“He Knows Who I Am,” New Era, Oct. 2012, 26–27
He Knows Who I Am
Photograph © iStock
God has numberless creations, and He has an individual plan for me.
It’s often easy to feel insignificant when you look at all that God has created in His infinite timetable. Seeing the vast differences in climates, people, and cultures just on this earth can be overwhelming.
Once while camping in the beautiful canyons of southern Utah, the group I was with hiked the rock formations and learned how water had worked away at the stones for thousands of years to form their current design. At night, we stared at the thousands of stars in awe. At times like these, I’ve had friends who have commented, “With such numerous creations, I don’t think God knows me or cares about my life.” What my friends fail to recognize is the reason for all of God’s creations. Our loving Heavenly Father has made this miraculous planet for each of us so we may gain experience and find joy. In 2 Nephi 2:25, we read, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”
How could God put so much thought into the intricate workings of where we live and how we function and then leave us on our own? He doesn’t. Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) remarked, “When we say God has a plan, he truly has a plan—not simply a grand scale, but for each of us as individuals” (Deposition of a Disciple [1976], 45). That doesn’t mean everything will be easy on our road. Elder Maxwell explained, “The plan always points the way, but does not always smooth the way” (“The Great Plan of the Eternal God,” Ensign, May 1984, 22). When something doesn’t turn out the way we imagined, we need to remember God’s eternal timetable and trust that there are reasons beyond our narrow scope of vision.
Proverbs 3:5 counsels, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” The Lord knows us and has crafted the world for our growth, development, and happiness. It is up to us to take advantage of those opportunities. With every talk in sacrament meeting, every time we succeed, and, indeed, every time we fail, we can learn and come closer to God, becoming more of what He would have for us. Heavenly Father will help us along our individual path if we keep the commandments and follow His will.