Children of God - Sons and Daughters of God

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Yesterday, in Institute, our teacher shared a quote which I only half-remember, and I cannot remember who said it, but it goes something like “Genius is becoming what you were all along.” Having shared this in a gospel setting, our teacher then asked, “What were we all along?” to which someone replied “Sons of God.” There were no women in the classroom at the time, and actually, I'm glad there weren't, because otherwise, the answer might have been “Children of God,” which carries a different connotation in my mind than “Sons and Daughters of God.”

We are always, and will always be, children of God. We didn't do anything to earn that relationship, and nothing we or anyone else can do can destroy it. Part of our eternal identity is that we are children of God. Because we are His children, God loves us with an infinite amount of paternal love.

However, being God's children doesn't mean that we love Him. After all, Satan and his angels are also children of God. God still loves them, but they certainly do not love Him. So, being children of God doesn't say much about us. Everyone we know, other than God Himself and possibly the Holy Ghost, is a child of God. And I don't think it's possible for us to “become” children of God because we already are children of God. However, the way I see it, becoming Sons and Daughters of God means something completely different.

I think that we become Sons and Daughters of God by returning the love that He shows us. We become His Sons and Daughters by listening to Him, obeying Him, and ultimately becoming like Him. We become His Sons and Daughters by being His children in likeness as well as in lineage.

We were children of God since before we were born, but becoming Sons and Daughters of God is the reason for which we were born. We were sent here for many reasons, including to gain bodies and experience and to make choices and grow in righteousness. All of these things lead to us becoming more like our Heavenly Father, which is what makes us His heavenly children. We have the “children” part down. What we need to become is “heavenly.”

When I see myself as a Son of God, I see myself as more than just His offspring, though that part is certainly included. I see myself as someone much like Him, only younger and much less mature. I see myself as someone who can become like Him, develop all the traits that He has, and ultimately qualify for all the blessings He enjoys. A child of God is someone who came from heaven; a Son or Daughter of God is someone who is on the path of going back. We are all children of God. The purpose of God's plan is to make us His Sons and Daughters as well.