Brother Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Living the Gospel Joyful

Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Living the Gospel Joyful

Read or watch the full talk here

I am a child of God. And you are too.

I feel like this was the consistent message of Women’s Conference this year. I’ve read it over and over again and I love it. I wish more people knew and understood just what that means. I know that I am only starting to understand what it means. 

According to Brother Uchtdorf, “pondering this truth - that we are children of heavenly parents’- fills us with a sense of origin, purpose, and destiny.” I am so thankful that I know that I am a child of God and that I have heavenly parents looking out for me. (I have to give a shout out to Heavenly Mother. She isn’t spoken of often. I love her and I can’t wait to meet her.) 

One addition that Brother Uchtdorf made to the reminder was/ is the fact that our “divine origin alone does not guarantee [us] a diving inheritance.” Rather, it is something we have to prepare for by (1) walking the path of discipleship, (2) obeying God’s commandments, and (3) living the gospel joyfully. 

I really loved the idea that came next. Brother Uchtdorf said, “Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt, and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us.” 

Think about this image for a moment. Most of the time people associate an umbrella with protection and shelter. In this case, the umbrella is standing in between us and our Heavenly Father. 

Now think for a minute about rain and all that it does. It fills the oceans, it waters plants and crops all over the world. It is life sustaining. 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to put up a barrier between me and the most important life sustaining resource I have access to, my Heavenly Father. 

There is so much to discuss in this talk, but I am going to close with the following quote. 
“He is not waiting to love you until you have overcome your weaknesses and bad habits. He loves you today with a full understanding of your struggles. He is aware that you reach up to Him in heartfelt and hopeful prayer. He knows of the times you have held onto the fading light and believed - even in the midst of growing darkness. He knows of your sufferings. He knows of your remorse for the times you have fallen short or failed. And still He loves you. “ 

Thank you, Brother Uchtdorf, for these inspired and uplifting words.