Faith

One of the most important things to learn about faith is that it requires action. Faith is more than believing something that you can’t see, but acting on that belief as well. David A. Bednar once said, “Asking in faith requires honesty, effort, commitment, and persistence. Let me provide an illustration of what I mean and extend to you an invitation. We properly pray for the safety and success of the full-time missionaries throughout the world. And a common element in many of our prayers is a request that the missionaries will be led to individuals and families who are prepared to receive the message of the Restoration. But ultimately it is my responsibility and your responsibility to find people for the missionaries to teach. Missionaries are full-time teachers; you and I are full-time finders. And you and I as lifelong missionaries should not be praying for the full-time missionaries to do our work!” I couldn’t agree more that faith requires effort and commitment. It is not enough to say we will but to do it. There have been many times in my life that as Elder Bednar points out that I have asked the missionaries to be able to find families. It has been lately that I have realized the importance of actually helping the missionaries out instead of asking for them to be blessed with families, but giving them names of families that I think and feel would be right. We must press on with our faith guiding us in all we do.
Doctrine and Covenants 88:119 says, “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” It is very important that we learn to cultivate and acquire faith. This scripture helps us understand how these things can be done. In order to develop faith seeing as this scripture tells us all do not have faith, but must obtain it, we need to learn from others and seek the best books. We need to study by the faith that we acquire through desire, learning, and expression of our faith. Studying by faith will help us better understand the topics we study. These do not have to be just spiritual learning but our learning in everything.
In 1 Nephi 2: 19 we read, “And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.” First of all we need faith if we are going to seek the lord. One of the most obvious ways in which we seek the lord through our faith is by prayer. Prayer is our personal connection to our Father in Heaven and, because we have faith that he hears and answers us, we continue to pray to him. It is such a blessing to be able to communicate with our creator, and father. Without faith we are nothing and we do nothing. I remember one time in my life, during my high school years I was up late struggling with homework and other things. I felt distanced from everybody, and because of these feelings I decided to pray to my father in heaven with full faith that he would hear me and answer my prayer. I knelt down and prayed and when I was finished I felt that I should go get my scriptures. I went to get them and as I did I noticed my grandmother’s missionary journal that had been so thoughtfully typed up and distributed to all her grandkids. As I flipped it open I read a personal note on the front cover that was an answer to my prayer. It was the best experience and after such I have grown such a testimony of faith and prayer.
There is a great talk by David S. Baxter of the seventy entitled Faith, Service, and Consistency. In this talk he says, “Faith fuels hope. Our perspective changes; our vision becomes clearer. We begin to look for the best, not the worst, in life and in others. We gain a deeper sense of life’s purpose and meaning. Despair gives way to joy. Faith such as this is a heavenly gift, but it can be sought and cultivated. As our Bible Dictionary suggests, often “faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of those who have faith.” Faith is then nurtured as we allow ourselves to believe. Like all other virtues, faith is strengthened as we practice it, as we live and act as if our faith were already deep. Faith is the product of righteous desire, belief, and obedience. One thing that really stuck out to me about faith is that it fuels hope. Hope can be one of the greatest influencing principles of this gospel. There was a time in which my faith had definitely fueled my hope. It was actually before and during the application process to this school. I have been a fan of Brigham Young University ever since I was born. One of my greatest goals in life was to be accepted and attend this university. Through my faith I knew that if I did all that I could to be prepared to go to this school, I would get accepted. I have been working on this goal all my life. I have been saving up all my money through work and birthday money. Not only that but I had been striving my hardest to get excellent grades, ACT score, leadership experience, and all that was required to attend BYU. As I applied I knew I had put the rest up to the lord. I had done all I could and my hope could not have been greater. This was one of the best experiences of my life.
Our faith, however, does not go without being tried. 1 Nephi 1: 7 says, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:.” This is a very true statement that I can attest to. I know that the lord tries our faith to see if we will follow him as well as to prove to ourselves how great our faith is. They are not easy times when we are tried, but one way to get through these trials is prayer. It has worked for me and I know that it will work for you. Trials are for our benefit. If we try to learn all we can from our trials we grow to be much stronger people. As I lived with my grandparents the first year we moved to Utah my grandma was diagnosed with cancer. It was a hard time. Much fasting and prayer had gone on in her behalf. I can specifically remember one that was promised she would be healed of her cancer. Well as the processes went on she was eventually cured of the cancer, however, there was still something wrong that wouldn’t correct itself and she later passed on. This was a big trial of not only my faith but our family’s faith. I have learned to trust the lord and that he knows what he is doing. It was and still is hard but I have been able to move on and keep her in my memories.
by: coleman lefevor

Works Cited
1 peter 1: 7
1 nephi 2: 19
Doctrine and Covenants 88: 118
David S. Baxter, “Faith, Service, Constancy,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 13–15
David A. Bednar, “Ask in Faith,” Ensign, May 2008, 94–97