“I don’t feel worthy to be loved by the Savior. How can I overcome this feeling and recognize my self-worth?” Liahona, December 2018
Questions & Answers
“I don’t feel worthy to be loved by the Savior. How can I overcome this feeling and recognize my self-worth?”
Pray to Feel His Love
We are all sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. His love for us is infinite. If we ever feel like we are unworthy of His love, we should pray to Him. Pray to feel His love. Pray that you will feel worthy of His love for you and that you can see yourself as He sees you. In His time and His way, He will always answer our prayers with an affirmation of His perfect love. Whenever I have felt down or lonely, praying for His love has always lifted me up.
Julia M., age 16, Virginia, USA
Draw Close to the Savior
Recently in a mission preparation class, we had a discussion about how to open our eyes to God’s love for us. We discussed various things that we could do to feel more self-worth; some of these things are serving your neighbor, praying for help in things that matter to you, reading the scriptures, and being a missionary. All these things are meant to bring us closer to Jesus Christ and help us see our potential to become like Him.
Santiago Z., age 17, Arizona, USA
Keep the Commandments
Sometimes I do not feel worthy to be loved by the Savior because I am not totally obedient to the Lord’s commandments. I can overcome these feelings by repenting, sometimes with the help of my bishop, who teaches me that the Lord loves all of His children.
Jacques D., age 15, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Repentance Is Key
We all commit sin, and because of that, we may feel unworthy of the Savior’s love. But He gave His life for us—He sacrificed for us. That selfless act was done because of love. The only thing we need to do to feel worthy of His love is use the power of His Atonement by repenting of our sins. Repentance is the key in recognizing our self-worth and the love of the Savior.
Sister Custan, age 23, Philippines Cebu Mission
Love Others
One way to recognize our self-worth is to recognize the self-worth of those around us. Focusing on others helps us feel good about ourselves because we are building others up. It’s a win-win! When I struggled with self-confidence, I decided I would serve someone around me who needed help. Every day for a month I gave a compliment to a friend who was struggling. Focusing on others helped me feel worthy and needed. When we strive to love others for who they are, it becomes easier to see how much God loves us. Helping others feel worthy of love will help us feel worthy of love ourselves.
Jayme W., age 15, Minnesota, USA