Many of us are familiar with advertisements about preventing identity theft. The thought of someone stealing our identity, our credit card numbers, our bank accounts, even our homes, is chilling.

But, right under our noses an even larger identity theft is taking place. Satan is working around the clock to confuse us about who we really are.

How does he do this?  In whispers and in shadows. Social media is the perfect vehicle for him to remind us that our lives and blessings pale in comparison to others’. Like an expert advertising executive, he surrounds us with constant images and sounds that stay in our minds, and make us want to keep up, be popular, be powerful, be wealthy, be thinner, look younger, have more material goods, live in grander style, cast aside “difficult” commandments, and rest on our laurels.

He’s an expert at convincing us we always have tomorrow to repent or get back on track. If we miss studying our scriptures one day, he rejoices, already planning to fill our next day so the pattern continues. When absent from church for a length of time (the pandemic comes to mind), he points out the advantages of inactivity and blurs the blessings of taking the Sacrament.

He’s also quick to insist that we’re far from royalty!  All the mistakes you’ve made, and you want to think of yourself as a child of God? Are you kidding? He tells us we don’t even deserve to pray; besides, we’re just going to blow it again, right?

The world is swimming with his sharks. They follow relentlessly, trying to disrupt the beautiful plan of change and repentance. These minions tell us we didn’t hear the Holy Ghost; but instead, that was our own made-up thoughts. They point out other families who seem to have achieved all the goals we’ve missed. They make us feel sorry for ourselves, resentful of others, behind the curve, and unable to improve. Every bit of it is a lie.

And yes, he doubles down on people who pose the greatest threat to his evil designs—those who have made—or will make—temple covenants. Those who work on sealings. Youth who could rise up and overthrow his plans.

So how can we thwart this highly organized effort to make us give up? First, spot it. The Book of Mormon is an inspired parenting manual, personal improvement guide, testament of Jesus Christ—I could go on and on—but it’s also a fantastic tool to teach us about the enemy’s tactics. Study it, underline the many ways evil is being paraded as the King’s new clothes. By doing this you’ll recognize the adversary’s tricks and have a response plan.

If you don’t have a solid testimony, make it your top priority to acquire one. Being able to hear the voice of the Spirit is the most important tool you can possess—both for resisting Satan’s ploys, and leading others to the truth.

In Helaman 5 we read about Helaman’s sons, Nephi and Lehi, who decided to devote their lives to preaching to the stiffnecked people of their day. Nephi even gave up his judgment seat to do it.

Helaman quotes King Benjamin and Abinadi, then says, in verse 12, “…remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

Their power and authority was so astonishing that thousands turned from evil, repented, and were baptized.

Study what our leaders have said about who we really are, and what our future can honestly be. We can forsake our past behavior and be made new, joyous at the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and the magnificent future that awaits us.

General Young Women President Elaine S. Dalton gave a wonderful address called, “Renember Who You Are!” in which she retold the story of King Louis XVI of France, who refused every temptation paraded before him by the evil men who had dethroned his father. When exhausted and defeated, they asked him how he could stay so morally strong and he said, “I cannot do what you ask, for I was born to be a king.”

Likewise, we are children of God who have a divine, sacred birthright. We are loved beyond our comprehension by a Father and a Mother in Heaven. They are not only rooting for us, but helping us!  And our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, already paid the price for every challenge, trial, sickness, or sin that we will ever experience. We need only turn to Him with full devotion and become changed for the better. Where can you ever find an offer like that, where the cost is to learn even greater joy?

President Russell M. Nelson once said, “Who are we? We are children of God. Our potential is unlimited.”  And Elder Quentin L. Cook said this is who we really are at our core. Ellder Gary E. Stevenson has said, “God is our loving Heavenly Father. We are His children. He weeps with us when we suffer and rejoices when we do what is right.”

Elder Boyd K. Packer said, “You are a child of God. He is the father of your spirit. Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven. Fix that truth in our mind and hold to it…the pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line: You are a child of God.”

One of the most cherished Primary songs is I Am a Child of God, a glorious reminder about who sent us here and why. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “you really are a child of God who has inherited something of His divine nature.”

This is true, of course, for every human being on earth. What a great reminder to cast aside hate, envy, and disregard for others. Jesus Christ told us to love our fellowman, and is undoubtedly saddened when we don’t. Each one of us deserves respect as a brother or sister.

Too many of us forget that we fall into that same category—someone who deserves respect. We learn to settle for mistreatment and often beat ourselves up when we make mistakes. Instead, if we could remember our true identity, we would defend ourselves, believe in our potential, and refuse Satan’s bitter invitation to join him in eternal sorrow.

I started a new tradition with my Seminary class this year.  We gather in a huddle, and I shout, “Who are we?”

“Children of a King!” they shout back.

“Where are we going?”

“To the Celestial Kingdom!”

“How do we get there?”

“Keep our covenants and gather Israel!”

Then we all cheer. I hope they remember this all their lives, and have similar gatherings with their own children one day.  And if every one of us remembered this, Satan would never be able to steal our true, sacred identity.

Joni Hilton is an LDS author, Seminary teacher, and shares life hacks at https://m.youtube.com/c/jonihilton  Her novel, Golden, has just become an Amazon audiobook.