God Is Your Heavenly Father, Who Knows You and Loves You

Elder Daniel Ankonu Abeo

Area Seventy

Our existence in mortality may come with uncertainty or sometimes make us question the existence of God and His love for us. Amid our tribulations, we might plead, as the Savior did when He hung on the cross and cried with a loud voice, saying, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). These dark moments of our life make us question if there is a God who, for a moment, seems out of reach.

During my childhood, I stayed with my grandmother, who taught me about the existence of Heavenly Father and His love for us. I had challenging times during my childhood, but what she taught me continues to echo, anchoring my belief that Heavenly Father loves me.

In 2012, I lost my brother with whom I had a very close relationship, and in 2024, shortly after she returned from her mission, I lost a daughter. Both deaths were very painful to me, and they challenged my belief in God’s love. I was consoled by messages from our prophets and apostles, which reminded me of God’s love for me. Many leaders have had similar or more challenging experiences and yet remain faithful and grateful to God’s love.

Some leaders in the scriptures have also wrestled with doubt or had deep spiritual struggles about God’s love. Job’s words in moments of suffering reflect the deep anguish of a man who could not understand why God seemed distant in his trials. After losing his children, health, and wealth in rapid succession (see Job 1–2), Job cried out in grief and confusion, questioning God’s justice and even the purpose of his own life. In Job 10:1, he says, “I will speak in the bitterness of my soul,” expressing the raw pain of feeling abandoned by the very God he had faithfully served.

While Job never denied God’s existence, his story shows that we may sometimes wrestle with doubt and sorrow while holding on to our desire for divine understanding about our Heavenly Father’s existence and His love for us.

God’s Infinite Love

We may be going through some life challenges that make us feel, for a moment, that Heavenly Father is far away. I testify that He is near and will attend to us with His Love. Elder Karl D. Hirst of the Seventy counseled that “when we don’t feel the warmth of divine love, it hasn’t gone away.”

So, when life throws at us the bitter cup, withdrawing ourselves from the very things that will help us stay on the covenant path should not be an option!

Heavenly Father sees beyond our perspective. He sees us every day. His love is constant. He knows and loves us personally. His relationship with us is spiritual, for He is our loving Father, and we are His children. His love makes it possible for us to receive ordinances and covenants that demonstrate His love for us, that transform our lives and help us to reciprocate His love to others. Our Heavenly Father’s infinite love is demonstrated when He gave us His Only Begotten son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins.

Covenants are not just promises we make to God. They are how He claims us as His. When we make and keep covenants, we enter into a relationship with Him in which we are not just remembered, but we are known!

How to Know and Feel God’s Love

When the Spirit speaks directly to our hearts through impressions, thoughts, peace, or even correction, we begin to realize that God sees us individually. The answers may be quiet, but they are always tailored. The Lord knows you. When you are worthy, he will guide you to where you need to be, even when you’re not sure what comes next.

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained, “The Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, … which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Sometimes we see it in hindsight: a perfectly timed call, a miracle, a moment of peace in chaos. These tender mercies are evidence that God is aware of our situation, emotions, and needs.

Communication with Him

There’s always a way to communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer. Prayer is about learning to listen, to notice, and to feel when He responds. The second verse in the Primary songbook captures this beautifully by answering a child’s worried question about prayer:

Pray, he is there;
Speak, he is listening.
You are his child;
His love now surrounds you.

When we take time to communicate with God, we begin to see evidence that He not only hears us, but He knows us.

You Are Never Alone

My brothers and sisters, Heavenly Father is aware of us. He hears us and is mindful of us. I offer you my gentle assurance that God doesn’t just know where we are; He knows who we are. And He beckons us forward, hand in hand. You are seen! You are known! You are not forgotten!

I have felt His love, and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ gives me the assurance that our Heavenly Father is always mindful of us. With this, I testify that Heavenly Father knows us and love us dearly. I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.