His Offspring

On its surface, Psalm 82 bears a simple message: The leaders of Israel might seem to have godlike power, but they really are human. “I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men” (Psalm 82:6-7).

But during His mortal ministry, Jesus interpreted this scripture in a more literal way. When He was accused of blasphemy for saying that God was His Father, He responded, “Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods?” (John 10:34). If we are all children of God, why was it objectionable for Him to say the same?

And in 1832, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon described the people who will inherit the celestial glory using the same terms: “As it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:58).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly referred to God as “your Father” or “your heavenly Father.” He emphasized that God loves us as a parent loves his or her children. “If ye…know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11, 3 Nephi 14:11).

In Athens, Paul testified, “We are the offspring of God” (Acts 17:29). And to church members in Rome, he wrote:

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Romans 8:17

The Family Proclamation declares, “All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.”

Elder Neil L. Andersen taught that an awareness of that truth can stabilize us through the challenges of life:

Our love for Him does not shield us from the sadness and sorrow in this mortal life, but it allows us to walk through the challenges with a strength far beyond our own….

Remember, you are a spirit child of Heavenly Father. As the Apostle Paul explains, we are “the offspring of God.” You have lived with your own individual identity long before coming to earth.

“My Mind Caught Hold upon This Thought of Jesus Christ,” General Conference, April 2023

Today, I will remember that I and everyone around me is a child of God. I will remember my divine heritage and my divine potential, and I take confidence in the fact that my Heavenly Father knows me and loves me.