How can I know my Heavenly Father?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us and wants us to draw near to Him. He has given us the opportunity to pray to Him and has promised to hear and answer our prayers. We can also come to know Him as we study the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets and as we strive to become more like Him by following His will.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

John 17:3 (Knowing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ leads to eternal life)
1 John 2:3–5 (We know God if we keep His commandments)
1 John 4:7–8 (Loving others helps us to know God)
2 Nephi 32:9; Enos 1:1–7; Alma 34:17–28; 37:37 (Prayer can help us draw closer to Heavenly Father)
Mosiah 4:9–12 (King Benjamin describes how to grow in our knowledge of God)
Mosiah 5:13 (Serving God helps us get to know Him better)
Alma 30:44 (All things denote there is a God)
Doctrine and Covenants 88:63–65 (If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us)
1 John 2:3–5; 4:7–8; Enos 1:1–7; Mosiah 4:9–12; 5:13; Doctrine and Covenants 88:63–65; 93:1 (How we come to know Heavenly Father)
C. Scott Grow, “And This Is Life Eternal,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 121–24
D. Todd Christofferson, “Abide in My Love,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 48–51
“He Knows Me” (video)

3:1
“Prayer” (video)

4:12
“I Know My Father Lives,” Hymns, no. 302; “O My Father,” Hymns, no. 292

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

Think about your relationship with your Father in Heaven. When have you felt closest to Him? What were you doing that allowed you to feel closer to Him?

How do the young women in your class feel about themselves? How can having a strong relationship with Heavenly Father strengthen their sense of self-worth? How can you help the young women strengthen this relationship?

What can the young women do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

Our class: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?
Our responsibilities: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?
Our lives: Remind the class of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a class presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the class; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help class members understand the doctrine.

Invite the young women to study the ways we can come to know Heavenly Father as taught in Elder C. Scott Grow’s talk “And This Is Life Eternal.” What experiences can the young women share when one of these suggestions helped them feel close to Heavenly Father? Why is it important to come to know Heavenly Father better?
Invite the young women to imagine that one of their friends says to them, “God loves all of us unconditionally, so it doesn’t matter how we act—we will all be saved.” How would they respond to their friend? Invite the young women to review portions of Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk “Abide in My Love,” searching for counsel they could use to help their friend understand God’s love.
Assign each young woman one of the following scriptures: 1 John 2:3–5; 4:7–8; Enos 1:1–7; Mosiah 4:9–12; 5:13; Doctrine and Covenants 88:63–65; 93:1. Ask the young women to study their scripture passages and look for ways they can know Heavenly Father. Invite them to share what they learn and any experiences they have had coming to know their Heavenly Father in these ways.
Invite the young women to read John 17:3, and ask them to explain the difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone. Invite them to think about someone they know very well. What have they done to get to know that person? List their responses on the board. How can we use similar methods to know Heavenly Father? Invite the class to read Enos 1:1–7 and look for ways they can improve their communication with Heavenly Father. After they have discussed what they found, invite them to ponder their relationship with Heavenly Father for a few minutes and consider what they can do to improve it.
Invite the class to share experiences they have had with prayer. Show the video “Prayer.” What impresses the young women about President Monson’s testimony? What do the young women notice about Sister Ogando’s relationship with Heavenly Father? What role did prayer play in that relationship? Give the young women a few minutes to reflect on their relationship with Heavenly Father and how they can improve that relationship.

4:12

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Ask the young women to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a class to apply what they have learned?
Give the young women a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.
Remind the young women that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.