Risking Faith by Brittney White

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has courage to lose sight of the shore.” –Unknown*

The fourth Article of Faith declares that we believe the first principle of the Gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Without faith we have nothing. Without faith we have no Book of Mormon, no Restoration, and no First Vision because it was through faith that each of those things came forth. It was by faith that the Liahona worked and it was by faith that Lehi’s family was guided to the Promise Land. In 1 Nephi 16:28 it reads, “[the Liahona] did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto [it].” From these examples we can see that faith is more than simply saying “we believe”: faith is an action.

Faith is taking a step into the dark and trusting that the Lord knows the way. The above epigraph expresses that idea—faith is taking a risk. The word “risk” has many negative connotations, so let me explain what I mean, when we take a leap of faith we do not know what the exact outcome will be. We do know that the Lord will keep his promises and eventually we will reach the Promise Land if we remain faithful, but we have no idea what the intermittent journey will entail. We know that if we leap God will catch us; what we don’t know is how or when.

As we continue through life’s wilderness new challenges will arise; therefore, we must always listen for the promptings of the Spirit and have faith that the Lord will guide us. Sometimes we will be prompted to do things outside our comfort zone (hopefully nothing as drastic as killing Laban or building a ship). When new experiences occur we should remember what Richard G. Scott once said, “To reach a goal you have never before attained, you must do things you have never before done.”** Since none of us have reached the Promised Land, we must have faith that the Lord knows the way—we must have faith to do things we have never before done.

When I have followed the Lord in faith I have felt the truth of M. Russell Ballard’s words when he said, “God expresses his love for us by providing the guidance we need to progress and reach our potential. … He who knows most about us, our potential, and our eternal possibilities has given us divine counsel.”*** My decision to attend Brigham Young University is an example of the Lord providing guidance in my life. I did not want to come to BYU. I had never been to Utah, let alone Provo and all my friends were attending BYU-Idaho. However, I strongly felt that I should go to BYU. So I followed Nephi’s counsel and inquired of the Lord (see 1 Nephi 15:8, 11). When I prayed those feelings were strongly confirmed, so I took a leap of faith and I have been blessed.

There are two scriptures that continue to impact me as I make important decisions at this pivotal point of my life. They are Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” and Alma 37:37 “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good.” To me those scriptures are expressions of faith because by trusting in and counseling with the Lord we put our faith in Him and allow Him to guide our steps. Faith is the first principle of our religion because without it the other steps cannot take place. Unless we have faith to find the path, we cannot proceed down it—but if we have faith nothing can stop us because the Lord will be with us.

* Cook, David C. God’s Little Devotionals. September 2001. P. 141
** Richard G. Scott, “Finding the Way Back,” Ensign, May 1990, 74
***“The Gospel of Jesus Christ Teaches the Eternal Potential of the Children of God,” Ensign, Sep 2008, 65