Our Father

Today's talks in Sacrament meeting were about our relationship to Heavenly Father.  During the two adult talks, a couple of light bulbs went off in my head.
Through out all earthly time, the first thing that Satan attacks is our relationship with Heavenly Father.  Satan tries to supplant himself or his weak imitations of God in our hearts and minds.  Our natural longing is to our Heavenly Father-- He placed it in us, so that we would have desires to seek Him out and return to Him.  If Satan can step in during our blindness and convince us that another entity is worthy of worship, then what could be our salvation is lost to us.  If Satan can deceive us into thinking that God is unkind, unmerciful, or unknowable, then, in our sins we will shrink from Him.  If we lose the concept of who God is and feel that He is without body, parts, or passion, then we lose the concept of ourselves, we who are created in His image. 
When the apostasy happened, the knowledge of God was lost.  History forgot, and sometimes purposely, that He is our Father and the creator of our souls.  The knowledge that we lived with Him before this mortality was lost.  The knowledge that we could become like Him became blasphemy.  So much was lost.  So, so much.  My heart hurts for the people who lived through the dark ages.  Without the gospel, the influence of the Holy Ghost, priesthood authority, and saving ordinances the mist of darkness talked about in the Tree of Life allegory swallowed the earth.  In a spiritual darkness as vast and as deep as the three day darkness suffered by the Nephites at the time of Christ's crucifixion, humanity struggled through hundreds of years.  There were only a few glowing moments when the goodness of God crept up through the swill.  That hurts.
When Joseph Smith prayed in a grove of trees, one of the greatest gifts to humanity was given.  The knowledge of God as He is was restored.  He is a resurrected man.  He is literally our Father.  He loves and cares for each of His children deeply.  He knows them by name and seeks their salvation and exaltation.  We can love Him and understand Him.  That makes my heart swell with joy.  Sometimes, when I am careless, I forget all of these things and how richly I am blessed.  I try not to, because I really understand that there are many not as blessed as I have been.  Heavenly Father's love and grace humble me, because often times I don't deserve His patience and charity.
The other light bulb went off, not so much from what was said, but from what it implied.  The duties of the patriarch of the family are the three Ps:  protect, provide, preside.  It struck me that Heavenly Father is still and eternally fulfilling His patriarchal duties. 
Each day, it is not for nothing that we pray for His protection.  It is not a classic, over used phrase that "no harm-or-ax will befall us".  It is His to give.  He gives it as often as He can without overstepping the bounds of our agency and the agency of those around us.  He sent the Holy Ghost to protect us as well, in whispered word, or in conditioning our hearts towards obedience.  He sent His Son to protect us from the fall.  He is behind every safety net, every guide line, every iron rod.  He encircles us in His arms of eternal love and would shield us from harm as a mother hen hides her babes under her own body.  He lives to protect us.
He provided this earth for us to live on; this earth which supplies all of our needs.  He provided us with bodies to move along in our progression.  He provided us with the gospel.  He provided everything we need to return to Him.  He sent His only begotten Son, the one without sin or blemish, to provide the ultimate sacrifice for all of our sins and to bridge the gap between heaven and hell.  He provides blessings before we know we need them.  He lives to provide for us.
He presides.  He is our King.  He is our Father.  Satan tried to take those patriarchal responsibilities away, but our Savior was unselfish.  He maintained and respected His Father's authority.  Thus, at every point in our lives, Heavenly Father is there to preside.  He presides over our baptism and confirmation, and our temple ordinances.  If we allow Him, He can preside over our entire lives.  He lives to preside.
I love Heavenly Father.  I wish I was quicker to obey.  I wish I was less quick to anger.  I wish so many things.  But, I'm glad He's always there.  I'm glad I can count on Him and that I know Him.  I'm glad that He takes care of me so well.  That makes my heart swell with joy.