Latter-day Saints believe in God. A recent Pew Foundation study showed that Mormons had a 100 percent rate of belief in God, which, oddly, was more than any other Christian religion. Even a Primary child can recite some basic facts about God: He is the creator of our spirits and therefore our literal Father in Heaven. He is kind and loving and knows each of us personally and by name. He has a body like ours, but perfected and glorified. Someday, if we honor our covenants, we can return to live with Him.

But what do all these facts mean on a day-to-day basis? They are more than just intellectual knowledge. As members of the church, they should impact every moment of our lives.

The facts above lead us to see God as kind and loving. Our God has a personal relationship with us, begun in our pre-mortal life. The question is this, then: Do we also have a personal relationship with Him?

Bernard P. Brockbank said:

Many believe that there is a God, many say that they know there is a God, but many do not act like they know God. There is a great difference in believing or knowing that there is a God and in knowing God.

Bernard P. Brockbank, “Knowing God,” Ensign, Jul 1972, 121

Knowing a lot of facts about God is a good starting point, but it isn’t enough to get us through the challenges of mortality. To make it through life with our testimony intact we need a very close relationship, the kind you’d have with your own family and closest friends, and then even to go beyond that.

We can’t know God if we don’t spend a lot of time with Him. Each day needs to include scripture reading time, which increases what we know about God. It also needs to include time for formal prayer, which helps us to improve our communication with Him. These are both critical. However, to build a complete relationship, we also need informal time with God. I once heard a speaker say he opened the communication line with God each morning during his formal morning prayer, but he didn’t close the line until he went to sleep. With the line open, he kept up a running conversation with God all day long, sharing his happy experiences, his trials, his ponderings, and his decision making process, all as it happened in real time.

God is not too busy for this type of communication. He has the time and He is ready to walk with you all day long. This is the type of communication that can help a person to really know God, and to feel as comfortable in His presence as you do in the presence of your best earthly friend.

Imagine God walking right along beside you as you go about your day. Last year, the Primary children learned a song in which they were taught to imagine the Savior standing beside them. The song asked if they would still do what they did if He were. If we imagine God, or the Savior beside us, it’s bound to impact our thoughts and actions all day long.

Besides, who wouldn’t love to have her best friend right there while she faces the challenges of life?