Today is the last devotional of the semester. It is a particularly busy time for you, and you could be doing many other things right now, but you're not. Why did you choose to be here? What are you hoping to gain by coming to devotional today? I have been pondering this question for some time now as I have prepared for today. An idea that kept coming back to me was this: It is not a coincidence that we are here together at this time, on this day.
Our Father in Heaven does not control our lives, and He certainly does not manipulate our decisions. But He is omniscient-He knows everything: the past, present, and future. Another way of thinking about it is that nothing can surprise God. It is not a surprise to Him that you are here today. He knows that something you feel or experience today, at this devotional, can help you. So that puts a lot of pressure on me—at least that's the way I've been feeling lately. So what do you need right now? What would help you the most on this particular day, at this specific moment in time? I have worried about this and prayed about it and worried about it some more and prayed about it some more. And then I realized that I don't need to worry. My job is not to solve your problems or answer your questions or even to inspire you. My job is simply to remind you of one vitally important truth. I am here today to deliver a simple yet profound message to you: God is your Father in Heaven. He loves you. He knows you. He is aware of you. He hears you. He will answer you. Nothing is more important to Him than you. Isn't that wonderful?
We are in the last full week of the semester. By my counting, this is the 66th day of class. We have been in session for 12 weeks. So you have had three full months of experiences this semester. For some of you, these have been three of the greatest months of your life. A week from today, some of you will be graduating, having overcome challenges. And now, having persevered, you will achieve a major milestone. Some of you have set and achieved other personal goals related to your coursework, social life, physical and mental health, and your testimony of the Savior and His restored gospel. Some of you have found your passion in life and set a course for a lifelong career. Some of you have created friendships that will last a lifetime, and others of you have found love and companionship, and through prayer have gained confirmation that you are now ready to make eternal covenants and build a life and family together.
For others of you, these last 12 weeks have not been so wonderful. Maybe your roommates or classes haven't been what you had hoped they would be. You may have struggled with a lack of confidence, fear, and loneliness in new surroundings. For some of you, this has been the most trying period of your life. Some of you have experienced the divorce of your parents. Some of you have struggled with debilitating physical or mental illness. There have been financial challenges and deep disappointments related to friends and dating relationships. Jobs have been lost. Assignments have been failed. Some of you have experienced the pain of the death of a family member—even the overwhelming grief associated with the loss of a little child. There have been dark and difficult days where you have poured out your soul to your Heavenly Father, asking for His assistance, deliverance, and comfort.
Brothers and sisters, in all of your experiences—your most exhilarating highs and your most devastating lows—and all the mundane, run-of-the-mill ones in between, God is aware of you. You are His child, and He loves you. Next only to the Atonement of His Son Jesus Christ, this fact should give us more hope than any other thing we can know or come to learn.
Now, I just suggested to you that knowing you are a child of God and that He loves you should give you hope. And yet I confess to you that, personally, I struggle with this idea. How could the God of the universe be aware of me, let alone be personally interested in and invested in the details of my life? Of all the things He has created, how can He know and care for me?
After all, God taught Moses: "Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?
"I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end...
"...Worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten." [1]
After standing in God's presence and being taught these truths, Moses was overcome and left without strength for many hours, and when he recovered, "he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing." [2]
It can be difficult for me to comprehend how an infinite God with infinite creations can be aware of and love me. I have pondered and studied how this can be. And in the process, I have been strengthened by truths found in the scriptures and taught repeatedly by our general auxiliary leaders and our prophets and apostles. I would like to share with you four truths that have been meaningful to me and reminded me that our Father in Heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ, do know and love each of us individually.
Truth #1: He wants us to love and care for the things that He has blessed us with.
Nearly 20 years ago, my wife and I decided to build our own home. We had recently had our second child and were dreaming of a yard and space for our family to grow. We didn't have the money for a down payment on an existing home, and after much research, we learned about a program that would make it financially feasible for us to build a home. But it was an owner/builder program, which meant we would have to build the home ourselves. Along the way, there were many who gave us support and assistance—in particular my father, who would often drive from Pocatello, where he lives, down to Springville, Utah, where we were building. Every aspect of the building process was a learning experience and an experiment in saving money. For example, I decided that it wasn't worth the money to rent a crane for an afternoon to lift my roof trusses onto the house and set them in place. So I rigged up a system whereby I was able to swing up each truss individually onto the second story. This particular job was not a one-person job; I saved it for weekends when I had extra hands. When our home was completed and I would get up into the attic space for storage boxes, I would look at the trusses and think about that experience. It would come back to me in great detail. Oftentimes, late at night, I would just walk around the house, inside and outside, and look at every aspect of the house. I remembered the very first wall we stood up with plywood sheeting and how we celebrated our little patch of shade on a hot summer afternoon. I thought about nailing on shingles and laying bricks. I thought about leveling cabinets and cutting tile. I thought about pulling wire and calculating stair treads and risers. I thought about putting in insulation and staining woodwork. If you pointed at any part of my house, I could relate a specific memory of working in that very spot. Having done much of the work myself, I knew things that no one else knew about the details of the building process. I had invested a lot of time—and love—into my home, and none of it was insignificant to me.
