Area Leadership Message
God Is Your Heavenly Father, Who Knows and Loves You
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” (John 10:14). Our Savior and Redeemer knows us; He loves us and wants to show us the way back to our Heavenly Father.
The scriptures testify that our Heavenly Father feels an infinite love for each of us. In John 3:16, we read, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
In the spring of 1820, when Joseph Smith was 14, he felt very troubled because of the confusion and disagreements about religion in his community. Deciding to pray about it, he went to a quiet place near his home and knelt in prayer to talk to his Heavenly Father. What happened during this event manifested God’s great love for us. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. God then told Joseph He knew him by name and asked him to listen to His Son. (See Joseph Smith—History 1:8–17.)
Our Heavenly Father knows who we are and where we are and continually teaches us to do what is good. Because we live in a noisy world, we are easily distracted and confused. Our Heavenly Father has provided prophets who have guided us throughout the ages. Today, our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, is helping us to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He encourages us to make our discipleship our highest priority. (See “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” Liahona, Nov. 2024.)
He promises that anyone who sincerely seeks Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple. The temple is a house of holiness, where we leave behind the distractions and burdens of the world to focus on Christ’s love and mercy. We can feel His mercy, find answers to our most troubling questions, and better understand the joy of His gospel. I testify of the Father’s love and the assurance of His promises.
Through my experience in Church service, I have witnessed great miracles and cherished memories that have helped me recognize the Father’s love and guidance. A few years ago, as a young bishop, I remember planning to visit some of my ward members with the stake presidency. On this particular occasion, I had a powerful impression to visit the home of a young man I had not met yet. I had just been called as bishop, and his family had not been previously attending.
When we arrived at the family home, the mother was overjoyed to see us. This was a family of two good parents, two daughters, and a son, who was a future Aaronic Priesthood holder. We introduced ourselves and told her that her son was a member of the quorum I presided over. After that visit, the family began attending church and following the covenant path.
As a family, they made covenants in the temple, the three children served full-time missions, and they continued to strive to live the gospel. I know that Heavenly Father knew them, loved them, and cared enough about them to send inspiration to a young, inexperienced bishop to find them and invite them back to the fold.
In Romans 8:35, 37–39 we read:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
During trials and challenges, let us always remember the immense love of our Heavenly Father. Let us guard against pride, which can creep in when we achieve temporal success and make us feel superior to others. Instead, let us remain humble and steadfast in prayer, scripture study, and renewing our covenants each Sunday by partaking of the sacrament.
We should also strive to attend the temple, minister, and serve others with love. We can receive divine guidance by listening to the Lord through His chosen servants—the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—as they are beacons of light in our lives.
Jesus Christ lives, and He loves us. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His Church. The Book of Mormon brings us closer to our Heavenly Father. If we hear the voice of the Lord that comes through our beloved prophet, we will be greatly blessed. I testify of these things and share them in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.