Quotes on Divine Nature
God has put something noble and good into every heart His hand created.
–Mark Twain
God doesn’t make junk.
“No one is a nobody! Everyone is a somebody in our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom! WE are all daughters of God.” –Ardeth Kapp
President Hinckley reiterated this when he spoke directly to them: “How marvelous a thing it is to contemplate that each of you is a daughter of God, a girl with a divine birthright and a divine destiny…. “I wish you-each of you, wherever you are-to know that you are loved. You are loved by your Father in Heaven, of whose divine nature you have partaken. And He desires that His Holy Spirit will be near you wherever you go if you will invite it and cultivate it. “There is something of divinity within each of you. You have such tremendous potential with that quality as a part of your inherited nature. Every one of you was endowed by your Father in Heaven with a tremendous capacity to do good in the world. Train your minds and your hands that you may be equipped to serve well in the society of which you are a part. Cultivate the art of being kind, of being thoughtful, of being helpful. Refine within you the quality of mercy which comes as a part of the divine attributes you have inherited. “Some of you may feel that you are not as attractive and beautiful and glamorous as you would like to be. Rise above any such feelings, cultivate the light you have within you, and it will shine through as a radiant expression that will be seen by others. “You need never feel inferior. You need never feel that you were born without talents or without opportunities to give them expression. Cultivate whatever talents you have, and they will grow and refine and become an expression of your true self appreciated by others. “In summary, try a little harder to measure up to the divine within each of you” (Ensign, May 1995, 99).
“In God’s eyes, nobody is a nobody. We should never lose sight of what we may become and who we are.” Marvin J. Ashton (May 1988 Ensign, page 63)
“You are a child of God. He is the father of your spirit. Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven. Fix that truth in your mind and hold to it. However many generations in your mortal ancestry, no matter what race or people you represent, the pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line. You are a child of God!” (Boyd K. Packer, “To Young Women and Men,” Ensign, May 1989, p. 54.)
“Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar his face is to us.” (Ezra Taft Benson cited in “To Draw Closer to God,”Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, May 1991, p. 66.)
“I want to tell you, each and every one of you, that you are well acquainted with God our Heavenly Father…. You are all well acquainted with him, for there is not a soul of you but what has lived in his house and dwelt with him year after year; and yet you are seeking to become acquainted with him, when the fact is, you have merely forgotten what you did know.” (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 50.)
“If we could see our Father who dwells in the heavens, we should learn that we are as well acquainted with him as we are with our earthly father; and he would be as familiar to us in the expression of his countenance, and we should be ready to embrace him and fall upon his neck and kiss him, if we had the privilege….And there is no other one item that will so much astound you, when your eyes are opened in eternity, as to think that you were so stupid in the body.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 8:30.)
“I want you to know that I know that whenever one of Heavenly Father’s children kneels and talks to him, he listens. I know this, as well as I know anything in this world– which Heavenly Father listens to every prayer from his children. I know our prayers ascend to heaven. No matter what we may have done wrong, he listens to us.” (H. Burke Peterson, “Prayer-Try Again,” Ensign, June 1981, p. 73.
“Can you imagine a more compelling motivation to worthwhile endeavor than the knowledge that you are a child of God, the Creator of the universe, our all-wise Heavenly Father who expects you to do something with your life and who will give help when help is sought for?” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Dimension of the Spirit,” Improvement Era,
Dec. 1964, 1092)
“If you know and remember who you are, and remember your divine birthright, you will date noble people, wear modest clothing, use clean language, surf worthy web sites, listen to good music, watch enriching movies, keep the Word of Wisdom, and stay morally clean…” Bonnie D. Parkin
“Never lose sight of the fact that you are a child of God with a divine destiny and capability of doing great and good and wonderful things…. You know who you are. Each of you knows that you are a child of God and that your Heavenly Father expects something great and noble and good of you.” Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley
“You are second to none. You are daughters of God. There has come to you as your birthright something beautiful and sacred and divine. Never forget that. Your eternal Father is the great Master of the universe. He rules over all, but He will also listen to your prayers as His daughter and hear you as you speak to Him.” Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley
“To be a daughter of God means that you are the offspring of Deity, literal descendants of a Divine Father, inheriting godly attributes and potential.” Pres. James E. Faust
“Know that you are daughters of God, children of a divine birthright. Walk in the sun with your heads high, knowing that you are loved and honored, that you are a part of his kingdom.” Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley
“Our spirits long for us to remember the truth about who we are, because the way we see ourselves-or our sense of identity-affects everything we do.”
