Reflections on Faith

The following is one Mormon‘s reflections on faith.  This is from Azure, a member of Winder Stake in Utah:

I have been reading Sheri Dew’s book God Wants a Powerful People. In it she says that accessing God’s power begins with our faith. I have thought a lot about that. There is a scripture in Moroni that describes this relationship.

“I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever” (Moroni 10:7).

I have been thinking about how to access the power of faith in my life through my prayers, thoughts and actions. A lot of great books have come out on how our thoughts and beliefs can change our environment and give us greater power and peace. They contain a great deal of truth and can give people a foundation and basic understanding. But, in the light of the gospel we have the key to all true power, strength, peace and knowledge.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk on Faith in April Conference of 1994. In it, he reminded us that the first principle of the gospel is not “faith.” The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith, like love requires an object. It must be faith in something or someone. If we think we have faith, we should ask: faith in whom or faith in what? For some, faith is nothing more than faith in themselves. That is only self-confidence or self-centeredness. Others have faith in faith, which is something like relying on the power of positive thinking or betting on the proposition that we can get what we want by manipulating the powers within us. That is what is missing in all of the great books and programs on spiritual power. They have value, and so much of the truth, but they are missing the focus, the true object of our faith. Elder Oaks teaches that When we try to develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ rather than merely cultivating faith as an abstract principle of power, we understand the meaning of the Savior’s words: “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moroni 7:33).

I know this is true and that we can have greater access to this power in our lives. Christ repeatedly taught his apostles about the possibilities of faith. Elder Talmage, in Jesus the Christ, wrote that the achievements possible to faith are limited or conditioned by the genuineness, the purity, the unmixed quality of that faith. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus taught, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Elder James E Talmage in Jesus the Christ explains that the comparison between effective faith and a grain of mustard seed is one of quality rather than of quantity; it connotes living, virile faith, like unto the seed, however small, from which a great plant may spring. So, remembering that when we speak of faith, we are talking about faith in Christ, how can we tap into this power in our lives?

The April 1983 Liahona contains an article by Elder Gene R. Cook on “Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” In it he offers six suggestions for how we can use the power of faith to bless ourselves and others.

First, be believing. Elder Cook cites the example of Nephi who did believe all the words spoken by his father. Are we, like Nephi, listening and believing the words of the prophets, sometimes praying for additional understanding and listening for the still small voice? Or do we listen instead to other voices—the wisdom of the world or our own fears and doubts? As President Hinckley was leaving for his mission, his father gave him a piece of paper with the words “be not afraid, only believe.” His faith was evidenced by the way he lived. King Benjamin taught his people to “Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend” (Mosiah 4:9). We can trust him. He understands and loves us completely. As we listen to our leaders and study the scriptures, we will come to know our savior. As we learn more of his mission and attributes, our faith and confidence in him will increase.

Next, we must commit. Elder Bednar counseled that to increase our faith we must increase our commitment. Elder Cook cites Nephi in the Book of Mormon and his commitment to do what the Lord had commanded. . Remember that all things are possible to him that believeth. Elder Cook counsels, Commit yourself in advance to what you righteously desire and the righteous exercising of faith will bring it about. The challenge for me at least is to decide what I really want. Elder Cook says many people go forth lost in the world with only a vague idea of what they would have from life. We have to choose a course to pursue and then exercise faith through our diligence. In 1 Nephi 7: 12, we are reminded that “the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him.” In the reference book True to the Faith, it says that “whenever you work toward a worthy goal, you exercise faith.”

I recently had an experience with this. I decided to join some friends in a month of goal setting in which we wrote down many goals and made a chart on the wall to keep track of our performance. I wasn’t “100 percent” in every area. In fact, several things dropped off the chart completely. But, the things that were most important to me—prayer, scripture study, temple attendance and journal writing became a greater, more consistent part of my life, and I have been richly blessed because I chose and committed to pursue these goals.

Elder Cook next says that we must do all in our power to fulfill our part, and pray as if it all depended on the Lord. In 3 Nephi 18: 20, we read “And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.” Elder Bednar at a Ricks College devotional said that Faith in prayer is evidenced in part when we kneel down. More importantly however, faith is reflected when we get up and work diligently to accomplish that for which we have prayed. For me, the question has often been, how can I have faith in what I ask if I am not sure it is God’s will? Elder Bednar in April conference reminded us that each of us needs God’s help in surrendering our will to Him. He also gave the encouragement that humble, earnest, and persistent prayer enables us to recognize and align ourselves with the will of our Heavenly Father.

Next , He counsels us to expect trials. Remember that ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. These words have come to my mind recently, in moments when I felt like giving up, or discarding hope for some of the blessings I had been asking for. The witness does come. I have seen the Lord’s hand in my life, restoring my faith through the words of priesthood blessings, or the comfort and encouragement of a friend, or sometimes just with a renewed faith in his will and timing for my life. I know that the trials make us stronger and better able to meet the challenges of our lives. They also make us better able to serve.

Finally, Elder Cook says that we should expect the Lord to act according to his holy will and our faith. He wants us to draw on his power. He also reminds us that sometimes when a prayer seems unanswered, it is because it is being answered in a greater way than we can perceive. Alma counsels us to ask for “whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive” (Alma 7:13). We must remember to recognize his hand in our lives. He is always there to bless us. He has much greater things in mind for our lives than we can imagine. God is in the details of our lives and cares about everything that matters to us. Our faith and commitment will be tested, but He is listening and will always bless us with what is best for us—for our eternal good. He wants us to pray for the things we most desire. I know he will bless us with the things that will lead to our greatest happiness. I know that Miracles will happen in our lives as we exercise faith in our Savior through our diligent efforts and sincere prayers.