Each Is a Beloved Spirit Son or Daughter of Heavenly Parents

I discovered our next guest blogger recently, and through a series of conversations, we realized that although we live across the country from one another, I am currently living in her hometown more or less.  I attend church in the chapel she went to as a girl.  And I visit teach the people who brought her up in the gospel.  It has been so fun making this connection with her.

It is my privilege to introduce you to Carrie of 

The Rowdy Stroudy's All That Is Sweet In Life!"

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When I was almost eight years old I attended a play in SLC with my mother.  I remember walking into the auditorium...loving the excitement in the air that all theater productions promise and always deliver.  The seats were first come first serve, and with a very full audience...she saw some towards the back and asked me to follow her there.  However, I spotted some very close to the front instead, so we hurriedly walked down the aisle and grabbed them before anyone else could. 

The lights dimmed and my palms were sweaty.  I waited in anticipation as the curtain was about to go up when suddenly the entire room began to stand and look towards the back doors.  I strained my neck to see who everyone was looking at when I realized that the man coming down the aisle towards us was our prophet, Ezra Taft Benson. 

Our Prophet.  My parents read his words to me in Family Home Evening.  I saw him speak at General Conference and felt his spirit through the screen.  I grew up knowing at a very young age exactly who he was…and exactly how close he was to God.  He spoke to our Father in Heaven.  He prayed for us.  He loved us.  He knew us and why we were all here on this earth.

After the play was over the aisles swarmed with people leaving their seats.  Our prophet was in the room, so like moths to a flame people gathered around him.  My mother lifted me up from my seat and put me in the middle of the aisle...facing him…and said, “Carrie.  That is our prophet.” 

In that moment...and I know in reality it was just a moment...he looked at me.  Crowds around him gathered,but he looked at me.

His eyes bore into mine.  He saw me.  He knew me.  I felt in that moment that he knew who I was before I came to this earth and he knew everything I would become. 

My seven year old self knew without a doubt that he knew me.

I remember that moment so often.  I remember how that made me feel.  To know that a man who conversed so often with our Heavenly Father saw me.  He saw my heart and spirit as a Daughter of God who had a divine purpose on this earth.  And I will never forget that. 

There is a part in the proclamation that states, “Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny......In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life." 

This part of the proclamation has always spoken to me because I think we often forget our value as children of our Heavenly Father.  Whom He loves and whom He knows personally.

It’s so easy to forget.  To forget our divine nature and destiny as His children.

The proclamation is about the sanctity of marriage and the creation of families and the eternal perspective that entails.  But it’s also important to remember that it begins with US as individuals.  It begins with the knowledge of who we are and why we are here.  How our spirits chose to come here.  How we stood with our Father in Heaven and brother Jesus Christ in anticipation of what was to come.

We knew the heartache that would entail... the emotion of life’s choices perhaps not always in line with what was right.  But we trusted in ourselves to return to Him by receiving this body.  This very mortal body that makes mistakes.  One that isn’t perfect.  Still, we had confidence…that we would remember who we are and how much our Father in Heaven knows us individually.  And how much He loves us.  And how he desperately wants us to return to him with the knowledge of who we are as his children.

I try to remember. 

~~~
Thank you, Carrie!

Time to chime in!

And find more thoughts on the Family here.


Remember, on Monday, we'll host a link-up party featuring your Family Proclamation inspired photos.  To participate, please post your original photo with an accompanying quote from the Family Proclamation on your blog.  Then link-up to us as usual.


Winners of some lovely prizes will be chosen randomly from the participants.


Here is another party favor up for grabs during our celebration:

an 11x14 of this gorgeous photo
donated by Carrie Stroud Photography
(Psst!  She's today's guest blogger!
Check out her site.  She is very talented!)