It started me thinking of the scripture found in Matthew 7:
7 ¶Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Until you become a parent yourself, it is hard to imagine the love of a parent for a child. And parents are imperfect people. God is perfect and loves us each perfectly and knows exactly what we need at all times. Being a parent only gives us an inkling of that love.
Pres. Uchtdorf:
Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.
God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely.
He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.
What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.
Elder Holland:
In whatever country you live, however young or inadequate you feel, or however aged or limited you see yourself as being, I testify you are individually loved of God, you are central to the meaning of His work, and you are cherished and prayed for by the presiding officers of His Church. The personal value, the sacred splendor of every one of you, is the very reason there is a plan for salvation and exaltation. Contrary to the parlance of the day, this is about you. No, don’t turn and look at your neighbor. I am talking to you!
And one last comment... Thinking of the love Heavenly Father has for us reminded me of an experience I had a few years back. I was taking the sacrament and feeling bad about coming before God to ask His forgiveness yet again. As I was feeling that way, I came upon this scripture in Moroni 6:
5 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.
6 And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus.
7 And they were strict to observe that there should be no iniquity among them; and whoso was found to commit iniquity, and three witnesses of the church did condemn them before the elders, and if they repented not, and confessed not, their names were blotted out, and they were not numbered among the people of Christ.
8 But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven.
I think it was a sweet reminder from Heavenly Father that He loves me, that He will continue to forgive me, and that the sacrament is exactly for the purpose of asking forgiveness and trying to get back on track and try harder and I shouldn't feel bad about asking for forgiveness.
Just so I can find them easier, here are the links to Pres. Uchtdorf's and Elder Holland's full addresses:
http://lds.org/ensign/2009/11/the-love-of-god?lang=eng
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/because-of-your-faith?lang=eng
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