What can you say about his grace, mercy and love? Superlatives fall short.

Wanting his children to have it all and be our best, our Heavenly Father created and then sent us to earth where peace and affliction, good and evil, as well as joy and sorrow would create an environment where, with obedience to his commandments that could happen.

As a perfect being, he is perfectly just. The law of justice requires that a punishment be meted out for each infraction. Knowing that we cannot be our best with disobedience hanging over our heads and being perfectly merciful as well, he came up with a plan that would circumvent the effects of justice. He lovingly sent his Only Begotten Son in the flesh, Jesus-Christ to suffer the punishment of our disobedience. Only he could do so as the demands of justice would never have claim on him thanks to his perfect obedience. The laws of mercy state that by repenting and forsaking the sin, mercy could fulfill the laws of justice - making it so we don't have our sins or their effects hanging eternally over our heads and keeping us from becoming our best.

He sent angels to proclaim the gospel through prophets and patiently resent them again and again as each nation, tongue and people have, sooner or later, rejected this message of peace and happiness - preferring to live by our "wisdom".

He is omniscient, omnipotent and the God of the Universe and yet he asks that we call him simply by "Father". He is so aware of us and our needs that each hair of our head is counted. He has a body of flesh and bone and we are made in his image.

How did I get so lucky to know these things about my Heavenly Father?

Brian R. Bradshaw