—Sheri Dew Ye Shall Bear Record of Me, 2001 BYU Women’s Conference, p. 278
I have inherited divine qualities which I will strive to develop.
The world would have you believe that you are of worth only if you have money, a certain physical appearance, stylish clothes, or social position. The gospel assures you that your value is not dependent on your looks or material possessions*Part of what it means to be a Latter-day Saint is to know within your soul your eternal worth, who you really are, and why you are here on earth.
Elaine L. Jack
I am certain our Heavenly Father is displeased when we refer to ourselves as *nobody*. We do ourselves a great injustice when we allow ourselves, through tragedy, misfortune, challenge, discouragement, or whatever the earthly situation, to identify ourselves. No matter how or where we find ourselves, we cannot with any justification label ourselves as *nobody.* As children of God we are somebody. He will build us, mold us, and magnify us if we will but hold our heads up, our arms out, and walk with Him. What a great blessing to be created in His image and know of our true potential in and through him! What a great blessing to know that in His strength we can do all things!
Marvin J. Ashton
I would charge you to say again and again to yourselves,**I am a daughter of God* and by so doing begin today to live closer to those ideals which will make your life happier and more fruitful because of an awakened realization of who you are.
Harold B. Lee
What you are is God’s gift to you.
What you make of yourself is your gift to God.
I AM A PRINCESS
Deep inside my young heart lies the one I want to be.
And deep inside my soul I find the seeds of divinity.
Now and then I see glimpses of the woman I can become.
I know someday I’ll find her here if I don’t give up.
Every day I’m closer to the one I want to be.
And slowly I’m uncovering my heavenly qualities
And I’ll continue working toward the woman I can become.
Developing my qualities through service and through love.
I am a Princess
A royal Queen I’ll be.
So I must choose to find and use my divine qualities.
Daughter of heaven, a Queen someday I’ll be.
An heir of my Mother in heaven
For eternity.
Song: I am a Princess (Come Unto Christ- values)
He Thought of Me
by Margery Stockseth
Margery Stockseth, “He Thought of Me,” New Era, Apr. 1985, 51
I am worth the coming down,
The silence
In return for mockery.
I am worth the thorns,
The bleeding back,
The wincing, weakening steps to Calvary.
He suffered these and thought of me.
He could have halted soldiers
With a fiery eye,
And pronounced death
In words that rang
From marble palace walls,
And in the garden dreamed instead of prayed.
But as the glistening crimson beads
Slipped from His face,
He thought that I was worth the price He paid.
I*m blind to what He sees in me,
Yet I know the thorns and what it is
To wince and weaken.
Gethsemane and Calvary – –
He suffered so and thought of me.
Margery Stockseth
You must know where you came from to know where you are to go.
You are here on earth for a divine purpose. It is not to be endlessly entertained or to be constantly in full pursuit of pleasure. You are here to be tried, to prove yourself so that you can receive the additional blessings God has for you* The Lord is intent on your personal growth and development.
*Richard G. Scott
If you could catch the vision of the woman God intended you to be, you would rise up and never be the same again.
The greatest gift I could give to you
Is for you to see yourself the way that I do.
If you could see who you used to be,
When you walked and talked with Him.
If just for one moment you could open your eyes
And see beyond your mortal disguise.
You*d see what I see and know what I know.
See your full potential and let it grow.
This gift of sight could set all men free
To know who they are, who they*re meant to be.
So open your eyes that you might know.
See your full potential and let it grow.
GOOD ENOUGH
By Sandra Stallings
Emotionally and spiritually, I was about ready to hit rock bottom, but I wouldn’t*t admit it to myself. Nor would I face the fact that I was the cause of my own troubles. I kept thinking that I*d be okay. I kept trying to ignore the consequences of my actions. I blamed others for the growing emptiness and discontent I felt.
