Our Heavenly Father

Posted on June 22, 2020 by zeev1776

Last Fathers’ Day, I wrote a tribute to my Dad. This Fathers’ Day, I pen a tribute to my Heavenly Father. I love my Father in Heaven and long for the day that I will return to Him and feel His arms around me. This brief piece is meant to honor Him – the Supreme Power in the universe, the God of Creation, the very personal, involved, and loving Father of us all.

The resurrected Lord Jesus Christ told Mary Magdalene, as she embraced Him outside of the empty tomb, that He needed to ascend to “my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17). Jesus had a Father – a literal Father. This Being begat Jesus with Mary and was His literal, physical Father from whom He inherited the power of God, the power to break the bands of death, the power to redeem all mankind.

During His mortal ministry, Jesus frequently referred to God as “Father.” He taught: “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). He explained: “[M]y father hath taught me. . . . I speak that which I have seen with my Father” (John 8:38). Jesus admonished that whoever hates Him, “hateth my Father also” (John 15:23). On the other hand, He promised: “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). Jesus prayed for His disciples in these words: “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are” (John 17:11). Finally, when He was in anguish of soul as He began working out the awesome Atonement, the Lord pleaded: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

In all things, Jesus gave honor and glory to His Father. Even the title which Jesus used to refer to Himself more than 80 times, “Son of Man,” is a reference to the Father. “Man of Holiness” is a title attributed to the Father. When Jesus called Himself the “Son of a Man,” it really meant the “Son of the Man of Holiness,” highlighting the fact that He was the Son of a holy and exalted Man, the Man, the very Eternal Father. Jesus loved His Father, deferred to His Father, taught us the things His Father wanted us to know, and, most importantly, showed us that His Father was also our Father.

It is one of the most misunderstood, yet superlative, of all doctrines that God is our literal Father and that we lived in His presence before our time on earth. My book The Lineage of the Gods is devoted to explaining our Parent-child relationship with our Eternal Father. Our Father in Heaven is the literal Father of our spirits. We are His literal children! His spiritual DNA is intertwined in our souls. We hail from His lineage. Our pedigree runs directly back to God our Father. His home is our true home – our first home.

As His actual children, we are loved by our Father more than we can comprehend. He has been with us, quite literally, from the beginning. He has watched over our first steps – spiritual and physical. We are created in His image just like every child is created in the image of his or her earthly parents. It opens the Heavens to us and makes our prayers more meaningful when realize our true relationship with our Father.

To understand ourselves, it is helpful to understand more about the Personage we call Father. In fact, it is essential to know both the Father and the Son. Jesus taught: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). We often hear that God is “unknowable” and “indefinable.” As the scripture just cited demonstrates, this is false doctrine. Not only can we know God, we must know Him!

Our Father is separate from the Son and from the Holy Spirit. They are three individual Beings. The Father and Son have glorified bodies of flesh and bone; the Holy Ghost is a Personage of spirit Who will one day receive a body. Together, these three divine Individuals comprise the “Godhead.” They are “One” in the sense that they share the same purpose and mission – to save and exalt mankind.

Furthermore, the members of the Godhead are not devoid of bodies, parts, and passions. As noted, the Father is a Man of Holiness. He is a Man, albeit a glorified and exalted Man. Jesus, clearly, was a Man – though He was also God. Recognizing the humanity of our Father and our Redeemer is essential to knowing them.

We can learn more about the Father by looking at the Son. We are told by Luke that the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ has a perfected body of flesh and bone. He could be seen by mortal eyes and felt by human hands. He could even eat food. You and I can relate to all of these activities and attributes because they are so very human. And as the Son is and does, so is and does the Father. When we recognize this, we can relate better to Him and say that we know something of Him.

