A Child of God

I am a Child of God, and He has Sent me Here,
Has given me an earthly home,
with parents Kind and Dear”  –

Listen To: “For The Beauty Of The Earth”

We believe that each of our lives has a divine purpose, and that by coming to this earth we are part of a great Plan that involves gaining a body, and being tested on how we choose to govern ourselves with the free agency endowed upon us by our loving Father in Heaven. We believe that in the beginning, we all lived together as spirit children with our Father in Heaven. We were, and are, very literally brothers and sisters. We knew each other well, and we loved each other dearly.

We learned, and we developed our intelligence and our personalities. However, there came a time when our progression was impeded. Just as earthly children are designed to grow, and become like their parents, we as the spirit children of our Heavenly parents were preparing and anxious to do likewise. In order for us to reach this goal, however, it meant taking a new step in our progression. A large counsel was held in heaven. (I imagine that this must have been so large, it was possibly carried by “heavenly satellite” throughout a great expanse of space, so that all could hear…). Our Father had a very important announcement. It was time to explain the next step in our progression. Imagine the excitement and anticipation that must have been present at that Great meeting! The time had finally arrived for the Plan of Salvation to be presented to us. This plan would be the means for us to progress and to provide the opportunity to fulfill our ultimate destiny.

Father in Heaven explained to us that the Plan involved being sent to an earth and gaining a physical body. This earth life would be our testing ground. It would be a time set aside when we would be given the free agency to choose between good or evil all on our own. The Plan was designed for us to retain a family support network. On earth, we would be given a family unit to dwell in, with a mother and father who’s responsibility it would be to nurture, guide, love and teach, just as our Heavenly parents. Many would also have the opportunity to become parents themselves and extend the family chain.

We understood that after a period of time on earth, whether lasting only a few seconds, or many years, our mortal body would die. The mortal body would return to the earthly elements, our Spirit body would return home to the world where it was created, and thus we would continue on our eternal journey. A Savior, Jesus Christ, would be provided for us, and a promise was given that in the future a day would come when our spirit would be reunited with our body in a perfect form through Resurrection. Bringing us ever closer to becoming like our Father.
In order for this life to be a true test, we could not be allowed to remember our pre-earth life. A curtain, or “veil” would be placed over our minds. Although we would not be able to see into our past life, the light would be able to filter through to us.

Often people describe certain moments when the “veil is very thin”, or in other words, when we can nearly grasp a memory or have a strong feeling that reminds us of that special time before this life. Perhaps we may even see or feel a glimpse of life after death, our future homecoming. Our memory of our Heavenly Father’s love can never completely leave us for we are bound to Him as His child.

Our life, then is “a time to prepare to meet God”. We are homeward bound. Death only ends mortality. It is the portal we pass through into our next phase of progression. Time is our precious and fleeting gift. What will we do with our time on this earth? How will we choose to spend it?Before we left our pre-earth life, we understood that this would be the time for us to gain education, serve others, learn to control human desires and passions and manage our appetites. Will we allow our eternal spirit to guide our daily lives? This is our choice. It takes great dedication and endurance. It is always easier to follow the downward slope.

Many of us choose to act badly, to be unkind, to break God’s laws. Many have chosen to ignore our Father’s parting instructions given to us for our safety and happiness. Tragically, many children have chosen to disrespect their precious bodies and even to abuse the bodies of others. The family unit which is so critical and sacred to our Father’s Plan is under attack, fractured, and often broken. So many have forgotten who they really are and what their true purpose is here on this earth.
My brothers and sisters, often when my “veil is thin” I remember and feel the love that we shared together before this life. My spirit reaches out to yours. I have included a video here that is one of the most beautiful examples of what I have been talking about today. This is the story of two spirit children of our Heavenly Father who came to this earth. Each was given a mortal body that was very different. However, what they have done with these bodies is truly inspiring. This is also a glorious example of what a loving parent and child relationship can be. I hope watching this touches your inner soul as much as it has mine, and lifts you up. I hope that you will feel warmth and light. Life can get very hard and discouraging. But, never give up. We have a purpose for being here! And when we leave this life, we will remember all things again. Our Father in Heaven is with us, and He wants us to succeed. He will not abandon us. We are on a divine journey, and this earth life is only the smallest part in a grand Plan!