The only way to peace in this life is to turn to God and understand who we are as his children.
Photo by Simon Matzinger
Sometimes the weight of the world is overwhelming. There are many voices telling us who we are and who we should be. In the midst of our most painful experiences, it is easy to forget our true identity.
But would that change “if the Savior came in right now . . . and just held you?”
Matt Townsend asks that question in his Hope Works talk, titled “Spiritual Beings and the Human Experience.” He tells some of his most embarrassing adolescent moments and how they caused him to question his worth and identity. Townsend then illustrates both why we get into this state of insecurity and how to understand who we really are.
Since the Fall of Adam and Eve, men and women have been trying to fill a spiritual gap with temporal things. We miss the connection with God that we once had, and we try to re-create it by gaining more friends and followers, power, profit, prestige, and possessions. We forget who we are as spiritual beings, focusing instead on what our bodies and minds want. “You are never going to fill the hole by using your body and your mind to do it,” Townsend says.
It is only by turning to God that we can find the peace and connection we crave. We are—and always have been—spiritual beings. Townsend assures those who aren’t sure if they have ever felt connected to the Spirit that everyone has, whether it was while holding a newborn baby, serving someone, or standing in awe of nature. We can find a way back to our spiritual state by always remembering Christ and by trying to imagine what he would say and do if he were here. Christ will give us the strength to get through any trial. Looking to him will remind us of who we truly are: children of God.
To find out how to get back to a more spiritual state of being, watch Matt Townsend’s talk, “Spiritual Beings and the Human Experience.”
Source: Mormon Channel
—Laura Fuchs, Mormon Insights
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Find more insights
Check out more of the Hope Works videos.
Discover who you truly are by watching “Our True Identity,” by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf.
Explore new ways to remember Christ in “To Always Remember Him,” by Elder D. Todd Christofferson.