Every trait of goodness, compassion, and love that we rightly attribute to Jesus the Christ is equally attributable to our Eternal Father. In fact, the Lord once said that “none is good, save one, that is, God” (Luke 18:19). Our Father is the galactic epitome of greatness, goodness, light, justice, truth, charity, mercy, and love. It’s no wonder that Jesus said: “[T]he true worshippers shall worship the Father” (John 4:23).

The Christian firebrand, Brigham Young, made this intriguing remark about how we can know God. He said:

“This intelligence which is within you and me is from heaven. In gazing upon the intelligence reflected in the countenances of my fellow beings, I gaze upon the image of Him whom I worship—the God I serve. I see His image and a certain amount of His intelligence there. I feel it within myself. My nature shrinks at the divinity we see in others” (President Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, 171, May 29, 1870).

We all have a portion of our Father’s divinity inside of us. Our Father’s spiritual DNA is wound tightly into our souls. We are from His lineage and, like any children, we have the potential to become like Him. The honorable Ezra Taft Benson made this remark:

“As God’s offspring, we have His attributes in us. We are gods in embryo, and thus have an unlimited potential for progress and attainment” (President Ezra Taft Benson, The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 21).

This is a controversial point in Christendom, nevertheless it is substantiated in numerous places throughout the Bible. I cite only three. The Lord Himself, referring to ancient revelation He had given as Jehovah, stated: “Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods” (John 10:34). And again, the Apostle Paul plainly stated: “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” (Romans 8:16-17). Finally, John said: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

It is a glorious truth that we are the children of our Father and that we may, through the redemption of Christ, become like Him and dwell eternally in His Kingdom. What kind of a Kingdom will it be? It will be a Kingdom of light, love, and joy because our Father is a Being of light, love, and joy. Many years ago, a Christian leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave this wonderful description of our Holy Father:

“I am perfectly satisfied that my Father and my God is a cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured Being. Why? Because I am cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured when I have His Spirit. That is one reason why I know; and another is – the Lord said, through Joseph Smith, “I delight in a glad heart and a cheerful countenance.” That arises from the perfection of His attributes; He is a jovial, lively person, and a beautiful man” (President Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, February 8, 1857).

It warms my heart to think of my Father as “a jovial, lively person, and a beautiful man.” I want to be like Him and to eventually grow into His attributes. Since I know that I’m a son, I also know that I can become like my Father. These truths have been pressed into my soul by the witness of the Holy Spirit. They’ve also been in my mind since childhood when I sang the hymn “I Am a Child of God.” The verses teach:

“I am a child of God,

And he has sent me here,

Has given me an earthly home

With parents kind and dear.

“I am a child of God,

And so my needs are great;

Help me to understand his words

Before it grows too late.

“I am a child of God.

Rich blessings are in store;

If I but learn to do his will

I’ll live with him once more.”

We are children of God. He is our Father. And we will return to His Heavenly Home one day if we understand His words, follow His Son, and really come to know Them.

This Fathers’ Day, I encourage everyone to get on their knees and pray to their Father in Heaven. Express gratitude to Him that He is your Father and that you are His child. Thank Him from the depth of your soul for sending His Son – our Elder Brother – Jesus Christ to redeem us from death and hell. Pour out your gratitude to your Father for watching over you throughout your life, providing a beautiful world to live on, giving you the necessities of food, water, and a home, and answering your prayers.

The best gift you can give your Eternal Father this holiday is to acknowledge Him, speak with Him, and follow His Son so that the Lord may bring us back to Him one day. Always remember the words of our Savior:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

Zack Strong,

June 21, 2020

A Tribute to Fathers

Posted on June 17, 2019 by zeev1776

In our era of feminist revolt against the God-ordained family order, fathers – and men in general – have taken a harsh beating. Men have been relegated to the shadows as women have stepped forward to assert their so-called dominance. Advertising, mainstream media, Hollywood, public schooling, the courts, ad inifinitum, have stepped forward to belittle and emasculate men, denigrate husbands, dismiss the relevance of fatherhood, and promote a Marxist-style culture devoid of time-tested values and traditional gender roles. This Father’s Day article is a tribute to fathers and to all real men everywhere.

