Life is a gift, said Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, Primary general president, on Saturday, Sept. 26.
“God has a plan for each one of us, and our individual purpose began long before we came to this earth.”
Speaking during the General Women’s Session of the 185th Semiannual General Conference, Sister Wixom addressed the topic, “Discovering the Divinity Within.”
“I promise as you seek to discover the depth of the divine nature that lies within you, you will begin to further magnify your precious gift,” she said. “Let it guide you to become His daughter, walking the path back to Him.”
Sister Wixom said lately she has come to recognize the miracle of a baby’s birth into mortality as part of the Lord’s plan.
“Each one of us developed physically within our mother’s womb while relying for many months on her body to sustain ours. Eventually, however, the process of birth — dramatic for both mother and child — separated us.
“As a baby emerges into this world, the change of temperature and light and the sudden release of pressure on the chest induce the baby to take its first gasping breath. Those little lungs suddenly fill with air for the first time, the organs spring into action, and the baby begins to breathe. As the umbilical cord is clamped, that lifeline between mother and baby is forever severed and the baby’s life on Earth begins.”
Sister Wixom said “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” teaches “each one of us ‘is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents,’ and ‘each has a divine nature and destiny.’ ”
Heavenly Father generously shares a portion of His divinity with all His children, she said. “That divine nature comes as a gift from Him with a love that only a parent can feel. We come to this earth to nurture and discover the seeds of divine nature that are within us.”
Sister Wixom said Latter-day Saint women have been born to help build God’s kingdom on this earth and to prepare for the Second Coming of His Son, Jesus Christ. “With every breath we take, we strive to follow Him. The divine nature within each one of us is refined and magnified by the effort we make to draw nearer to our Father and His Son.”
Divine nature, she said, has nothing to do with personal accomplishments, status, popularity and self-esteem. “Our divine nature comes from God,” Sister Wixom said. “It was established in an existence that preceded our birth and will continue on into eternity.”
Latter-day Saint women identify with their divine nature as they feel and give the love of our Father in Heaven.
“We have the agency to nurture it, let it flourish, and help it grow …,” she said. “We naturally turn to Him in prayer, and we are eager to read His words and to do His will. We are able to take our validation vertically from Him, not horizontally from the world around us or from those on Facebook or Instagram.”
Sister Wixom said often the first Primary song children learn is “I Am a Child of God.”
“Now it is time to take that beloved phrase ‘I am a child of God’ and add the words ‘Therefore, what?’ We might even ask questions such as these: ‘What will I do to live my life as a child of God? How can I develop the divine nature that is within me?’”
Sister Wixom said divine nature “breathes into us” the desire to know eternal truths.
“Because you are His child, He knows who you can become,” she explained. “He knows your fears and your dreams. He relishes your potential. He waits for you to come to Him in prayer. Because you are His child, you not only need Him, but He needs you. Those sitting around you right now in this meeting need you. The world needs you, and your divine nature allows you to be His trusted disciple to all His children. Once we begin to see the divinity in ourselves, we can see it in others.”
Divine nature “breathes into us” the desire to serve others, she added.
“The divine nature within us ignites our desire to reach out to others and prompts us to act,” she said. “Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ can help us find the strength to do so.”
It is through the whisperings of the Spirit that “the divine nature of a doubter, after gasping for breath, finds the peace to breathe again,” she said. “When the prophet speaks, his words resonate with our divine nature and give us strength to follow. Partaking of the sacrament each week breathes hope to the divinity within us and we remember our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
