If you had to pick one word or phrase that identifies you, what would it be?
In fifth grade, I probably would have answered, “A Bon Jovi fan.” In ninth grade I might have said I was an actor; later in high school I might have identified myself as a snowboarder. All those identifiers are fine, but I was missing a core part of my identity.
The Missing Piece
In Mosiah 5:7, in response to his people’s covenanting to serve God, King Benjamin highlighted an important part of their identity:
“Because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.”
At first glance, the identity of “the children of Christ” might seem puzzling. We know that we are the spirit children of Heavenly Father, and we all have a physical father as well. So how is it that we can, in addition, be the children of Christ?
King Benjamin gave us the answer: He told the people that the Savior had “spiritually begotten” them, or in other words, they had been born again. Jesus Christ is the father of our spiritual rebirth. Being born again means becoming the children of Christ.
Consider how our lives might be different if we reminded ourselves of our central identity as a child of Christ. What if I regularly told myself, “Because of the covenant which I have made, I am a child of Christ, He has spiritually begotten me; my heart is changed through faith on His name; therefore, I am born of Him and have become His child.”
The Importance of Identity
The names and titles we use to identify ourselves can make a big difference in our lives. Today, we might identify ourselves with our employment, a sports team, or a political party. These aren’t bad things, but consider what President Russell M. Nelson taught:
“I am not saying that other designations and identifiers are not significant. I am simply saying that no identifier should displace, replace, or take priority over these three enduring designations: ‘child of God,’ ‘child of the covenant,’ and ‘disciple of Jesus Christ.’ Any identifier that is not compatible with these three basic designations will ultimately let you down. Other labels will disappoint you in time because they do not have the power to lead you toward eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God.”
A child of God.
A child of the covenant.
A disciple of Jesus Christ.
And King Benjamin might add, a child of Christ.
Recently, I was talking with a friend who has gone through a difficult divorce. She shared how every time she would drop the kids off at her ex-husband’s house, she would go to the temple seeking peace. But at first, she felt troubled because it seemed the temple was all about family, and her family was falling apart. On one special day in the celestial room, however, she felt enveloped by God’s love and realized that the temple is actually centered on Jesus Christ—and that as a child of Christ, she had a home at the temple. That truth brought her great peace.
In the difficult circumstances we face, we too can find comfort by focusing on our true identities. Yes, I still love Bon Jovi, acting, and snowboarding, but those things do not define who I am.
If I had to pick one phrase that I hope does define me, it might be child of Christ. I want to be like King Benjamin’s people and want King Benjamin’s words about them to be true of me:
“Because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters” (Mosiah 5:7).
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