In the eternal scheme of things, the effort and investment I put into my home really is insignificant. But I believe that God gave me that opportunity and prompted me to walk around my home slowly, recalling the details of the building process, to teach me. He has given me a family and wants me to invest in them and care for them as I participate in their building process. As we strive to be good stewards over the things He has given us, we learn to better understand, in small ways, how He loves us. It is a gift He has given to us.
Do you think your Father in Heaven remembers experiences He had with you when you lived with Him? When He looks at you now, do you think He remembers details of your progression before you came into this life? Do you think He views you as young and inexperienced, or old and wise? You are His child, and He has already invested great effort in you. He loves you.
I would like you to participate with me in a little activity. It doesn't require you to talk. In fact, it will work better if you don't. Please, very quietly, take out your phones. Now, think of someone you love, someone who is important and significant to you. What would a message of love from you mean to them right now? I would like you to send them a text that says this: "I love you because..." Then fill in something that is special to you about that person. Remember, no need to talk or visit; just text your message of love. I'm going to do the same thing. Let's take a few seconds to do that. Wasn't that great? We all need to know that we are loved. Your Heavenly Father loves you, and just as you have sent a message to let someone know that you love them, He will send you little messages-tender mercies, as Nephi calls
Wasn't that great? We all need to know that we are loved. Your Heavenly Father loves you, and just as you have sent a message to let someone know that you love them, He will send you little messages—tender mercies, as Nephi calls them—to let you know that He is aware of you and loves you. I know that if you will listen and open your heart to the tender feelings of the Spirit, you will receive those messages.
Truth #2: He knows our names and everything about us.
In the scriptures, there are many occasions in which it is clear that our Father in Heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ, know us by name, know of our circumstances, and care about us individually. To Jeremiah he said, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee."[3] He taught Isaiah, "I have called thee by name; thou art mine."[4] The Psalmist declares, "Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising."[5] And to Moses He said, "I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight."[6] Elder Neal A. Maxwell reminds us, "Have we not been reassured about the fall of one sparrow and that the very hairs of our heads are numbered? God is in the details! Just as the Lord knows all of His vast creations, He also knows and loves each in any crowd-indeed, He knows and loves each and all of mankind!"
Sister Elaine S. Dalton teaches us, "Did you know that Heavenly Father knows you personally—by name? The scriptures teach us that this is true. When Enos went into the woods to pray, he recorded, 'There came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.' Moses not only prayed but also talked to God face-to-face, and God said to Moses, 'I have a work for thee, Moses, my son.' The Lord knew Jacob's name and changed it to Israel to more accurately reflect his mission on the earth. Similarly, He changed the names of Paul and Abraham and Sarah."[7]
To me, one of the most significant examples of God knowing our names may be that of the Prophet Joseph Smith. You know the story. He was moved upon by the Spirit to pray in an effort to resolve his confusion about religion. In answer to that prayer, the first word spoken by God in this final dispensation was his name-Joseph.
This past week I invited you, through the devotional discussion board, to post a picture of someone you love. I asked you to place words on that picture. One word was this person's name. Many people, beside you, know this person by name. But I also asked you to place on the photo a few words describing things about that person, things that you knew about them because of your deep and tender relationship with them. Thank you for sharing these images. It was meaningful to me to look at them during the week. I can feel your love for these people as I read their names and the words you used to describe them. I wish we had time to look at all of them together.
I would like to show you an image I made. This is an image of Demetrius Tillis.
