How Do I Walk the Path Back to God?

Recently, I wrote about the existence of a path back to God that is taught by Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and in the temple endowment. (You can read about that here.) It is one thing to know the steps of the path, and another to actually walk the path. I want to share an approach to walking the path that has been very helpful to me in my experience. This approach may seem surprising at first. Yet, once you know that God wants to have you return to Him, of your own desire and without any compulsion, this approach makes a lot of sense. It is as simple as asking God to give you what He has offered, but will not force you to receive.

Here are the principles that comprise the path back (References are in the previous post.)

• Faith that comes by hearing the word of God, through the testimony of the servants of God
• Repentance
• Baptism, the channel and key by which the Holy Ghost will be administered
• The Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, by the principle of righteousness
• Knowledge of the doctrines of the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment
• The Doctrine of Election - being sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise
• Receive the Second Comforter - no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
• Jesus Christ will manifest the Father to us

It has been my experience that we can review our progress along the path by carefully considering each step of the path. For example, if I have heard, and recognized, the testimony of a true servant of God then I can act in faith on that testimony. Then, I repent. Repentance is ongoing as we learn how the things we do are in error, we change and come to know God better and feel the joy of our redemption through Jesus Christ (See Alma 37:8-9 and this past post about repentance). The next step is baptism, and I received that when I was eight years old. Receiving the Holy Ghost is supposed to follow baptism. If I am not sure about having received the Holy Ghost, then how can I proceed?

We can pray about it. And, I want to suggest an approach to prayer. The process that I am suggesting here is not something to be done lightly. When we approach the Lord in prayer it should be sincere. You might consider fasting, going to a special place (a favorite room in the home, a grove of trees, a place in the mountains, the temple, or anywhere that you know you can feel the Spirit), and pray with real intent. The conversation with the Lord includes prayerfully asking:

1. Have I received the Holy Ghost?
2. If not, will you give me the Holy Ghost?
3. If not yet, what lack I yet?

The first question is based upon the Savior's observation that the Lamanites "were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not." (3 Ne 9:29) it is possible that we can receive the Holy Ghost and not know it, or not recognize it as such. If we have received it, then when we ask this question the Lord will bring to our mind when and how it happened. If it has not yet happened, it may be that some study of the scriptures will be needed in order to receive the answer to this question. Thus, at first, the answer may be silence accompanied by hope that you will receive an answer in response to the next two questions. 

The second question is the one that exercises our agency to ask the Lord to give the gift that He has offered through His servants. If a gift, like the Holy Ghost, is offered through Joseph Smith, or the many other prophets in the scriptures, we can ask for it in faith. The answer to this question may be powerful, or it may be silence. Just listen and gratefully accept the response. If the response is silence, or a peaceful feeling of "not yet," don't be discouraged. By asking in faith you have set in motion the experiences that will ultimately lead to receiving, or recognizing that you have received, the Holy Ghost.

The third question, if asked with real intent, leads to learning. And, sometimes, what we learn requires significant change (repentance) in our lives. It is likely that after asking the third question we will need to spend some time searching and studying in the scriptures, the temple, and in continued prayer. I have found, though, that the Lord always answers if we are willing to learn and change. Usually our learning includes the observation that we do not merit the gift we seek, but He wants to give it anyway because of His love for us. We just need to obey the promptings that come as a result of asking this question, even when it is difficult. Remember, the rich young man who asked this question (see Matt 19:20) found the answer very challenging. We, too, may be stretched and challenged as the Lord asks us to sacrifice and offer our all to Him.

You may use different words when you pray. It will be your unique conversation with the Lord. It has been my experience, though, that this process has been an essential part of each step of my journey along this path. And, when it works for each of the early steps, it gives real confidence and faith that it will work for all of the steps.

The Lord has revealed through His servants the things that He would like to give to us. We can ask for those things with faith that we will receive. Because He honors the agency that He has given to us, He will not force these things upon us. But, when we ask and seek in this manner, He will give all that He has promised. Remember His process and promise in D&C 93:1 -

  1 VERILY, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;

We cannot just casually ask for gifts that the Lord wants to give. When we ask for gifts and then ask "what lack I yet?" we must be ready to act on what He tells us. The process involves repenting, coming to Christ, calling on His name and obeying his voice as He gives us commandments. When we do this we will be able to walk the path back to Him and, ultimately, see His face and know that He is.

Is There a Path Back to God?

I have been hiking in the mountains of Utah for almost 20 years. There are so many beautiful trails, summits, lakes, and valleys that I love to share with others. My favorite type of hike is to get to the summit of a peak. Some peaks have well defined trails to the top (if you know where the trail starts) and others require a little creative route finding. Often, people will ask me how to get to the top of a particular mountain peak. It is a lot easier to describe a route that I have actually walked than it is to describe one I have never tried myself.

There is an analogy to be made. Many people are struggling with information about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or about its members and leaders. People come across descriptions of claimed problems with the history or behavior of the leaders or members and feel that their faith is challenged. The analogy I want to draw is that the core of the faith that we received through Joseph Smith is well defined. It defines a path back into the presence of God. Much of the criticism of the church or its members is like arguing about whether the path could exist based upon the behavior of people who may have talked about the path, walked only a portion of the path, tried other paths, made claims that the path is different than we thought, or even claim that no path exists.

Joseph Smith described seeing the Father and the Son (see Joseph Smith - History 1: 17). He also enjoyed the ministering of angels, such as Moroni (see Joseph Smith - History 1:30-33) or, together with Oliver Cowdery, John the Baptist (see D&C 13:1). He and Sidney Rigdon saw a vision of Jesus Christ and the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (see D&C 76:14). Joseph's ministry and teachings are based upon the claim that the heavens are open and that revelation of God is available to us living in mortality. And, Joseph did not require us to merely take his testimony as sufficient. He taught that "... God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them, for the day must come when no man need say to his neighbor, Know ye that Lord; for all shall know Him (TPJS, pg. 149)."

Joseph walked a path that leads through personal revelation and the ministering of angels back to the knowledge of God. And, he then taught us how to walk the path. In a sermon given in June of 1839 (See TPJS, pp. 148-151) Joseph Smith described the path as including the following elements:

• Faith that comes by hearing the word of God, through the testimony of the servants of God
• Repentance
• Baptism, the channel and key by which the Holy Ghost will be administered
• The Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, by the principle of righteousness
• Knowledge of the doctrines of the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment
• The Doctrine of Election - being sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise
• Receive the Second Comforter - no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
• Jesus Christ will manifest the Father to us

This path is a remarkable thing. Imagine the possibility that each of us could walk the path and be reconnected to our Father in Heaven again. It seems to me that the best way to test the teachings of Joseph Smith is to get busy walking the path he described. If the path takes me to where I enjoy forgiveness of sin, the Holy Ghost in my life, knowledge of Jesus Christ, and a reunion with my Father, then I know the Lord for myself and I know that Joseph Smith taught a correct path.

It turns out that the Book of Mormon also teaches this path. The book opens with Lehi seeing a vision of God in just the sixth verse of the first chapter (see 1 Nephi 1:6). The message, throughout the Book of Mormon, is that the heavens are open and revelation is available through the ministering of angels, the power of the Holy Ghost, and through open vision and the voice of God. Nephi is a great example of someone who walked this path. Here are examples, from the life of Nephi, of every step of the path that has been described by Joseph Smith:

• Faith - Nephi hears his father's teaching and seeks his own witness (1 Nephi 2:16)
• Repentance - Nephi taught based upon revelation and experience (2 Nephi 13:31)
• Baptism - Nephi saw baptism of Jesus and His reception of the Holy Ghost (1 Nephi 11:27)
• Gift of the Holy Ghost - The power by which Lehi taught and Nephi learned (1 Nephi 10:17)
• Resurrection and Judgment - Jacob taught it as part of the plan (2 Nephi 9:22)
• Election - Nephi taught that we may have the promise of eternal life (2 Nephi 31:20)
• Second Comforter - Nephi heard the voice of the Son (2 Nephi 31:12) and promised that Christ will manifest himself unto us in the flesh (2 Nephi 32:6)
• Father is manifest - Nephi was taught by the voice of the Father (2 Nephi 31:15)

Nephi made it clear that this path is the one given by God and that the Doctrine of Christ is the way; and that there is no other name than Christ given under heaven whereby a man can be saved in the Kingdom of God (2 Nephi 31:21).

Later, while creating his abridgment of the Nephite records, Mormon found this record of Nephi to be choice and pleasing and made it the basis for the remainder of his own record (see Words of Mormon 1:3-5). In fact, there are examples of every aspect of the path taught in the balance of the Book of Mormon. It is worth taking the time to search out the examples that are there and to convince yourself that this path is taught repeatedly through the Book of Mormon.

Joseph Smith provided us with an additional description of this path back to the Father. Describing what he taught on May 4, 1842 (TPJS, pg. 237), Joseph said:

Wednesday, 4. - I spent the day in the upper part of the store, that is in my private office * * * in council with General James Adams, of Springfield, Patriarch Hyrum Smith, Bishops Newel K. Whitney and George Miller, and President Brigham Young and Elders Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards, instructing them in the principles and order of the Priesthood, attending to washings, anointings, endowments and the communication of keys pertaining to the Aaronic Priesthood, and so on to the highest order of the Melchizedek Priesthood, setting forth the order pertaining to the Ancient of Days, and all those plans and principles by which any one is enabled to secure the fullness of those blessing which have been prepared for the Church of the Firstborn, and come up and abide in the presence of the Eloheim in the eternal worlds. In this council was instituted the ancient order of things for the first time in these last days. And the communications I made to this council were of things spiritual, and to be received only by the spiritual minded: and there was nothing made known to these men but what will be made known to all the Saints of the last days, so soon as they are prepared to receive, and a proper place is prepared to communicate them, even to the weakest of the Saints; therefore let the Saints be diligent in building the Temple, and all houses which they have been, or shall hereafter be, commanded of God to build; and wait their time with patience in all meekness, faith, perseverance unto the end, knowing assuredly that all these things referred to in this council are always governed by the principle of revelation. (May 4, 1842.) DHC 5:1-2.

Again, Joseph is teaching how to come into the presence of God. And, he is assuring us that all of these things are available to all of the saints as soon as we are prepared to receive them.

Many people spend a lot of time debating whether the path that has been described could exist in a church that is comprised of people who make mistakes. Whether it be individual foibles or something as doctrinally important as the ordination of people of African descent to the priesthood, these are issues that are peripheral to the core claim that there is a path back to God. These may be significant issues, but they are not the central message of the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They relate to the people who have attempted to live the Gospel. If the path actually leads back to God then, eventually, we will understand the answers to all of the other concerns.

If the fulness of the Gospel was given by Christ to the Nephites, then we should be able to follow that path, too. It seems to me that the best way to test the claim is to try to walk the path. There are many recognizable waypoints on the path that serve as signposts that we are on the right path (see related thoughts here). We can watch for those to know that we are headed in the right direction, even if we aren't at the end of the path yet. This is, after all, a journey of faith. If the path actually brings us to have faith, to repent, to be baptized, to receive the Holy Ghost, to gain a knowledge of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as our Redeemer and, through Him, to a knowledge of the Father, then the other stuff will work itself out. If the path does not bring these things, then the other stuff doesn't really matter.

The church is like a hospital where every member is part of a huge effort for the patients to treat the patients. It is remarkable how much good can come out of this kind of effort. It is not surprising that it will occasionally disappoint us, and maybe even break our hearts. But the real message is not the church, rather the church is where the real message is taught. Don't get caught up in the debate about whether the weakness of church members undermines the message of the church. Rather, start walking the path and see where it leads. I will tell you, from my experience, that the views are spectacular from this particular path!







* Just a note of appreciation to a great thinker that helped to focus my thoughts. This post is inspired by the "Parable of the Diamond," by Hugh Nibley. I have posted it here before.

Was that an Answer to Prayer?

Today I woke up planning to help my son and his wife move to a new apartment. I checked the weather forecast and found that it would likely rain in the afternoon while we would be moving their things. So, in my morning prayer I asked if God would allow the rain to hold off until after the move. I know that there are many reasons that it rains. In fact, I figured there might even be someone praying for rain. But, I felt good about asking for this and did so, believing that if it were consistent with God's will, He could do this thing. Then, it didn't rain while we moved their belongings. It rained right after we were done. It is windy and raining outside right now. But, it did not rain during the time we were moving when rain was forecast. Was my prayer answered?

I had a wonderful conversation with a colleague at work today about faith. He has been studying faith and came to a very insightful conclusion. Faith is believing evidence that is consistent with our doctrine, even when that evidence may also be consistent with other possible explanations. For example, maybe the lack of rain was an answer to my prayer. After all, God has said, "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 (3 Ne 18:20)." It could also be the case that the weather forecast was wrong, that the wind blew in a different direction than it might have, or that we were just lucky. Faith involves believing that my prayer was answered even though there are other plausible explanations.

Let me relate two scriptures about the first recorded prayers of two great prophets. First, consider the brother of Jared. He eventually saw Jesus Christ and saw a vision of all of earth's history. Few people have had the faith that he had. Yet, in the first prayer he offered that we have a record of, he asked that the language of he and his brother and their families might not be confounded (see Ether 1:34). In the next verse we find out how he knew that his prayer had been answered. "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 (Ether 1:35)." There was no voice from heaven, no visit from an angel, nothing but the observation that the family did not have their language confounded. He got what he asked for, and that was the answer to his prayer.

Second, consider the first recorded prayer of Nephi. Nephi also saw the vision of all of God's dealings with His children through all time. Nephi saw the Savior, Jesus Christ. Nephi said the famous words, "I will go and do ... (see 1 Nephi 3:7). Yet, before all of those things happened, the first prayer that he reports was in regards to his father's decision to leave Jerusalem. Lehi heard the prophets in Jerusalem preach repentance. He prayed about that message and received his own vision and calling as a prophet. He cried repentance in Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem tried to kill him for his efforts. So, he says to his family that they are leaving everything behind and going into the wilderness. Nephi cried to the Lord for understanding. And, as a result Nephi reports that, "[the Lord] did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers (1 Nephi 2:16)." The answer to Nephi's prayer was a softened heart and a choice to believe his father's words.

Both of these remarkable prophets who exemplify great faith began their recorded experience with prayer by trusting the simple answers they received, even though other reasons for what happened may have been equally plausible. The brother of Jared trusted that when the thing he prayed for actually happened that it was an answer from God. Nephi trusted the feeling of a softened heart as an answer from God. That is the foundation of faith.

So, I got what I prayed for and I feel to believe in God. That is my faith for tonight. Now I am going to listen to the rain that is falling outside and go to sleep grateful for God's blessings.

Hearken to the Lord's Precepts

I recently heard a friend in our ward talk about the various approaches we take when we read the Book of Mormon. One in particular caught my attention. He described the process of reading for some number of minutes, pages, or chapters per day as treating the Book of Mormon like comfort food. This is not always the case with regular reading. Yet, we can often fall into a comfortable pattern of enjoying the satisfaction of reading every day without actually getting to the real purpose of our reading. It is comforting to do a good thing, yet we may miss the real power of the Book of Mormon.

In the introduction to the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith is quoted as saying, “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” This is a promise that can be tested. We can abide by the precepts of the Book of Mormon and see if we, in fact, get nearer to God. (Just to be sure I am understanding this promise, I looked up the word precept and found that it means, "a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought.")

Near the end of his record, Nephi teaches us something very important about people in our day. Nephi warns, in 2 Nephi 28:

  29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!
  30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

Nephi saw our day. And, in speaking to us he warned us that we might be tempted to feel that we have received the word of God and that we have enough. We have been blessed with abundant modern scripture. Yet, we might feel that simply having, and reading, the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price is enough.

Joseph Smith promises us that if we abide by the precepts of the Book of Mormon we will draw closer to God. Nephi reinforces that promise with the added insight that as we hearken to God's precepts we will receive line upon line, precept upon precept. And when we receive more, God will give us more. These are wonderful promises that require active reading to receive the blessings.

I want to suggest an approach to active reading that I have found to be very effective. Here is a process that can be followed to actively hearken to, and abide by, the precepts of God taught in the Book of Mormon. First, as you read, notice any verse that seems to catch your attention. At first you may not even know quite why that verse (or passage) caught your attention. Stop and think about what precept may be taught by that passage of scripture. Write down the reference and the precept. Then, look for other places in scripture where that same precept may be taught. Comparing other scriptures will enhance your understanding the of the precept. Next, translate what you learned into something you can do as an experiment to see if the precept does, in fact, bring you closer to God. Spend a week (or more if needed) living the precept as you pray and ask to understand and to be closer to God. Finally, write down what you learned through the experience.

The steps are summarized as follows:

Precept (Identify a precept that will help you get closer to God. Include the Book of Mormon reference containing the precept.) 

Other Scriptures that Teach the Precept (Identify other scriptures that teach the same precept either directly or indirectly through stories or analogy.) 

What You Can Do to Live this Precept (Determine what specific actions you could take to live this precept to see if you get closer to God.) 

Your Experience (Write down what you learned based upon your experience trying to live the precept you have identified. Be honest. Do you feel closer to God? Did you misunderstand the precept? Did you learn that living the precept requires something different than you thought? Really learn from what you are doing.) 

If you repeat this process week after week, you will soon find that each of these experiments has become a building block in the foundation of your testimony of the Book of Mormon (See Alma 32:26-27). You will know that abiding by the precepts of the Book of Mormon brings you closer to God. You will know Jesus Christ better because the Book of Mormon testifies of Him.

I have written about the importance of learning before (Click here for that post). I believe that we must be pro-active in our learning. It is not enough to feel good about the Word of God. We must allow it to guide us. We must come to know God through the process of obeying His commandments. One way to do this is to notice the commandments that are implicit in the precepts taught in the Book of Mormon. We are promised that when we obey His commandments we will have His Spirit to be with us.


(Note: Here is a link to the form I give my students.)

Choose Your Love; Love Your Choice.

In the recent General Conference, President Thomas Monson spoke in priesthood session about marriage. He spoke of the sadness associated with canceling so many temple sealings. In this context, one particular piece of counsel struck me as quite important.  He said:

Choose a companion carefully and prayerfully; and when you are married, be fiercely loyal one to another. Priceless advice comes from a small framed plaque I once saw in the home of an uncle and aunt. It read, “Choose your love; love your choice.” There is great wisdom in those few words. Commitment in marriage is absolutely essential.

I have pondered on the principles that relate to this direction from President Monson.  There are two key principles that seem quite important.  The first is that we need to trust the priesthood power by which we are sealed in marriage.  The second is the nature of the effort required of us to be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise.

First, trusting the Lord's promises.  We act in faith when we believe the word of God and do as He has instructed (see previous post on faith and belief for more on this).  In Moses 4, God said,

  30 For as I, the Lord God, liveth, even so my words cannot return void, for as they go forth out of my mouth they must be fulfilled.

It is truly an act of faith to trust what God has promised and live as if what He has given is already ours. In addition, we must trust the promises that come through God's servants.  As the Lord said in D&C 1,

  38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

Think about how this applies to marriage in the temple.  Many of us feel that we are guided by the Spirit as we decide who to marry.  Even if we don't feel that we sought, or received, a private witness of the Spirit before marrying in the temple, we have a promise made by a servant of God through the sealing power of the Melchizedek priesthood.  While kneeling at the alter across from one another, a servant of God seals upon us the promise of an eternal marriage.  That promise now belongs to the wife and husband who enter this covenant relationship.  It is not just a woman covenanting with a man, and a man covenanting with a woman.  It is more, even, than a man and woman agreeing to a covenant relationship to each other and toward God.  It is a covenant relationship that includes God's promise to do His part to make the eternal marriage happen.  He knows that we will stumble and struggle along the way.  But, because of the priesthood authority that seals a couple together, we can trust that God will provide the way to overcome any struggle, stumble or obstacle that a couple faces together.

Consider the detailed description of eternal marriage in D&C 132:

  19 And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.

What a remarkable promise!  And, it is ours through the power of the priesthood when we marry in the temple under proper authority.  It is a promise, spoken by a servant of God, that is as valid and reliable as if God had pronounced it upon us Himself.  It requires real faith and trust, though, to realize this promise.

I can't help but think of this idea in terms of my finance training.  The promises in D&C 132: 19 are like an asset on our balance sheet as soon as we make our marriage covenants.  We also have a liability on our balance sheet.  The liability is to live in such a way that the promises become realized.  When we have done and become what is necessary to be an eternally married couple, then the liability is discharged and the asset is declared ours through the Holy Spirit of Promise.  The promise of eternal marriage becomes the reality of eternal marriage!

The second principle relates to what is required of us.  There is a strong suggestion of what we must do to make the promise into a reality of eternal marriage.  In D&C 132: 19 are the words, "they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things ... "  Compare these words to a statement made by Brigham Young:

“Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1941], p. 416).

It seems that it is in keeping all the ordinances in the house of the Lord that we become prepared to realize the promises of exaltation, eternal life and, in particular, eternal marriage.  Consider some possible implications of this in marriage.

Clearly, we will need to be obedient to the word of God.  Personal worthiness is a prerequisite to all of God's offered blessings.  In addition, though, it is quite likely that sacrifice will be needed in a successful marriage.  There may be preconceptions, personal quirks, maybe even hopes or dreams that will have to be sacrificed for the good of the marriage.

Certainly, there will be repentance and forgiveness as we live in such an intimate relationship as marriage.  No other person may ever see us so clearly as when we live in marriage.  And, we will likely have to forgive much of what we see as we allow each other to repent and progress.  How grateful we should be for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Law of Chastity is central to marriage.  The law, though, is much more than, "Thou shalt not commit adultery."  Chastity involves a committed, loyal, loving relationship between a man and a woman.  Living the law of Chastity brings children, service, sacrifice and experiential learning of Jesus Christ.  We learn to use creative power in the service of other of God's children.  We learn what it is like to love unconditionally, an still be rejected or mistreated.  We learn the power of repentance and forgiveness.  Chastity is essential to learning of God.

Finally, we must become consecrated in our marriage.  We must be willing to be as committed to the success of our marriage as God is.  Our promise must be as reliable as God's promise.  There must be no doubt that we will give all that we have to the success of our marriage.

When we keep the covenants made in the house of the Lord we keep our part of a covenant relationship between a husband, wife and God.  When we have proved that we will keep those covenants no matter what happens, then the Holy Spirit of Promise makes the promise, given by priesthood authority by a servant of God in the temple, into reality.

As President Monson said, "Choose a companion carefully and prayerfully; and when you are married, be fiercely loyal one to another."  And, “Choose your love; love your choice.”  The scriptures, the teachings of the prophets, and the temple show the way to trust God's promise that a marriage can be eternal.

The Principle of Faith in Jesus Christ

Concluding Thoughts on Faith

Well, this concludes my sequence of thoughts on faith in Jesus Christ as the first principle of the gospel.  Here is the outline:

• Faith as Defined in the Scriptures - setting aside what we think faith might be, this post explores how faith is actually defined in the scriptures.  It requires changing my preconceptions to take the authors of the scriptures at their word.
• Faith and Belief - faith and belief are not the same thing.  We choose to believe and God grants us faith as we believe and act on what he has given us.
• Faith is a Gift - faith comes from God as a gift when we believe and act on the evidences and assurances He has given us.  Faith comes from God rather than being conjured from within ourselves by sheer force of will.
• Examples of Faith - stories of faith in the scriptures take on new richness when viewed through the scriptural definition of faith.  There are implications for how we should live and face life's challenges.
• What Does it Mean? - There are implications for how we should live and face life's challenges.

As best I can glean from the scriptures, the definition of faith is given as:

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen which are true and that build hope, through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal. 

Recall that the first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Expanding this simple statement of the first principle I feel that a more complete statement of the first principle of the gospel is that as we believe, obey, and be true to the Spirit we receive, God will give us many evidences and assurances that will build hope, through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal.

When the Father presented the plan of salvation and we accepted it we knew that He would not put us on this side of the veil and leave us comfortless. We came into this life to be proved, having the assurance that as we hearkened to the light sent from God he would assure us of our destination and give us evidence that we are on the right path. Thus, we may progress from grace to grace until we, following the example and receiving the enabling gifts of the Savior, receive the fulness of the Father.

Clearly, faith is just the starting point. Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and more will follow. But what a wonderful thing it is to know that God has not left us alone in mortality to blindly find our way. We have His assurance that he will show us the way.  Of course the discussion in these posts is incomplete. They are just my current thoughts based upon scripture study, prayer, pondering, and conversations with friends. My only hope in posting these thoughts is that there will be something in here that gets you to rethink your understanding of faith.  And, in the process, I hope you will come to love your Savior more.  I know that has been the effect this study has had on me.

What Does It Mean?

In the previous posts we have a careful definition of faith as well as a well-delineated distinction between faith and belief. The definition of faith, as discussed in the previous post, is just what the scriptures say faith is. That definition is a little different than the things we often loosely associate with faith. But, is it necessary to be this precise? Is there some additional understanding that becomes clear because of this information? It is to this question that I now turn.

In the first chapter of Moses, God reveals:

    39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. 

Clearly, this requires faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Immortality is brought about by the power of His resurrection. The hope of eternal life arises when we receive evidences and assurances of the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is in the details of how this hope is formed that the definition of faith and the distinction between faith and belief become apparent.

The Lord showed Abraham the intelligences that were organized before the world was. As Abraham looked upon the gathering of intelligences he observed (Abraham 3):

  24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;   

  25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;  

  26 And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever. 

We understand that when we were in the presence of God we made a covenant. We promised to be obedient and to offer sacrifice, as exemplified by the story of Adam and Eve. The Lord promised each and every one of us that we would be given the Spirit of Christ to light our way in mortality and help us gain truth as discussed in another post (D&C 84: 44-47). The implication of this covenant, made in the pre-mortal world, is that we never have to wonder how faith begins in mortality. God has given every person ever born into this world the Spirit of Christ as a guide. Thus, as we look for true messengers from our Father we recognize them by their lives of obedience and the confirming Spirit that accompanies their teaching.

What happens when we hearken to the Spirit of Christ? We receive the servants that are attested by the Spirit of Christ to be true servants of God. Then, as described in section 84, as part of the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood:

  36 For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; 

  37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; 

  38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him. 

  39 And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood. 

In his epistle to the Romans, Paul teaches about the need for authorized servants of God to teach the gospel. As we hear, believe and obey, faith is increased. This is taught in chapter 10:

  14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 

  15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 

  16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 

  17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

In Section 93 of the Doctrine and Covenants, we are taught more about this process of progressing, with the help of the servants of God, to receive the Savior and, through Him, to be brought back into the presence of the Father. Here we learn that the Son of God was born into the world and received not of the fulness at first, but received grace for grace. Jesus received baptism at the hand of John and the Holy Ghost descended upon Him. John testified that ultimately Jesus received of the fulness of the Father. As in all things, Jesus is the example. The Lord says in section 93:

  19 I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.  

  20 For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace. 

It is the essence of worship to progress from grace to grace. We begin with the Spirit of Christ that helps us identify true servants of God. Those servants bring us to Jesus Christ and Christ brings us to the Father so that we may receive all that the Father hath. 

Moroni gives us the key to understanding how we progress from one level of faith to the next. As discussed above, we begin with the light of Christ and progress through spiritual witnesses of the Holy Ghost to Jesus Christ and then to the Father. Moroni teaches in Ether 12:

  6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. 

Each time we receive more faith there is a trial to see if we will believe, obey and practice according to the faith we have received. If we do, then we receive the witness that we have done well and our faith increases through that witness that is a further evidence or assurance. I call this the inter-temporal dynamics of faith.

The process began when we accepted the plan of salvation in the Father’s presence. At that time we entered into a covenant to obey and to offer sacrifice. God promised the Spirit of Christ to be our guide. Our lives become the evidence of our being true to these covenants and to this witness. 

Next, in mortality, we are tried to see if we will be true to the covenant and spiritual witness we have received. If we hearken to the Spirit of Christ we will recognize true servants of God. They will teach us of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will begin to recognize ways in which our lives are not in harmony with the gospel. The changes we make as a result of our newfound understanding of the gospel are called repentance. When we are determined to follow Jesus, and live the law of the gospel, we receive baptism as our indication of acceptance of the law of the Gospel. Accompanying baptism will be a spiritual witness similar to the Spirit that we received in our Father’s presence and encouraging us onward.

God has promised the gift of the Holy Ghost to all those who begin to have faith, repent, and be baptized. When we are confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ we are told to “receive the Holy Ghost.” Evidence of having received the Holy Ghost is the baptism by fire and of the Spirit. The witness associated with this ordinance and gift is an increase in our testimony of Jesus Christ. The role of the Holy Ghost is to teach and testify of Christ.

Having been baptized of water and of fire, and having our spiritual and physical selves aligned and true, we receive another comforter, or witness of the hope of eternal life. Our spiritual and temporal halves can only be aligned when our spiritual and temporal appetites and desires are kept within the bounds the Lord has set. The promised comforter is described in John 14 and in D&C 88 as follows:

 3 Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.  

  4 This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom; 

This greater witness of Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life are the ultimate faith that we receive in this life. It is the last step in our preparation to return to our Father’s presence.

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.

Faith is a Gift

In my previous post I discussed the differences between faith and belief.  Once we acknowledge that we get to choose to believe and to act and that God grants faith, we are better able to understand the idea that faith is a gift.  Faith is one of the gifts of the Spirit.


In D&C 46 we are taught that we are to earnestly seek the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given. They are given to benefit those who love the Lord and keep, or seek to keep, His commandments. We must ask, not for a sign to be consumed upon our lusts but, for the benefit of all that seek or ask of the Lord. The Lord teaches us about these gifts, and their operation, so that we will not be deceived. He also reminds us that we do not all have every gift but that we each have gifts that are for the profit of all (D&C 46: 8-12).

Next, the Lord presents a list of these gifts. The list includes: 

• knowing of Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost, 
• believing on the testimony of others, 
• knowing by the Holy Ghost the differences of administration and the diversities of operations, 
• knowing by the Spirit of God the word of wisdom, 
• the word of knowledge 
• faith to be healed, 
• faith to heal, 
• speaking with tongues, 
• interpretation of tongues, 
• etc. 

For our purposes here it is interesting to notice that faith is listed as a gift, given by God, for the blessing of all. Faith is not the result of our own mental efforts to imagine a result with sufficient energy to cause the result. We do not conjure faith from within ourselves. Faith is not like The Little Engine That Could.  It is not enough to scrunch up our eyes and chant, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can ..."


True, we may pray and fast to ask for faith, but it is still a gift from God to us. As described above, we have faith when we are given some evidence or assurance of something that is not yet seen, but is true and builds hope in Jesus Christ. In the next post I will present examples of faith to illustrate the ideas in these recent posts. 

How is Faith related to Belief?

This is a continuation of the previous post on faith as defined in the scriptures.


As suggested in a comment on the previous post, the Greek word translated as "faith" in the KJV means fundamentally "trust." It seems to me that trust develops in a relationship because it is earned. The evidence or assurance discussed relative to the scriptural definition of faith provides the basis of our trust in God relative to those true things that are, as yet, unseen and that build hope through Jesus Christ. The hope that is consistent with faith is based upon trust in Jesus Christ.

Did you notice, though, that the word "belief" was not in the definition of faith in the previous post? If faith is not belief, then what is the relationship between faith and belief?  Brigham Young teaches us of this relationship.  Quoting from the Discourses of Brigham Young on page 153:

Faith is an eternal principle; belief is an admission of the fact.  Faith, to us, is the gift of God; belief is inherent in the children of men, and is the foundation for the reception of faith.  Belief and unbelief are independent in men, the same as other attributes.  Men can acknowledge or reject, turn to the right or to the left, rise up or remain seated, you can say that the Lord and his Gospel are not worthy of notice, or you can bow to them.

Belief is inherent in the creature—implanted within him for his use and benefit—to believe or disbelieve.  Your own experience may satisfy you that faith is not brought into requisition by the presentation of either facts or falsehoods to the external senses, or to the inward perceptions of the mind.  If we speak of faith in the abstract, it is the power of God by which the worlds are and were made, and is a gift of God to those who believe and obey his commandments.  On the other hand, no living, intelligent being, whether serving God or not, acts without belief.  He might as well undertake to live without breathing as to live without the principle of belief.  But he must believe the truth, obey the truth, and practice the truth, to obtain the power of God called faith.  [emphasis added]

This is probably the biggest point of distinction from the common notion of faith.  Brigham Young makes clear that belief is a trait of individuals and that belief is one of those things we choose through our agency.  Brigham teaches, consistent with the definition of faith presented in the previous post, that God is the source of faith.  He says that faith is a gift of God.  The source of the evidences or assurances that we receive is God.  God reveals his truths through the power of the Holy Ghost or through direct revelation from God the Father, Jesus Christ or angels. 

We progress from that original assurance that we all receive in mortality, the light of Christ, to the gift of the Holy Ghost, communion with the Son and, finally, entry into the presence of the Father.  This is taught in D&C 84 in connection with the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood:

  44 For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.

  45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

  46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.

  47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.

Brigham Young’s teaching that belief, obedience and practice precede faith is consistent with verse 46 in that only those who hearken to the voice of the voice of the spirit will receive light (= truth = Word of the Lord = Spirit of Jesus Christ).  It is through the Spirit of Jesus Christ, sometimes called the light of Christ, that we begin to be enlightened by truth with the ultimate end of coming to God the Father.

Another example of the relationship between faith and belief is given in Mark 9:14-29.  A man with a son possessed of a “dumb spirit.”  The man had asked Jesus’ disciples to cast out the spirit and they were not able to do so.  Jesus’ response is:

  19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

When the man asks if Jesus will help them, Jesus’ response and the man’s expression of belief are given as:

  23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

  24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

It seems that belief sufficient to rely upon previously obtained faith is important to unlocking the blessing sought from the Lord.  After the spirit that afflicted the boy was cast out the disciples asked why it was that they could not cast out the spirit previously.  Jesus taught:

29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

It would seem that prayer and fasting are necessary to create the faith that was lacking as lamented by Jesus in verse 19.

We can choose to believe, to pray, and to fast, as part of developing faith.  But it is only when we believe and act on truth, given by God, that we have the power of faith.  In the next post I will look at faith as a gift.

Faith as Defined in the Scriptures

I believe the scriptures to be the word of God given through his prophets.  I accept them as the source of established knowledge about doctrine and God’s dealings with man.  So, with that in mind I turn to the scriptures, rather than a dictionary, to understand the first principle of the gospel: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  In Lectures on Faith, Hebrews 11: 1 is used to define faith.  An alternate translation (see the JST) of the word “substance” in the KJV is used to render the verse as:[1]

  1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Alma adds a further insight into faith when he taught in Alma 32:

  21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

Just as in Hebrews, Alma points to things hoped for and then adds that the things which are not seen must be true.

Mormon’s teachings on faith, hope and charity shed additional light on the true nature of faith.  Mormon teaches that faith exists if, and only if, a certain type of hope also exists in the individual.  His teachings are found in Moroni 7 where Mormon says:

  40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?

  41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

  42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.

Combining these scriptural and prophetic sources into a single definition, I understand faith to be:

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen which are true and that build hope, through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal.

This is my working definition of faith. 

To me there are key insights found in this definition.  First, faith is not unsubstantiated belief.  Faith is evidence or assurance.  Clearly, it is evidence or assurance of a specific type, but it is evidence or assurance. 

Second, faith is not hope.  Faith and a certain kind of hope always accompany each other, as we just saw in Moroni 7.  Thus, to have hope implies that you have faith.  Faith must always increase hope.

Third, as for the nature of hope, faith increases the hope of eternal life through the atonement and resurrection of Christ.  This is slightly different than stopping at “faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”  The supreme importance of Jesus Christ is His offering of eternal life to those that will embrace His gospel.


In the next few posts I will explore the difference between faith and belief, consider the implications of faith being a gift of God, and examine stories of faith that illustrate the importance of the definition in practice.  

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[1] Note that the Greek word translated as “substance” can also be rendered as assurance, basis or foundation.  Lectures on Faith uses the word assurance.

Apply First Principles, Repeat As Needed

The fourth Article of Faith states that, “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.” This is often followed by an admonition to “endure to the end” (see, for example, 2 Nephi 31: 13 – 16). While baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost are ordinances that we receive just once in life, gaining faith and repenting are repeated experiences in life. It may be, however, that a process that is defined by the four steps identified in the fourth Article of Faith may be repeated throughout life as part of the command to endure to the end. Let’s consider each step, in turn.

First, faith is evidence or assurance of things that are unseen, yet true, that build hope for eternal life through Jesus Christ.[1] Faith is not something that we conjure up within ourselves in a manner like the little train who got over the mountain by chanting, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can …” Faith is a gift given through the Spirit.[2] Faith is given as a result of our choice to believe the word of God and to act upon it. It is in this sense that faith is a principle of action. We are free to choose what we believe and how we will act based upon our chosen beliefs. When we believe that which is true, and act upon it, we are blessed with evidence or assurance, through the Spirit, of the truth. This will inevitably build hope for eternal life through Jesus Christ.

So, step one is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Or, stated another way, step one is to believe the word of God, act upon it, have the Spirit confirm that we are in harmony with truth, and have an increase in our hope for eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Second, repentance is learning. To repent is to rethink ones previous view or understanding. It includes sorrow because of the changed view. The steps that follow from repentance are not, themselves, repentance. Rather, these are things we do because we have repented.[3] For example, when we realize that an activity in our life is taking us further from the Lord, we repent and change the behavior. When we realize that we have offended a person we repent and apologize or make restitution. To repent is to learn the error of our ways. To change, apologize, or make restitution follows from repentance (learning of our error).

Thus, step two is to repent. Or, stated another way, step two is to always be willing to learn when our views or beliefs are incorrect or incomplete. When we truly repent, the things we learn will inevitably lead to changes in our behavior. We may also feel a need to repair damage from past behavior that we now understand to have been out of harmony with the word of the Lord.

Third, baptism is an ordinance that teaches us of death and resurrection.[4] Death and resurrection are essential to the forgiveness of sin. Our “body of sin” dies and is buried so that we are freed from sin through the resurrection of Jesus.[5] Yet, in the eternities we will inherit the kingdom for which we have demonstrated ourselves to be suited.[6] Thus, it is not sufficient to merely recognize that we have sinned. We must recognize the sin and then change so that the sin is no longer something we desire. Then, that part of us that desired the sin is dead and, through the resurrection, we become eternally alive. While death and resurrection, ultimately, only happen once, we can let the sinful appetites of the flesh be crucified and buried with Jesus and rise in a newness of spiritual life. Similarly, while we are only baptized once, this process can happen repeatedly throughout our life.

The third step, then, is baptism. Or, stated another way, the third step is to allow each part of us that desires sin to die and be made spiritually alive again through Jesus Christ so that we can, ultimately, rise in the resurrection a perfected being who can live in the presence of God.

Fourth, the Holy Ghost bears record of the Father and the Son and “will show unto you all things what ye should do.”[7] The “gift” of the Holy Ghost can be interpreted in at least two ways. In one sense the Holy Ghost is a gift given to us by God.[8] Alternatively, the “gift” of the Holy Ghost could refer to the things that the scriptures promise will be given to us by the Holy Ghost. In either case, what an amazing gift this is. We have been promised a member of the godhead who will personally show us what we should do. I emphasize the word “should” to make the point that the Holy Ghost will not make all of our decisions. Rather, the Holy Ghost will show us the things that are correct and necessary to do in order to return to God’s presence. He will comfort us and encourage us and build within us the hope of eternal life with the Father through the atonement of the Son.

The fourth step is, finally, to receive the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Or, in other words, having once had hands laid upon our head, confirming us a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, and having been told to “receive the Holy Ghost,” step four is to be guided, taught and comforted by the Holy Ghost.

Based upon these observations we might conclude that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel define a process that we must follow repeatedly throughout our lives. The process is that we learn and believe the word of God and change our behavior because of what we learn (faith). Often the things that we learn will show us that our past understanding has been incorrect or incomplete (repentance). At times this process will be painful. It may even feel like parts of our selves have to die before we can be made spiritually alive and are filled with the Holy Ghost (baptism). When we live according to the world of God, the Holy Ghost will teach us that we are doing what we should do to return to our Father in Heaven through faith in the Only Begotten Son (the gift of the Holy Ghost). Following this process will give us a foundation of faith to follow it again.

So, apply the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. Repeat as needed until clean.

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[1] See Hebrews 11: 1 (including the JST), Alma 32: 21, and Ether 12: 6 for support of this assertion.

[2] See 1 Corinthians 12: 4, 9.

[3] See, for example, Ezekiel 18: 30 where we are told to repent and turn from transgressions. The word “and” indicates that we first repent and then do something because we have repented. Another example is given in 1 Nephi 18: 20 where Nephi’s brothers repentedandloosed his bands.

[4] See D&C 128: 12 and Romans 6: 4.

[5] See Romans 6: 6-7.

[6] See Romans 6: 16 and D&C 88: 28-29.

[7] See 2 Nephi 32: 5, 2 Nephi 31: 18 and D&C 20: 27.

[8] See Acts 5:32.