I sat near a young man as a sister missionary shared the story of Joseph Smith who, troubled by the many different religions of his day, wondered which of all the churches were true. Joseph followed the admonition of James, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God…” Kneeling in a grove in the early spring of 1820, he prayed, was surrounded by intense darkness, and then using all his power to call upon God he “saw a pillar of light exactly over [his] head, above the brightness of the sun…” In the light Joseph saw two glorious Beings. One called him by name, pointed to the other and said, “This is my beloved Son, Hear Him!” (Joseph Smith History). God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, came to an obscure boy in a grove. They knew his name, They knew his past, They knew his present struggle and They knew his future.
As I turned to the young man next to me, the love of God for him washed gently over
me and I knew that just as the Lord knew Joseph, He knew the young man who sat next to me, an obscure boy in the living room of a house in Farmington. In a vast sea of people in our town, in our state, in our country, in our world, it is easy to feel insignificant, unknown and perhaps, alone, but we are not unknown or insignificant to the Father of heaven and earth. He knows every one of His children, their name, their hopes, their present struggles, their past, and their future.
“No matter where you live, no matter how humble your circumstances, how meager your employment, how limited your abilities, how ordinary your appearance…you are not invisible to your Heavenly Father. He loves you. He knows your humble heart and your acts of love and kindness….We have the faithful promise of God that He will neither forget nor forsake those who incline their hearts to Him. Have hope and faith in that promise.” (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, October 2011)
He sees you, He knows you, and He loves you perfectly.