I had the privilege of teaching and baptizing Demetri on my mission 27 years ago. I served in several other areas after meeting Demetri, and when I left my mission, I had lost contact with him and didn't know where he was. Demetri was special to me, and I have wondered many times over the years where he was and what was happening in his life. In recent years, I tried using social media and other online methods to find him. Each time, I came up blank. As I was preparing for this talk, he came to mind again. I tried again to find Demetri on Facebook. This time I found a Demetri Tillis Jr. in Milwaukee, where I served. He only recently joined Facebook. I sent him a message, and he replied. I learned that he was Demetri's son. I learned that Demetri passed away in 1997. His son sent me the picture I just showed you. After 27 years, I was able to make contact with his family 2 ½ weeks ago. I know that God knows Demetri. And I know that God knows me and sent me this tender mercy to let me know.
Truth #3: He gives us examples in the scriptures and in the lives of others because we can apply them to our own lives.
Nephi was given a heavy responsibility. From a young age, he was asked to be a leader in his family and, later, a leader for his entire people. He felt the weight of this stewardship and took it very seriously. One of my favorite scriptures is in 2 Nephi 33, as Nephi is closing out his record. It is his last testimony, and he writes about his deep love and sense of responsibility for his people. "But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.
"And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal."[8]
This scripture took on a special meaning to me when I was serving as an elders quorum president. It was a very challenging calling for me. It was outside my comfort zone. We had many prospective elders, many of whom had not been to church since they were 12 or 13. I was worried about what to say and how to approach them. But I had a love and concern for them that I knew came to me directly as a result of my calling—because I had been set apart to shoulder that responsibility at that time and because of the priesthood keys that had been conferred upon me. They were "my people," and I loved them.
Earlier, again while thinking of his people, Nephi teaches us, "I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning."[9] While we may not experience exactly the same circumstances or outcomes as those we read about in the scriptures, those stories and the lessons learned apply to us. We can trust them.
This is true not only of people in the scriptures but of people closer to our time, sometimes people we know personally. Their circumstances and their stories can be instructive to us. If we listen with "ears to hear" and allow our hearts to feel gentle promptings, God will send us messages that are just for us as we learn from others' stories. I would like to show you a short video about the Saints that were asked to come from Logan in 1884 to settle in the Snake River Valley. Listen to the things they were promised. You may not be promised the exact same things, but God has made promises to you in the past, and He will make promises to you in the future.
Truth #4: Because He knows us, He knows our potential and has great expectations for us.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught: "I testify to you that God has known you individually...for a long, long time. He has loved you for a long, long time. He not only knows the names of all the stars; He knows your names and all your heartaches and your joys!" [10]
Our Father in Heaven knows more about us than we know about ourselves. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf declared: "You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!
"He who created and knows the stars knows you and your name."[11]
Because our Father in Heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ, have known us "individually for a long, long time," They know perfectly of our strengths and potential. They know what we are capable of, and They have great confidence in us. When someone has great confidence in us, how do we respond? Abraham Lincoln wrote, "I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down."
Your Father in Heaven believes in you. You have already demonstrated your greatness, and He knows you will rise to meet difficult challenges today and in the future. President Gordon B. Hinckley reminds us: "Yours is a godly inheritance. 'I am a child of God' is not an idle or meaningless statement. You were there 'when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons [and daughters] of God shouted for joy.' You brought some of that inheritance with you when you came 'trailing clouds of glory...from God who is our home.' You were there when 'there was war in heaven...
"You were among those who chose to follow the plan of Him who became our Redeemer rather than the plan of him who became our adversary. Great and marvelous is your place in the plan of God our Eternal Father."[12]
As we close, I invite you to send one more text. Again, please do this reverently. Take a moment and think of someone you know who is struggling and is unable, right now, to see their own great power and potential. Think about the love you have for them and the confidence you have in them. Please text them this message right now: "I love you. God loves you. We are both thinking of you. You can do this."
I'm going to text someone too. Let's take a few seconds to send our messages of confidence and love.
Brothers and sisters, God is your Father in Heaven. He loves you. He knows you. He is aware of you. He hears you. He will answer you. Nothing is more important to Him than you. Isn't that wonderful?
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Moses 1:3-4, 33
[2] Moses 1:10
[3] Jeremiah 1:5
[4] Isaiah 43:1
[5] Psalms 139:2
[6] Exodus 33:12
[7] Elaine S. Dalton, "He Knows You by Name," Ensign, May 2005
[8] 2 Nephi 33:3-4
[9] 1 Nephi 19:23
[10] Neal A. Maxwell, "Remember How Merciful the Lord Hath Been," Ensign, May 2004
[11] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Forget Me Not," Ensign, Nov. 2011
[12] Gordon B. Hinckley, "Rise to the Stature of the Divine within You," Ensign, Nov. 1989