance of our heavenly heritage.

The Apostle Paul taught that we are more than mortal beings:

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16).

Modern prophets and apostles have reaffirmed this truth. President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught: “Because we are the spirit children of God, everyone has a divine origin, nature, and potential. Each of us ‘is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents.’ This is our identity! This is who we really are!”¹

This truth includes the knowledge that we lived with God before this life, that we were created in His image, and that we have not only a divine nature but also a divine destiny.

Building Confidence

Even with all these reminders, we can sometimes still question who we are. Satan constantly works to make us lose sight of who we are because he knows that when we understand and live according to our divine identity, we are blessed with divine power. Our confidence can increase as we come to know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

As you study the scriptures, look for evidence of God’s love for His children. Pray to see God’s hand in your life, and record times when you feel His love or recognize His guidance. If negative thoughts come, remind yourself how you know that God knows and cares about you.

Learn the attributes of the Savior. As you do, you will be able to better see them in yourself and have a clearer vision of the person you can become with His help (see Moroni 7:48).

And developing a closer relationship with Heavenly Father and the Savior will help you see the infinite potential that They see in you.

Knowing Our Divine Nature

So what can this knowledge do for you? When we truly understand that we are children of God, we can:

Find our worth in our relationship with God instead of in temporary or worldly sources.
See that His love dispels fear and brings peace to our lives (see 1 John 4:18).
Look past our differences and love others. We are all “brothers and sisters bound by a common divine heritage,” explained President Ballard. “That one simple, unifying fact should override all else that we allow to cause separation and division among us.”²
Have an eternal perspective. Our divine identity reminds us of our end goal—to become like our heavenly parents and return to live with them. As Elder José A. Teixeira of the Seventy taught, “Understanding who you truly are better prepares you to recognize and remember your way back to your heavenly home and yearn to be there.”³
Find confidence and keep trusting in God’s guidance through all the opportunities, challenges, and experiences that come our way.

Knowing who we truly are helps us find lasting happiness and peace. So when life gets hard or the voices of the world get loud, remember that our Heavenly Father will always be there to help us see ourselves for who we truly are and can become.

In an interview with the Church magazines, young adults share how they have felt God’s love.