WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD

While participating in one of my favorite out of the house leisure experiences, that being observing, wondering about and pondering concerning people, I have also taken ample time to think about my own beliefs and actions concerning the billions who have dwelt on this planet at one time or another and their relationship to me.

Spiritually it has always been easy for me to believe in the doctrine which Nephi mentions in the following words.

Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it. (1 Nephi 17:36)

During my life I have sung about being a child of God, I have had Apostles and Prophets teach me that all who possess this earth are spirit off spring of the same Eternal Parentage and I have had the Holy Spirit bear witness to me that all who have inhabited this earth are universally brothers and sisters.

YET:

I yield myself to those actions which contribute to the dysfunctionality of our universal family.

I find myself being confused between the realities of being blessed because of the consequences of righteous choices and coming to the conclusion that I am better than a universal sibling.

I am too quick to judge all that I do and think to be right while questioning the thoughts and actions of my universal brothers and sisters.

I am prone to view some with undo skepticism while putting unmerited trust in others because of group alliances.

I have to censor myself at times when I yield to the tendency to make generalizations about a group of brothers and sisters based on the actions of one person from that group.

I sadly feel joy when a child from my group gains prominence over someone from another group, when in reality I should be empathetic about the feelings stemming from the failure of a sibling.

I am sure with just a little bit of thought I could extend this list of how my thoughts and actions fail to meet the level of the belief I have that we are all of the Eternal Family of Heavenly Parents, but I will leave the list at this point and leave it to the readers of these Thoughts to add their own ideas of where and when this gap might exist in their lives.

Although the day has come in Kathleen’s and my mortal journey when travel has become a burden rather than a pleasure, I am grateful that we have been able to travel broadly during our lives, a blessing which has made it possible to get to know at least a few of our universal family from many different groups scattered about our sphere.

These journeys were always too brief and relationships with these far flung members of our eternal family were few and quick, but we were able to broaden the scope of understanding the same-nesses we share with people of other cultures.

I am well aware that I understand and have feelings for those in the western part of the United States of America on a stronger and on a different level than those short glimpses of people from cultures in other parts of the world, but I am also appreciative that my belief in all mankind being Spirit Children of our Heavenly Parentage has been strengthened because of these short sojourns.

Although there are only two places outside of the western part of the United States of America which I have enjoyed an extensive stay: one being Mexico, where I served as a missionary for more than two years and the other being Colombia, where Kathleen and I served as missionaries for three years, I am grateful I was able to come to the reality that if someone is able to spend sufficient time in the company of brothers and sisters of other cultures it will be very easy to view them as part of their eternal family.

I know I still have a long way to go, but my heart’s desire is that my journey of coming to know and love my dispersed family will continue until it is universal and this doctrine becomes We are Children of God.

Although there are many reasons why I count the privilege of being authorized to use the Sealing Keys possessed by the Living Prophet of the Lord as a great blessing, my involvement in this calling has amplified one blessing for which I am particularly grateful. It is that the expanded perspective of the relationships of those who have, do and will possess this earth has become lateral rather than vertical.

Rather than being overwhelmed with endless genealogy which might or might not include beggars, thieves, priests or kings. My vision now sees every person receiving every ordinance as a brother or sister and my family increasingly becomes more universal.

As a reminder from the Apostle John:

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (1 John 4: 7-11, 16-21)

I am grateful for the understanding and testimony I have that before we were blessed with the sun shining upon us in this mortal stage of our eternal existence we mingled together as a universal family of Spirit Children of our Eternal Parents.

I am grateful for the understanding and testimony I have that one of the most important principles of the gospel we need to make our own during our mortal span is teaching our physical minds and bodies about the universal kinship we share with those who possess this earth and how to righteously love and sustain them.

I am grateful for the understanding and testimony I have that, in our post mortal stage of existence we will have ample time to once again return to having the universal love and sustaining relationships with all of Heavenly Father’s children and we will then have the absolute assurance of their being our brothers and sisters.

I am grateful for the understanding and testimony I have that every step I take in accepting and demonstrating love for all of Heavenly Fathers Children increases the joy of the journey.


WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD!

THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY
EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY