Faith

Faith

Well, what can we say.  Faith isn’t always hip.  The media (and doesn’t the media have so much to say) can show religion as blind and out-dated.  Faith is for people who like to fool themselves and God can’t have a hand in the world, since so many awful things happen every day.

Of course, in giving up on God, we take that much meaning out of the world for ourselves.  It’s funny how some like to comfort themselves by saying that our greatest Comfort doesn’t exist.

Faith in God, in Christ, isn’t something we have one day and then have pure and strong forever.  Like much in the gospel, it’s a Mormon belief that faith requires a daily, progressive effort.  We accept Christ, we believe that He died for us, and then we work daily to strengthen our convictions.

Reading the scriptures is essential.  The Mormon books of scripture are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.  These all testify powerfully of Christ and God.  They exist to give us as much information as we choose to learn.  The more we learn, the more we study, the more our faith increases—the more we know about Christ.

Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism, received his first vision through faith and scriptures.  He read a passage of James that said that if any seek wisdom, they should ask of God.  He has the faith to pray to God for answers and receive them.

It’s a saying in the Church that “faith precedes the miracle.”  We can have lives filled with joy and miracles, but we must believe that Christ can save us, that Christ can aid us.  Faith involves obedience as well.  We might not always understand why the Lord requires something of us.  We might not understand a commandment.  We may simply not want to follow a commandment or two—we’re only human.  But if we truly have faith in Christ, we will follow Him even if we’d rather do something else for a moment (what’s dropping just one name of the Lord in vain?). And to have faith in Christ is also to live in hope.  It will shield us from despair, which can come all too easily when the world turns dark.  After all, it’s easy to believe when life is going well and nothing bad is happening (at least, not to you).  But when family members die or jobs are lost or wars rage, this is when the need for Christ is felt most powerfully—this is when we might feel the most like He’s turned away from us.

But He hasn’t.  We can’t let our unhappiness and fear cloud our spirit.  Jesus died for our sins and also for our pains and He will heal us if we will allow him.

And even when life is good, our need is there, even if we might feel it less keenly.  Christ will guide us and lighten us as we strive to live after His teachings and His example.  Faith precedes the miracle—sometimes the miracle is happiness.