Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a strict lesson plan.
About this talk
- “Sons and Daughters of God”
- by Elder Rubén V. Alliaud | General Authority Seventy
- Sunday afternoon session of October 2024 general conference.
- Theme: Children of God have the potential to become like Him.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Alliaud’s message here.
Outline
- Addressing one of the most joyful, glorious and powerful gospel truths that God has revealed, Elder Alliaud related how he once attended a religious conference where baptisms for almost all Christian churches were declared valid — except one. The baptism not valid was that performed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because of beliefs concerning the Godhead.
- Latter-day Saints believe that God the Father “is an exalted man” with a glorified “body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s [and] the Son also” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). Thus, every time Church members talk about the nature of God, they are in some way also talking about their own nature.
- The words of the Psalmist, “Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High” (Psalm 82:6), is a precious doctrine recovered with the advent of the Restoration. In summary, this is what missionaries teach in the first lesson, first paragraph, first line: “God is our Heavenly Father, and we are His children.” This teaching is not metaphorical. Latter-day Saints believe all are literally the children of God.
- It’s been over 200 years since the First Vision opened the doors of the Restoration. Through the revelation Joseph Smith received that day and in later revelations, he obtained knowledge about the nature of God and mankind’s relationship to Him as His children.
- Heavenly Father has taught this doctrine from the beginning. God’s interactions with Moses in the Pearl of Great Price teach that God was determined to teach Moses at least one lesson: “You are my child.” When left alone, Satan came tempting him to believe he was only a “son of man,” rather than a child of God. Fortunately, Moses was not confused.
- Scholars have entitled the account found in Matthew 4 as the “three temptations of Jesus.” In all three instances, Satan’s ultimate temptation may have had less to do with the three provocations and more to do with tempting Jesus Christ to question His divine nature. Every time the children of God are taught about their divine nature and destiny, the adversary tempts them to question this.
- Latter-day Saints live in a challenging world, where honorable people strive to emphasize human dignity, while members belong to a church and embrace a gospel that lifts their vision and invites them into the divine.
- Jesus’ commandment to be “perfect, even as [our] Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) is a clear reflection of high expectations and eternal possibilities. But it will not happen overnight. The promise is that if one comes “unto Christ,” one will “be perfected in him” (Moroni 10:32). The good news is that Father in Heaven has said, “For behold, this is my work and my glory — to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).
- President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to “think celestial” implies a reminder of divine nature, origin and potential destination. One can obtain the celestial only through Christ’s atoning sacrifice. While Jesus hung on the cross, those who reviled him said, “If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:39-40). Glory be to God that He did not hearken but instead provided a way for celestial blessings.
Discussion questions
How did the First Vision reveal the true nature of God and our relationship to Him?
When we talk about the nature of God, how are we also in a way talking about our own nature?
How did Moses and the Savior respond when Satan tempted them to deny their divine identity?
How can we respond when the world tempts us to forget who we are as children of God?
How can thinking celestial help us remember our divine identity?
Notable quotes
- “We believe that God the Father ‘is an exalted man’ with a glorified ‘body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; [and] the Son also’ (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). Thus, every time we talk about the nature of God, in some way, somehow, we are also talking about our own nature.”
- “It has now been over 200 years since the First Vision opened the doors to the Restoration. At the time, young Joseph Smith sought guidance from heaven to know what church to join. Through the revelation he received that day, and in later revelations given to him, the Prophet Joseph obtained knowledge about the nature of God and our relationship to Him as His children.”
- “How different our decisions would be if we really knew who we really are.”
Key scriptures
- “Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”
- “For behold, this is my work and my glory — to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
- “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.”
Invitations and promises
- “We live in a challenging world, a world of increasing commotion, where honorable people strive to at least emphasize our human dignity, while we belong to a church and embrace a gospel that lift our vision and invite us into the divine.”
- “Jesus’ commandment to be ‘perfect, even as [our] Father which is in heaven is perfect’ (Matthew 5:48) is a clear reflection of His high expectations and our eternal possibilities. Now, none of this will happen overnight. In the words of President Jeffrey R. Holland, it will happen ‘eventually.’ But the promise is that if we ‘come unto Christ,’ we will ‘be perfected in him’ (Moroni 10:32). That requires a lot of work — not just any work, but a divine work. His work.”
- “President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to ‘think celestial’ implies a wonderful reminder of our divine nature, origin and potential destination. We can obtain the celestial only through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice.”
Stories
- As a representative of the Church, Elder Alliaud once attended a religious conference where it was announced they would not recognize baptisms performed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as valid. After the conference, Elder Alliaud delved deeper into the reasons for this exception with the leader in charge of the announcement. In a wonderful and insightful conversation, the leader explained that the exception had primarily to do with the Church of Jesus Christ’s beliefs about the Godhead, which other denominations often refer to as the Trinity. At the end of the conversation, the two hugged and said goodbye. This “mystery of the Trinity” stayed on Elder Alliaud’s mind. The leader of that conference was referring to the Church of Jesus Christ’s understanding of the nature of God.
- As recorded in Moses 1 of the Pearl of Great Price, “God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name.” In other words, “Moses, I want you to know who I am.” Then He added, “And, behold, thou art my son.” Later he said, “And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten.” And finally, He ended with, “And now, behold, this one thing I show unto thee, Moses, my son” (Moses 1:3-7). It appears that God was determined to teach Moses at least one lesson: “You are my child.” After Moses was left alone, Satan came tempting him, saying, “Moses, son of man, worship me” (Moses 1:12). A temptation for Moses in that moment was to become confused and believe that he was only a “son of man,” rather than a child of God. Fortunately, Moses was not confused and did not allow himself to become distracted. He had learned the lesson of who he really was.
- Scholars have entitled Matthew 4 “the three temptations of Jesus,” as if the Lord were tempted only three times. The chapter begins with Jesus going into the desert to fast 40 days and 40 nights. “He was afterward an hungred.” Satan’s first temptation had to do with satisfying the Lord’s physical needs. “Command that these stones be made bread.” A second enticement had to do with tempting God: “Cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee.” Finally, Satan’s third temptation referred to the glory of the world. After Jesus had been shown “all the kingdoms of the world, ... [Satan] saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:1-9). Satan’s ultimate temptation may have had less to do with those three provocations and more to do with tempting Christ to question His divine nature. At least twice, the enticement was preceded by the challenging accusation, “If thou be the Son of God” — if you really believe it, then do this or that.
Additional resources
- Related image: “I Am a Son of God”
- Related video: “I Am a Child of God”
- Related hymn: No. 301, “I Am a Child of God”
Recent conference talks on divine identity
- Elder Alan T. Phillips: “God Knows and Loves You” (October 2023)
- Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier: “We Are His Children” (October 2023)
- Elder Dale G. Renlund: “Your Divine Nature and Eternal Destiny” (April 2022)
Who is Elder Alliaud?
Elder Rubén V. Alliaud was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019. As a young convert in Argentina, he held several demanding callings in his branch and learned his desire to serve qualified him for the work.
