He spoke specifically about receiving them, and even more specifically about receiving one gift.

The ‘all-encompassing gift of eternal truth’

“I would like to talk about one all-encompassing gift of eternal truth that underpins our ability to receive all else our Father desires to endow us with–a vital gift of knowledge that, when fully accepted and received deep in the soul, contextualizes the joys and hardships of life and our unanswered questions: It is that we really are God’s children. That truth is breathtaking! Stunning! And it is not figurative,” he said.

“Imagine you are hearing this for the first time! You really are His cherished daughter. You really are His precious son. And the path you are on is His plan of happiness. With His omniscient love, He knows exactly who you were before you were sent to earth and what you have experienced so far in your mortal life, and He has mercifully planned for your every tomorrow. And oh, how He yearns to one day have you return to Him, to receive the supreme intent of all His beautiful gifts, eternal life with Him.”

The blessings of receiving this gift

Later in the talk, Elder Kearon implored all to receive this gift, “either for the first time or to a greater extent than ever before,” and explained the effects of receiving it.

Ryan Comer, Standard-Examiner

“When you welcome this majestic reality into your very soul and feel both the comfort and the thrill of it, your entire paradigm shifts!” he said. “You can feel His love, hear His voice, and recognize His hand, no matter what is happening, or not happening, in your life. You can redefine how you see yourself and others. Your covenant bond with your Savior becomes even stronger, and through the lens of this sweet gift, life takes on new brilliance, beauty, and hope.

“Please, will you pray to understand if you are truly receiving this transformative knowledge deep in your soul? Will you please accept the gift? Will you do so more deeply, more freely, more abundantly than you ever have before–and in so doing be showered with all of those other gifts that come with it?”

What it means to receive and what else we can receive

Earlier in the talk, Elder Kearon explained how we can truly receive a gift and connected his comments to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

“Receiving a gift is not passive but an intentional and meaningful process that goes far beyond merely opening a package,” he said. “To receive is to appreciate and connect with both the gift and the heart of the giver in a way that strengthens the bonds between the giver and receiver. …

“Our Heavenly Father has innumerable gifts of light and truth prepared to shower down on each of us, His treasured children. They flow from our Bounteous Giver like a wellspring in the wilderness from His benevolent heart. ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.’ In our covenant bond with the Father, He is ever the Giver and we the humble recipient.

“But we could receive nothing without the greatest of all the Father’s gifts, His beloved Lamb, His Son, Jesus Christ. All of our Father’s gifts flow from and are activated by the Savior’s willing offering in Gethsemane and on the cross and His triumphant Resurrection. Jesus Christ, our merciful Redeemer, is the supreme gift from our Father of lights. ‘In the gift of his Son hath God prepared [for us] a more excellent way.'”

And as Elder Kearon noted, the “vital gift of knowledge” that we are children of God is an “all-encompassing gift of eternal truth that underpins our ability to receive all else our Father desires to endow us with.”

Think about that. Receiving the gift of the knowledge that “we really are God’s children” is foundational to helping us to receive every one of Heavenly Father’s gifts. That includes the gift of the Savior Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father’s supreme gift, who completed the atonement from which “all of our Father’s gifts flow from and are activated by,” given to us to help us “receive the supreme intent of all (God’s) beautiful gifts, eternal life with Him.”

Thus, there’s clear progression from receiving the gift of knowledge of our divine identity and ultimately receiving eternal life.

Can you see why Elder Kearon is focusing on receiving the gift of the knowledge that we are children of God?

The impact of gifts

In 2008, when my wife, Shannon, and I were dating, we went to the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy a couple weeks before Thanksgiving. While we were there, we came across a sports memorabilia vendor booth. I noticed a Seattle Seahawks-related item and immediately desired it. I wanted to purchase it, but Shannon cautioned against it. She said she didn’t think it was worth the money. So, we sauntered on. I didn’t think about the item any more, until Dec. 19, my birthday. I unwrapped Shannon’s gift for me and it was that item.

Immediately, I knew the reason she had discouraged me from purchasing it. Knowing how much I wanted it, she wanted to be the one to give it to me. That memory has stuck with me over the years because it was a clear sign of how much she cared about my feelings and desires. It showed that she wasn’t willing to just give me any gift that maybe would be appreciated and maybe wouldn’t be. She wanted to give me a gift that was truly impactful, that would truly show how much she valued my happiness.

