From Elder Ballard-
* " . . . we are all the spirit sons and daughters of a loving God who is our Father. We are part of His family. He is not a father in some allegorical or poetic sense. He is literally the Father of our spirits. He cares for each one of us. Though this world has a way of diminishing and demeaning men and women, the reality is we are all of royal, divine lineage."
* " . . . only as we accept the Atonement in our lives and strive to live the gospel can we meet the challenges of life and find peace, joy, and happiness. Coming to understand this great gift is an individual pursuit for each child of God."
* "Brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father has reached out to us through the Atonement of our Savior."
* "Fathers, mothers, and missionaries “play” before very small audiences. Yet, in the eyes of the Lord, there may be only one size of audience that is of lasting importance—and that is just one, each one, you and me, and each one of the children of God. The irony of the Atonement is that it is infinite and eternal, yet it is applied individually, one person at a time."
Romans 8
16 The Spirit itself beareth awitness with our bspirit, that we are the cchildren of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; aheirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we bsuffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the asufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the bglory which shall be revealed cin us.
24 For we are saved by ahope: but hope that is bseen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26 Likewise the Spirit also ahelpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should bpray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh cintercession for us with dgroanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that asearcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh bintercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for agood to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 aFor whom he did bforeknow, he also cdid predestinate dto be conformed to the eimage of his Son, that he might be the ffirstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he adid predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can abe against us?
32 He that spared not his own aSon, but bdelivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us call things?
33 Who shall alay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh aintercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the alove of Christ? shall btribulation, or distress, or cpersecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are akilled all the day long; we are accounted as bsheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are amore than bconquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to aseparate us from the blove of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
