God Is Our Loving Heavenly Father

"We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." First Article of Faith

I believe in God, an all-powerful, all-knowing perfect Being that exists.  I believe that God has revealed some things about Himself that are important for me to know.  Chief among these is that God is our loving Heavenly Father.  These four words, our loving Heavenly Father, say a lot to me.


Our.  God is everyone's Heavenly Father, yours and mine, whether we accept Him or not.  God is inclusive; nobody is left out.  "All are alike unto God" (2 Nephi 26:33). Because I know this, I know that I am included in the family of God.  


Loving.  God is loving.  Some people may view God as angry or indifferent or callous.  Not me.  He loves me, He cares about me, He knows me, He thinks about me, and He wants me to be happy.


Heavenly.  God is in heaven and is the supreme Ruler there.  He is perfect in every way.  He has none of our human weaknesses.  He sees things from an eternal and heavenly perspective.  I can trust God fully, that He knows best and has prepared a way for my lasting happiness.


Father.  God is a Father.  We know that He is the Father of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  He is also the spiritual Father of all people.  Jesus Himself taught this when He said, "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." (John 20:17).  When I think of God as a Father, I think of Him as a perfect father.  He knows me personally, and He is interested in my well-being.  He weeps with me over my heartaches and failures, and He rejoices with me in my successes.  He wants to be close to me; He wants a personal relationship with me.  He invites me to get to know Him and to emulate His perfect character.


When I realize that God is my loving Heavenly Father, my love for Him swells within me and I desire to be obedient to Him and to love and serve His other children, my brothers and sisters.


Because God is my loving Heavenly Father, He feels a deep responsibility for my eternal welfare.  He has not and will not leave me alone to fail.  He is involved in my life.  He has a plan for my lasting happiness, and Jesus Christ is central to that plan.


Learn more about how Jesus Christ is central to God's plan of happiness at mormon.org.