Coming Closer to God

We believe that we are all children of our Heavenly Father. And as a kind and loving father (a perfect father, actually), He is aware of you. He knows you—your challenges, your triumphs, your strengths, and your incredible potential. And knowing all that, He loves you. A lot. Nothing means more to Him than your happiness. That’s why He wants you to get to know Him.

Happiness is a choice. We can choose to be happy even when things go wrong. We need to remember that God loves us and that “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28). We're here to grow through challenges, but we are also here to find happiness along the way. We can choose happiness by not comparing ourselves to others, being grateful for the things we have, surrounding ourselves with positive people, serving others, and recognizing God's hand in our lives. The Book of Mormon tells us that “men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25).

There are many different ways to pray. We can pray by ourselves, or as a family. We can offer prayers at mealtime, before bed, first thing in the morning, or anytime, really. The important thing is that we take the time to sincerely offer our gratitude to God and ask Him for help.

In addition to prayer, meditation can help us center our minds on God and help us feel the Spirit. In that sense, meditation is a form of prayer.

That’s a tough question. It all starts with the little stuff. The first thing is to have a desire to change and have hope that it's possible. You can do it with God's help. The Book of Mormon tells us that “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6).

Pick a few small things that you can work on. These could be spiritual goals like praying, reading the scriptures, or going to church. You could also set goals to overcome bad habits or sins. Jesus paid the price for all of our mistakes, sins, and sorrows because none of us is perfect. If you don’t know what you need to change, try asking God. You could also meet with missionaries who can help you know more about what God wants for you.

It’s okay to be sad. You can be sad and still have faith that God loves you and that things will be okay in the end.

Don’t be afraid to talk to someone about your feelings, such as a grief counselor, a family member, a trusted friend, or a religious leader. Allow them to comfort you, even if they can’t fully understand what you’re going through.

You can also find peace in the gospel of Jesus Christ. God is there and He cares about you and is aware of you. Jesus took upon Himself all suffering so He would know how to help you overcome yours. You can be with loved ones again after death. These teachings don’t take away all of the pain, but they can provide hope and understanding.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).