Identity is a big things these days. Classifying ourselves and keyholing each other by these terms, fitting people into these boxes as a way of fitting in, or excluding people based upon those boxes that we have created.

Why do we do this? I think that one of the reasons we do this is because we want to belong. We often classify ourselves in some worldly way because we want to fit in with a certain group of people. But usually, it is because we aren’t as secure within ourselves as we would like to be, or should be. In my most recent scripture study I have been studying Jesus Christ as a means to better emulate Him. This is what I have learned about Identity based upon His example:

Jesus knew who He was, the Son of God. He was secure in His identity as such, but He was also secure in His relationship with Heavenly Father. Now, how much He knew right from infancy we don’t know, but in the scriptures (Doctrine and Covenants 93:12-14) it says He grew from grace to grace until He had received a fulness. This probably happened at a much quicker rate than we experience it because of the mission He had to fulfill. But part of His mission here was to learn as we learn.

Thus, He learned very quickly His identity and purpose here on earth. But even knowing what He knew didn’t prevent Him from experiencing what He had to: pains, afflictions of every kind, judged of the world as a thing of naught. He was scourged, He was smitten, He was spit upon, He was ridiculed, He was whipped, He was falsely accused, tried, and convicted, and He was crucified. He suffered for all mankind.

And through it all, what was His reaction? He grew in love, kindness, long-suffering, patience, meekness, grace, and so much more. How could that be? What would your reaction be to even a small portion of that? We see it in the world today – anger, hate, bitterness, name calling, division, and cruelty.

As I have thought about this, I think it’s because He knew who He was, the Son of God. He was secure in his identity. We have been counseled recently by our prophet to remember who we are, sons and daughters of God. What if we remembered that in times of trouble and trial? Jesus was perfect, yet He had a lot of challenges, should we think to have less? And yet by comparison, we will never suffer as much as He did.

Identity matters, but it seems the world has lost track of what our true identity is, whether we want to believe it or not. C.S. Lewis is quoted as having said, “Human history: the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” The only path to lasting happiness, and the only way to have peace in this crazy world, regardless of what is happening around us, is to remember our true identity, as a child of God, and then to live up to what that means.