Who Am I?
Who am I? Why am I here? Is my life important? The holy scriptures teach that we are children of God with a unique identity and purpose.
You are a child of God
God is the father of your spirit. Just as fathers on earth love and care for their children, your Heavenly Father wants to have a relationship with you. You are the “offspring of God” (Acts 17:29), and as His child, you have infinite potential.
You are one of a kind
You are an individual like no other. God created you with unique strengths. You have the divine potential to become who God wants you to be—the best version of yourself.
God knows you
God knows you personally. He is watching over you and knows exactly the difficulties you face—and He knows exactly the abilities you have been given to overcome them. He wants to see you succeed and reach your full potential. He wants you to return to live with Him again after this life.
Learn about God’s plan for us
Before you were born, you lived with God, your Heavenly Father. He knew you, loved you, and taught you about the choices that would lead to lasting happiness. This period is called the premortal life.
God wanted us to come to earth to gain a physical body. Here, we face challenges and situations that help us learn and grow so we can become more like Him.
God knew that we would make mistakes, so He chose Jesus to come to earth and suffer for our sins. Jesus’s sacrifice allows us to be forgiven and cleansed of our sins so we can live with God again someday.
Here on earth, we don’t remember living with God. As a result, we must have faith and learn to choose between right and wrong. Life isn’t easy, but hard times let us appreciate happiness and peace.
Jesus suffered and died for our sins. But that doesn’t take our responsibility away—we must choose to accept Jesus by repenting when we make mistakes, being baptized, and keeping His commandments.
When we die, our spirit and body separate. Our spirit goes to the spirit world. It is a place of rest and happiness for those who have made good choices and a state of hell for those who have made bad ones.
The spirit world is not a final destination or judgment. In fact, because God is so loving and fair, those people in hell who never knew about Jesus are taught His gospel and given the opportunity to accept Him.
Jesus overcame death so we can all live again. This is called the resurrection. When we are resurrected, our spirits and bodies reunite. Our bodies will be perfect and will never die again.
Jesus will judge us according to our actions and the desires of our hearts. He will be as merciful as He can. Because our actions and desires vary, heaven includes different kingdoms or degrees of glory.
Our Heavenly Father and Jesus reside in the celestial kingdom. If you live by Jesus’s teachings and are cleansed from sin by His sacrifice, you will go there. You will live in God’s presence and experience lasting joy.
People who refuse to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ but who live otherwise honorable lives will receive a place in the terrestrial kingdom.
Those who continue in their sins and do not repent will receive a place in the telestial kingdom.
God loves you
No matter your past or how many mistakes you have made, God loves you. He loves us even when we make poor decisions, and when we feel unworthy of His love. While our love can sometimes fall short, be shallow, or even be selfish, God’s love is steadfast (see Isaiah 54:10), “everlasting” (Jeremiah 31:3), and selfless (see 1 John 4:9). God wants to help each of us find joy. He loves you, watches out for you, and wants to communicate with you through prayer. God’s love is there, and it’s available to you today and every day.
You have a purpose
Because God is a perfect Father, He wants to bless you and give you direction to find peace and joy in your life. He has a plan for each of His children. As we come unto Him, He can guide us to find purpose in life. He wants you to return to His presence and be happy forever. You can do this by following Jesus Christ and using your talents to serve God and His children.
You have unique gifts and challenges
Your traits and abilities make you unique. God gives you certain experiences to help you grow and to use your traits and abilities. He also gives you gifts that help you bless the lives of others and overcome the challenges you’ll encounter in life.