Men, you are sons of Almighty God. You are loved. You are important. You are irreplaceable. You have a weighty burden of leadership to shoulder. Your role is absolutely critical to the proper function and safety of society. You were appointed by God as the leaders and protectors of your home and society. The patriarchal order established in the days of Adam and Eve is still in force today.

The family is the central building block of society. And the foundation of a good home is the Biblical patriarchal order. It is when society goes away from or twists the patriarchal order, as Marxists everywhere seek to do, that things fall apart. In light of the fact that one of the stated communist goals is to “abolish the family,” the need for real men to step forward and become strong husbands and fathers is self-evident.

In October 1973, Elder A. Theodore Tuttle voiced concern about the “diminishing role of the father.” He explained the importance of fathers and gave sage advice about how men can more faithfully fulfill their duties in the home. His words are even more applicable today. Said he:

“There is genuine concern over the diminishing role of the father in the home. His influence is fading. Presiding responsibilities formerly assumed are left either to the mother or to agencies outside the home. This diminishing role is at the root of a multitude of our problems. Numerous things go awry when the scriptural family organization is upset!

“The father is the patriarch in the home. This means that the father is the presiding authority. This does not mean that he should be dictatorial. . . .

“In reality, each family is a dominion within itself. Father heads that government. In the beginning it was the only government on the earth and was passed down from Adam to his descendants. Properly organized in the Church, the father is the patriarch of an eternal family unit. Heaven, to us, will be simply an extension of an ideal home. As the presiding priesthood officer, the father fills an irreplaceable role. . . .

“The father exercises his spiritual leadership in the home by calling his family to prayer each morning and evening. Weekly family home evening, likewise, is called and presided over by the father, though all others participate.

“The father is the protector of the home. He guards it against the intrusion of evil from without. Formerly he protected his home with weapons and shuttered windows. Today the task is more complex. Barred doors and windows protect only against the intrusion of a corporeal creature. It is not an easy thing to protect one’s family against intrusions of evil into the minds and spirits of family members. These influences can and do flow freely into the home. Satan can subtly beguile the children of men . . . He need not break down the door.

“Fathers, you will have to live close to the Lord. Develop a sensitivity to the impressions of the Spirit.

“There is yet another intrusion into the home that needs to be mentioned. It is an unwise father who carries to his family his daily business cares. They disturb the peace existing there. He should leave his worries at the office and enter his home with the spirit of peace in his heart and with the love of God burning within him. If there is friction, his presence should soothe it. If there is turmoil, he should resolve it. . . .

“Fathers, draw close to your children. Learn to communicate. Learn to listen. This means giving a father’s most valuable commodity—time! Only good results occur when a father interviews his sons and daughters regularly. He can know their problems and their hopes. He can align himself with them as their unconditional friend. To the extent we become friends with our children in unconditional love, to that extent we become like our Heavenly Father. . . .

“And finally, the father is to be an example of the highest Christian virtues. To walk uprightly in the admonition of the Lord requires not only patience and forebearance, but an exercise in constant practice of all the Christian virtues by each family member. Perhaps the Lord knew this when he instituted the family. A man needs the responsibility of a wife and family. He needs the responsibility of being an example of righteousness. There is wisdom in this requirement. This kind of gentle persuasion is needed to keep a father “on course” and gently guide him toward perfection.

“In the family relationship, we find our best laboratory in which to practice celestial living. While this task is fraught with much challenge and some adversity, it is, nevertheless, blessed with that supreme joy that can come only to a father.

“It should have great meaning that of all the titles of respect and honor and admiration that could be given him, that God himself, he who is the highest of all, chose to be addressed simply as “Father.””