Activities with one group of friends were pulling me away from the Lord, my family, my testimony, and my prayers. I didn’t*t feel worthy to pray. The prayers I did offer were hollow. I knew they wouldn’t*t make it past the ceiling. I was also pulling away from my best friend, Ann. But she wouldn’t*t let go.
She stopped by to see me one day after school, and we went outside to talk. She pointedly asked, *How are you?*
*Good,* I shot back a bit defensively, conscious of my poor choice of grammar, which matched my rebellious mood.
*Just how good are you?* she pushed.
Without thinking I blurted out a phrase I had picked up from my new group of friends. *Good enough for who I*m for!*
Often, instead of doing their best, they did just enough to get by. *It*s good enough for who it*s for,* was their common cliché.
As soon as my words escaped my lips I wanted to recall them. They echoed through the emptiness I felt.
*Are you really?* Ann queried.
The words stung bitterly as questions raced through my mind. *Who was I really for? And what was I good for? Was I still for the Lord?* It didn’t*t even seem like I was for myself anymore. It was time to take a good hard look at myself. Now when I look back on that confrontation, I thank the Lord for a friend who wouldn’t*t allow me to push her away. Our conversation caused me to reflect upon where I was and who I was for. It caused me to begin to make some major changes in my life.
I decided I would be for the Lord. I would work for his cause and to fulfill his purposes. Now I know who I*m for, but I*m still working on being good enough for who I*m for.
THE KING’S SON
By Bishop Vaughn J. Featherstone
Many years ago I heard the story of the son of King Louis XVI of France. King Louis had been taken from his throne and imprisoned. His young son, the prince, was taken by those who dethroned the king. They thought that inasmuch as the king*s son was heir to the throne, if they could destroy him morally, he would never realize the great and grand destiny that life had bestowed upon him.
They took him to a community far away, and there they exposed the lad to every filthy and vile thing that life could offer. They exposed him to foods the richness of which would quickly make him a slave to appetite. They used vile language around him constantly. They exposed him to lewd and lusting women. They exposed him to dishonor and distrust. He was surrounded 24 hours a day by everything that could drag the soul of a man as low as one could slip. For over six months he had this treatment*but not once did the young lad buckle under pressure. Finally, after intensive temptation, they questioned him. Why had he not submitted himself to these things*why had he not partaken? These things would provide pleasure, satisfy his lusts, and were desirable; they were all his. The boy said, *I cannot do what you ask for I was born to be a king.*
You are a divinely created daughter of your Father in Heaven. Catch the vision of the woman you really are and rise up and become your truly unique self. Make your space better for having been there.
How much do you think that you matter?
Is a rich man worth more than a poor man?
Is a stranger worth more than a friend?
Is a baby worth more than an old man?
Is your beginning worth more than your end?
Is a martyr worth more than his assassin?
Does your value decrease with a crime?
Like when Christ took the place of the murderer,
Would you say that he was wasting his time?
I suppose you think that you matter.
Well, how much do you matter and to whom?
Is it much easier at night,
When with friends and bright lights,
Than much later alone in your room.
Well, how much do you think that you are worth?
Will anyone stand up and say?
I suppose you think you’re worth something.
But how many are willing to pay?
Suppose your life had been valued
And a price had been paid for your name.
Would you ask what was traded,
How much and who paid it,
Who he was and from whence he came?
If you heard His name was called Jesus
Would you say that the price was too dear?
Held to the cross not by nails but by love
It was you who broke His heart, not the spear.
If it don’t make you cry,
Laugh it off and pass Him by.
But remember this day,
When you throw your life away,
That He paid what He thought you were worth.
Well, how much do you think you are worth?
Can anyone stand up and say?
How much are you willing to give Him
In return for the price that He paid?
Control your thoughts
because they become
the words you use.
Control your words
because they become
the actions you perform.
Control your actions
because they become
the character you reflect.
Control your character
because your character
becomes your destiny.
Control your destiny by becoming
what your Heavenly Father and
Savior, Jesus Christ want you to be.
Elder Robert L. Wells