Examples of Faith

With a working definition of faith in hand it is interesting to look at examples from the scriptures of things people have done by or through faith. In fact, there are dozens of stories about faith in the scriptures and many statements of what is accomplished by faith. If we work from the stories to the definition we get, at best, an inferential understanding of faith. If we work from the definition to the stories then the stories take on a new richness of insight into faith. 

A few anecdotes will serve as a trial run for approaching a story with the definition in mind. I feel that the stories refine the understanding available from the definition alone. Notice that in each and every example the person with faith is given a reason to believe, chooses to believe, acts on that belief and has that belief confirmed in such a way that hope in Jesus Christ increases.

Noah and Faith

In Hebrews 11 we are given several examples of what has been accomplished by faith. One in particular is of interest because it illustrates something about how things are accomplished by faith. A little more detail is given about Noah:

  7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Notice the evidence that Noah received that he should build a ship. He was a prophet of God and well versed in communication with God through revelation. He received the revelation that warned him of the destruction of the wicked through a flood and the salvation of the righteous through an ark. He believed in this revelation because it came from the same source through the same process as earlier revelation he had received. So, he was obedient and moved forward. Thus, by faith (evidence or assurance of the unseen flood that built hope in salvation through Jesus Christ) Noah built the ark.

Helaman, Gid, Teomner and Faith

Helaman, Gid and Teomner led an army against the Lamanites during a time when support from the Nephite governor was scarce. They were unable to make any progress against the Lamanites and found themselves outnumbered and their supplies dwindling. They were fearful that they would not be able to retain their cities, lands and possessions. They did not know if this was the judgment of God. At this point they turned to God in prayer (Alma 58):

  10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.

  11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.

Notice that they were filled with fear when they did not know if their hardships were caused by the judgments of God or by other forces. They believed in God’s ability to deliver them and turned to him in prayer. The assurance they received built hope of deliverance through the power of God. This is how they came to have great faith and were able to successfully move against the Lamanites in Manti.

Brother of Jared and Faith

The brother of Jared did not just wake up one day and convince himself that he could see the finger of the Lord. He had a series of experiences wherein he prayed and received answers and direction. He always found himself blessed and drawn closer to God by those experiences. Consider these verses from the first chapter of Ether:

  34 And the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man, and a man highly favored of the Lord, Jared, his brother, said unto him: Cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound us that we may not understand our words.

  35 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon Jared; therefore he did not confound the language of Jared; and Jared and his brother were not confounded.

  36 Then Jared said unto his brother: Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language.

  37 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded.

  38 And it came to pass that Jared spake again unto his brother, saying: Go and inquire of the Lord whether he will drive us out of the land, and if he will drive us out of the land, cry unto him whither we shall go. And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth? And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance.

  39 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord according to that which had been spoken by the mouth of Jared.

  40 And it came to pass that the Lord did hear the brother of Jared, and had compassion upon him, and said unto him:

  41 Go to and gather together thy flocks, both male and female, of every kind; and also of the seed of the earth of every kind; and thy families; and also Jared thy brother and his family; and also thy friends and their families, and the friends of Jared and their families.

Notice that these verses contain four examples of the brother of Jared petitioning the Lord and receiving a response. He was building a foundation of confidence that the Lord would answer his prayers. Importantly, he was learning of the reality of the Lord. Next, the brother of Jared had a particularly forceful evidence of the reality of the Lord and our ability to communicate with him as described in the second chapter of Ether:

  14 And it came to pass at the end of four years that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked with him. And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord.

Now, when we get to the most well-know part of this story we see that the brother of Jared approached the Lord filled with past evidence and assurance of the Lord’s existence, nature and plan. There was no doubt in the brother of Jared’s mind that he was communicating through prayer with a real being that would take on a body of flesh and blood in mortality and provide the opportunity of eternal life to us all. Consider this extract from chapter 3 of Ether:

  4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.

  5 Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.

  6 And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.

  7 And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen?

  8 And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.

  9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?

When the Lord said that it was “because of thy faith thou hast seen …” he was likely referring to the long history of receiving and hearkening to the evidences and assurances that the brother of Jared had previously received.

Wilford Woodruff and Faith

The best example of the Spirit imparting faith to heal that I have found is in the story of Wilford Woodruff healing his wife, Whoebe Whittemore Carter, when she fell very ill. This experience takes place in the winter of 1838, about five months before Wilford Woodruff’s call to the apolsteship. As Brother Woodruff led a group of Saints on a journey to gather with other members of the Church, his wife became very ill. He later recounted:

“On the 23rd of November my wife, Phoebe, was attacked with a severe headache, which terminated in brain fever. She grew more and more distressed daily as we continued our journey. It was a terrible ordeal for a woman to travel in a wagon over rough roads, afflicted as she was. At the same time our child was also very sick.”

In the ensuing days, Sister Woodruff’s condition worsened, even though they had been able to pause on their journey and find places to rest. Brother Woodruff recalled: “December 3rd found my wife very low. I spent the day in taking care of her, and the following day I returned to Eaton [a nearby town] to get some things for her. She seemed to be gradually sinking, and in the evening her spirit apparently left her body, and she was dead.

“The sisters gathered around her body, weeping, while I stood looking at her in sorrow. The Spirit and power of God began to rest upon me until, for the first time during her sickness, faith filled my soul, although she lay before me as one dead.”

Strengthened in his faith, Wilford Woodruff gave his wife a priesthood blessing. “I laid my hands upon her,” he said, “and in the name of Jesus Christ I rebuked the power of death and the destroyer, and commanded the same to depart from her, and the spirit of life to enter her body.

“Her spirit returned to her body, and from that hour she was made whole; and we all felt to praise the name of God, and to trust in him and keep his commandments.

“While this operation was going on with me (as my wife related afterwards) her spirit left her body, and she saw her body lying upon the bed, and the sisters weeping. She looked at them and at me, and upon her babe, and, while gazing upon this scene, two personages came into the room. … One of these messengers informed her that she could have her choice: she might go to rest in the spirit world, or, on one condition she could have the privilege of returning to her tabernacle and continuing her labors upon the earth. The condition was, if she felt that she could stand by her husband, and with him pass through all the cares, trials, tribulations and afflictions of life which he would be called to pass through for the Gospel’s sake unto the end. When she looked at the situation of her husband and child she said: ‘Yes, I will do it!’

“At the moment that decision was made the power of faith rested upon me, and when I administered unto her, her spirit entered her tabernacle. …

“On the morning of the 6th of Dec., the Spirit said to me: ‘Arise, and continue thy journey!’ and through the mercy of God my wife was enabled to arise and dress herself and walk to the wagon, and we went on our way rejoicing.” [1]

At this time Wilford Woodruff was soon to be called as an apostle. He was a man of deep faith and conviction of the truth of the gospel and of Jesus Christ. Yet it was not until the Spirit and power of God began to rest upon him that faith to heal his wife filled his soul. Recall his statement that, “The Spirit and power of God began to rest upon me until, for the first time during her sickness, faith filled my soul, although she lay before me as one dead.” What was lacking was not his belief in the power to heal, rather it was the evidence or assurance that he should exert priesthood power to heal his wife. The power of faith rested upon Wilford Woodruff when he understood that it was the will of both God and Wilford’s wife that she should be healed.

Each of these examples seems to be consistent with, and better understood when considering, the scriptural definition of faith.

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[1] Taken from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, Chapter 16. The original source is “Leaves from My Journal,” Millennial Star, October 3, 1881, 638–39.