Can you sense the magnitude of your calling as a father?! Fatherhood is the greatest calling, role, and adventure a man can experience. Nothing will build a man’s character faster than having a wife and children to teach, discipline, lead, protect, and provide for. Nothing will make a man square his shoulders and lengthen his stride quicker than the serious responsibility of fatherhood. Nothing is more fulfilling and pleasant than having a family. Indeed, the Lord has said that children are a man’s “reward” and that “happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them” (Psalm 127:3-5).

Men are the God-ordained leaders of the home. We do not know all the reasons why the Lord set it up this way, but He did. And this arrangement has worked in every corner of the earth for millennia. All other arrangements breed corruption and failure, as history amply attests.

A man is the head of the home and a woman is the heart. Both heart and head must work in tandem and fulfill their assigned roles if the body is to function. If a heart stops pumping blood, the body dies. If the brain stops sending signals to the vital organs in the body, they cease to work and death results. Men and women complement each other. A woman absolutely cannot fulfill a man’s role or replace his influence, and no right-thinking person believes a man can do what a woman does.

Biologically, anatomically, emotionally, and even intellectually, men and women are different. Men were physically designed by nature’s God to be able to protect and provide for their families. They were also spiritually and emotionally calculated to be leaders who used reason and force of will to make hard decisions affecting entire families. Women cannot replace men in these functions, and men must not abdicate their role.

Modern men must cut through the haze of Red propaganda and remember who they are. They must steel themselves and become the leaders in their homes and in society. They must remember that their personal feelings notwithstanding, the God of Heaven has appointed them to lead. Men must be the spiritual patriarchs of their homes and lead by righteous example. They must discipline with loving firmness in order for their children to grow and for their marriages to strengthen. As Elder LeGrand Curtis once said, “Discipline is organized love.”

Fathers should be beacons of strength to their families and to the community. Children should happily run to the door and jump into their father’s arms when he arrives home. Wives should be able to trust, respect, rely on, be proud of, and follow their husband’s lead because they see that he is a man of integrity and that he treats her and his children well. And, ultimately, an earthly father should follow the example of his Heavenly Father and “be an example of the highest Christian virtues.”

It is not insignificant that our God has chosen for Himself the title Father. Mortal fathers should remember in whose footsteps they follow. If men only knew who they really are and what their Heavenly Father expects of them, they would push back against the societal tsunami of anti-male feminism and fulfill their inspired roles. Those men who do just that are true heroes and deserve to be remembered and shown respect on this Father’s Day.

As I close this article, I want to pay tribute to my own father. My Dad is my partner, buddy, and pal, to steal a line from Jerry Lewis. He was my first best friend. In several ways, I am closer to him than any person I know. He has been my confidant and friend and a source of strength for me through the years. He was always there for me and always gave me his time. There’s nothing that is upright and just that he wouldn’t do for me. I know he would give his life for me in a heartbeat. And “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Fortunately, my Dad does not have to lay down his life in order for me to know he loves me. I thoroughly understand that he loves me because he has said it and shown it my entire life. I pay him a personal tribute and take this opportunity to publicly express my gratitude for all his sacrifices for his family and to tell him I love him dearly. I love you, Dad!

Me and my Dad

The role of father is truly special. It is also vital to the proper function of society. The extent to which society rises or falls depends on the stability of its families. And the steadiness of a family relies, to a very large degree, on the strength of its presiding officer, its patriarch, its head, its father. Words cannot express how important fathers are! Women, cherish, support, and follow your husbands. Children, honor and obey your fathers. And men, be the fathers, husbands, and sons God intended you to be – righteous, loving, stalwart, upright, just, firm, and strong. Enjoy this Father’s Day and know that even though society at large may not respect you, there are many people left who honor you for faithfully fulfilling your decisive role as fathers.

Zack Strong,

June 16, 2019

The American Citadel

Defending our Faith, Families, and Freedom.

Tag Archives: Father’s Day

Our Heavenly Father

A Tribute to Fathers