“Why Remembering Who You Are Matters,” Liahona, Feb. 2024.
Young Adults
Why Remembering Who You Are Matters
You were sent right here, right now, to help prepare the world for the Lord’s glorious return.
The Lord’s prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, has said some exhilarating things about the future. Consider this bold prophetic statement:
“My dear brothers and sisters, so many wonderful things are ahead. In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns ‘with power and great glory’ [Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:36], He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful.”1
I pay particular attention when President Nelson says things like that. As I think about what is happening in the world today, my thoughts turn to you as the present and future leaders of the Church. You will have a front-row seat to many of the Lord’s great manifestations of power. In fact, I believe you’ll be more than witnesses—you’ll be participants. The Lord will use you as His instruments in making latter-day miracles happen.
The Lord Trusts You
Why do I think so? Because of what President Nelson has said about you. Speaking specifically to young adults, he declared, “You ‘are a chosen generation’ (1 Peter 2:9), foreordained by God to do a remarkable work—to help prepare the people of this world for the Second Coming of the Lord!”2
You are one of the “noble and great ones” (Abraham 3:22). The Lord trusts you, and He knows you are capable of accomplishing great things with the talents and gifts He gave you.
When expectations are high, it’s natural to worry that we won’t measure up. “What if I botch it and let the Lord down?” Fear of failure can be paralyzing. But I know you can succeed for two reasons: (1) what I know about you and (2) what I know about the Savior Jesus Christ.
Remember Who You Are
Satan is doing everything he can to confuse and mislead you about who you really are. That’s how he plans to keep you from your exciting future. To counter this, President Nelson has taught us with clarity about our true identity. “First and foremost, you are a child of God,” he said. “Second, as a member of the Church, you are a child of the covenant. And third, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ.”3
Why does that matter? Consider what it really means to be a child of God. It means you have divinity within you. It means you have eternal worth—intrinsic worth, independent of your earthly circumstances. Your potential is limitless!
On top of that, you are a child of the covenant. That gives you a special bond with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.4 Just as marriage binds a couple together and signifies a more committed relationship than just dating, your covenants elevate your relationship with God to a higher level of commitment and power.
In addition, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. That means you try to love as He loves, forgive as He forgives, and stand for truth as He did throughout His mortal life.
If you see a child of God, a child of the covenant, and a disciple of Jesus Christ when you look in the mirror, then I am confident you can meet the Lord’s high expectations of you just as others before you have done.
Esther understood her true identity as she fought her fears, saved her people, and brought glory to God. Like Esther, you were prepared “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).
Jeremiah didn’t think he could measure up to the call God had for him. The Lord reminded Jeremiah of his eternal identity: “Before I formed thee … I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). He also promised to put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth (see Jeremiah 1:9). Similar blessings can be yours as you remember who you really are and why you are here.
Remember Who He Is
And yet, even as you try to see yourself as the Lord sees you, at times you will feel beaten down by your own weaknesses. That happens to all of us. It even happened to Nephi—the same person who courageously left Jerusalem, obtained the brass plates, saved his family from starving in the wilderness, built a ship, crossed the ocean, and established a new life in an unknown land. After all of that, in a moment of soul-searching, Nephi cried out:
“O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities” (2 Nephi 4:17).
But then, in a significant turn, he said: “Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support” (2 Nephi 4:19–20). Nephi knew that the Lord, who had been his strength all along, would continue to strengthen him. He declared, “Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin” (2 Nephi 4:28) and “Rejoice, O my heart …; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation” (2 Nephi 4:30).
Whenever you doubt yourself, you can say as Nephi did, “O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever” (2 Nephi 4:34). When you feel afraid or discouraged, remember these words of the Lord: “Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:34). You can be strong because He is strong.
With His Strength, You Can Do This!
At times, you will be tested to see how firmly you have built your life upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. At those times, “when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds … [and] all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you,” it’s not just the strength of the house that matters. It’s the strength of the house’s connection to the “sure foundation,” “the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ” (Helaman 5:12).
I testify that you are meant to be a key player in preparing the world for the Second Coming of the Savior. Wonderful, miraculous things need to happen between now and then. Hearts will change, walls of disbelief will come down, the borders of Zion’s tent will expand, God’s family will be gathered together. And you will be part of it. We all have challenges in this telestial world and face limits to what we can accomplish alone, but we can choose to return to the safety and peace within the fold of our Savior. Truly, we “can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth [us]” (Philippians 4:13).