God’s Love for His Children

By Elder M. Russell Ballard

of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

(Adapted from an April 1988 general conference address. See Ensign, May 1988, pages 57–59.)

To truly reverence the Creator, we must appreciate His creations. We need to take time with our families to share the miracle of buds changing into fragrant blossoms, to sit on a hillside and feel the tranquility of the sun casting its last golden glow over the horizon, to smell the roses.

When we look at the evidence of creation all around us, from a grain of sand to the majestic planets, we begin to realize that we are the greatest of all God’s creations; we are created in His image.

God expresses His love for us by helping us to progress and reach our potential. Perhaps a simple story will illustrate this point. A young man could not get his computer to work properly. Soon he became discouraged. His temper grew short, and he threatened to destroy the computer. His wise father intervened and took his son to a local vendor to get an instruction manual. After all, who would know more about a computer than the person or company that created it? By working within the guidelines given in the instruction book, the boy soon enjoyed the full potential of his computer.

Likewise in our lives, He who knows most about us, about our potential and our eternal possibilities, has given us divine counsel and commandments in His instruction manuals—the holy scriptures. When we understand and follow these instructions, our lives have purpose and meaning. We learn that our Maker loves us and desires our happiness.

Illustrated by Lori Anderson