In his talk, Elder Kearon discussed a similar situation where he received a particular gift that he strongly desired.

“When I was about seven years old, living with my parents in Arabia, a children’s film called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was released,” he said. “The film is about a magical car that can drive itself, float on water, and even fly! I knew that back home in England they made a miniature toy car just like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and oh, how I wanted one! You could pull a lever, and the toy car’s wings would pop out! My father went on a business trip to England and asked if I wanted him to bring anything back for me, and I told him how very much I would like to have one of those Chitty Chitty Bang Bang cars.

“He came back from his trip, and no car appeared. I was very sad and thought he must have forgotten. But about 10 days later was my birthday, and a little package, beautifully wrapped, was waiting for me. With great anticipation, and hardly daring to hope too much, I opened the gift and found my car. I was so happy that I cried. I pulled the lever, and the wings popped out, just like the car in the film! How I thanked my father for this most treasured gift. I played with that car for years and kept it for many more. I think my dad loved giving me that car at least as much as I loved receiving it.”

I think Shannon enjoyed giving me that Seahawks-related item at least as much as I loved receiving it. Like Elder Kearon’s father must have known, Shannon knew she had made a difference.

The impact of this ‘vital gift of knowledge’

Receiving the “vital gift of knowledge” of our eternal identity serves as the foundation for our “ability to receive all else our Father desires to endow us with.” When thought of in that context, what tremendous love Heavenly Father has for us. He’s provided for us the opportunity to have the foundation necessary to be able to receive all of his gifts, he’s given us the Savior, through whom we are actually capable of receiving every gift, and he’s done this so that we can receive the intent behind all of the gifts, eternal life with him.

How much would our lives change if we truly were able to internalize that truth and recognize the importance of it? How much would it change how we interact with others, knowing that they are also children of the same Heavenly Father? How much would it change what we chose to focus on and prioritize in our lives? How much would it change how we deal with trials and other unfortunate situations? How much would it change our commitment level toward God? How much would it change what we thought about obedience?

Conclusion

Near the end of his talk, Elder Kearon elaborated on how to receive this foundational gift.

“You may be wondering, ‘What do I have to do to receive this gift from God?’ Well, actually, nothing,” Elder Kearon said. “It is a gift from the Giver. It is simply a fact. Just let it in. You are His child. You are beloved of Him. Do not complicate it. Do not block the receiving of this gift with thoughts that you are somehow undeserving. The reality is none of us is ‘deserving’–all the Father’s gifts are received only through the merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, but how His generous heart longs for each of His children to receive them! Then, as your new or renewed understanding dawns on you, rejoice in thanking the Giver of this gift.

“Since finding my faith in my mid-20s, I have awakened to the realization that I truly am a son of God. The more fully I internalize this gift, the more keenly I know who I am and how completely I am loved. Some things that have helped me grow in understanding are the words of scripture, my patriarchal blessing, temple worship, serving others, expressing gratitude, and sacred prayer with my Father. I marvel at how earlier sorrow, pain, and grief in my life would have been reframed, soothed, and much of it overcome had I known this beautiful truth.”

Continuing, he concluded:

“Moroni exhorts us to ‘deny not the gifts of God’ but to ‘come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift.’ You can come to Christ with confidence in His loving-kindness and receive all His gifts of joy, peace, hope, light, truth, revelation, knowledge, and wisdom–with your head held high, your arms outstretched, and your hands open, ready to receive. And you can receive these gifts because you are secure and grounded in the knowledge that you are a beloved daughter of God, you are a cherished son of God, and He has gifted you His perfect, holy Son to redeem you, justify you, and sanctify you.

“You are a child of God. This is not just a nice song we sing. Will you please accept, open, and receive this gift of knowledge and understanding from Him? Will you hold it close as the precious treasure it is? Re-receive this gift, or perhaps truly receive it for the very first time, and let it transform every aspect of your life. This is the more excellent way God has prepared for you through the gift of His Son. You really are that you might have joy!”

I hope all who read this can go and watch the talk because the words alone don’t quite do justice to the power of the message. It’s clear from watching the talk just how much Elder Kearon knows that he is a child of God, and how much he wants us to know that.

I know personally just how much of a life-transforming realization that knowledge is, because I’ve received it.

Contact Ryan Comer at rcomer@standard.net.