How to obtain and Maintain Faith

Action words from reading the scriptures under the question: How do you obtain faith, and what can you do through faith?

Believe, bow, worship (2 Nephi 25:29)

Faith = Miracles (through faith 2 Nephi 26:13)

Trust, be diligent in keeping commandments, believe in God, repent, humble, ask for forgiveness, remember, rejoice always, peaceable

Humility prepares us to hear the word of God (Alma 32:6) Experiment upon the word (27) desire to believe, nourish the word, patience with the word, and feast upon the word.

Preach My Gospel study question: How do you obtain faith, and what can you do through faith?

2 Nephi 25:29 – Again, many action words, i.e. believe (in Christ), bow down before him, worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul. . . A second time reading this I am reminded of the promise that comes with the faith: “. . . ye shall in nowise be cast out”.  This is a beautiful promise and one worthy of seeking.

Mosiah 4:6-12 – Trust in the Lord, be diligent in keeping commandments, and continue in faith to the end of life.  Believe in God, his wisdom, power, and believe that I can’t comprehend all things.   Repent, humble myself before God, pray for forgiveness, be humble, and steadfast in the faith.  Remember to call on God daily.  I love this one: Rejoice!  But of course, we should rejoice.  The blessings of the gospel give us great cause to rejoice.  I said to a young person this morning that said I looked happy that I’m always happy.  Even when things aren’t happy, I have such great cause to be happy.  Another one is that when we have faith, we will not have a mind to injure others.  This quite probably is a big key to salvation. 

In Alma 32 we learn that faith is like a mustard seed when planted.  That “seed” Swells and sprouts, Enlarges, Enlightens and is Delicious.  SEED

Moroni 7:33 says we can do all things in faith.  Romans 10:17 we gain faith by hearing the word. 

The capstone of this exercise came from Hebrews 11 where Paul taught the Hebrews of the many miracles in the scriptures.  Every miracle was preceded by faith. 

A Familiar Spirit

A Family Spirit

I read from 2 Nephi 26 today and verse 16 stood out some.  In speaking of the Book of Mormon, Nephi says they (the prophets of the Book of Mormon) “. . . shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit”.  What does that mean exactly? 

In a class I attended recently – probably Relief Society, the teacher told of a young girl who, when she started reading the Book of Mormon, was so excited because it sounded familiar to her.  She had no idea where she would have heard it before.  When I first started really reading the Book of Mormon for my own growth, I can make that same claim.  Now I did supposedly study it in Seminary as a young woman, but I had very little memory of it.  I’m not certain why.  As I started reading though, I couldn’t get enough and found myself staying up late to read more.  I consider this to be a gift – a tender mercy.  But in order to receive this gift, we must be ready.

What does one do to be ready?  They must “. . .exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe. . .” Alma 32:27.  Something in me at that time made me desire.  Was it that I saw others who were happy and enjoying a good life while mine was less than desirable?  I saw!  Somehow, I had eyes to see finally.  I was eating crumbs while others were feasting!  When I started to desire that feast, I too began to see.  The Book of Mormon had a familiar spirit and I began to grow in the gospel.

This is something that is available to all of Heavenly Father’s children.  He says so in the last verse of 2 Nephi 26 where it says “. . . he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.” 

So as a parent, I must be patient and wait for my sweet daughter to desire.  It is there for her when that desire stirs within her a remembering and she seeks to know more.  I have faith that will happen some day.  Oh how I pray I will be here for it.  What a glorious day that will be!

I Know Christ Lives!

I Know Christ Lives –

I’ve gotten out of a really nice habit of recording my thoughts about my time in the scriptures each day.  This is sad because it was so meaningful to me and I enjoyed sharing it in my blog, though I haven’t a clue that anyone really read it.

This morning I started reading from the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 25.  I love this chapter because it speaks so boldly about the life of Jesus Christ.  I especially like verse 26 where it says: “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if those who walked and talked with Christ after his resurrection did much talking and prophesying of Christ after his death.  I wondered just how much time Christ spent with the apostles and others after his resurrection.  Did those who saw him teach their children?  Did they write about him?  Well, of course there was some writing of his time on earth after his resurrection in the temple.  It just amazes me that people didn’t come by the droves to see him.  Wasn’t his crucifixion pretty public?  Were there a major upheaval in the form of storms in Jerusalem?  I know the Book of Mormon talks of darkness and earthquakes, etc.  Weren’t they talking?  Wouldn’t you want to see for yourself?  Maybe it did happen and my search was far from comprehensive.  And maybe it is even recorded in the scriptures and I didn’t see it. 

In my reading various scriptures in the Bible, I learn that Jesus, on numerous occasions, told the apostles and those who would listen that he would be “. . . raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21 is just one place).  In Acts 3 the apostles claimed their responsibility to be “witnesses” (v15 for one).  The Bible is the only witness we have of those apostles bearing witness of the Savior, his life, death and resurrection.  Maybe writing wasn’t all that easy in those days, and recording the things they saw wasn’t as simple as it is for us today.  How grateful I am for modern scripture that fills in the holes a little.

I bear witness that the Holy Ghost testifies to me of the truth of the Savior’s life, death and resurrection.  I know He lives today and is in the details of our lives as we strive to live as He lived, keep the commandments and honor the covenants we have made with Him.  It is this knowledge that moves me forward and gives me desire to do things I wonder if I’d want otherwise.  I am ever so grateful for my Savior and His sacrifice for me.  My rescue is very real and miraculous in my own mind.  I was rescued from bondage in a lifestyle that was devoid of joy and filled with heartache and trouble.  For this rescue I will be forever in debt and grateful

The Prayer of the Righteous

It would seem I've stopped posting.  Actually, Preach My Gospel sent me on a treasure hunt through the scriptures - looking for prayers that were written.  This took a few days.  Here are a few:

Enos’ soul hungered.  He knelt to pray and cried all the day long for his soul.   He was forgiven of the Lord.  He desired his people to be preserved.  (Enos)

Nephi prayed in the garden in the tower.  He prayed that he could have had his days in the days of his father when men were more righteous and more easily convinced of the ways of the Lord.

Alma and his people pour out their hearts to God (they were forbidden to pray). Mosiah 24:12-15  The Lord visited them in their afflictions so they could bear witness of the goodness of the Lord.

Alma the younger prays to be spared in a conflict with Amlici so he can be an instrument in the Lord’s hands.

Nephi prays for a famine in the land to preserve the people that they might repent of their wickedness.

2 Nephi 33 Nephi prayed that the Lord would consecrate his prayers for the gain of his people.

It would appear that most recorded prayers in the Book of Mormon are for the benefit of others, not the person praying.  This causes me to consider my own prayers.  If I am to be considered “righteous” are my prayers a reflection of that?  Do I pray for the welfare of others?  Certainly my children and grandchildren are a big portion of my prayers.  I pray for the youth of the church and particularly those I serve in my stake calling.  I pray for the leaders of our country and those serving in the military.  I definitely pray for our prophet, apostles, leaders, and the missionaries.  Do I pray for myself?  Well, I pray that I will be healthy so that I can serve multiple missions with my husband as well as serve those around me.  Could I improve in my prayers?  There’s always room for improvement in anything we do.  Perhaps my goal should be to actually feel more.  To pray for forgiveness more as did Enos.  I know I'm forever grateful for the Atonement and the difference it has made in my life.      

Remember, Remember

I had an interesting experience today.  My assignment from Preach My Gospel was a difficult one: “Find a Book of Mormon scripture that has changed your life.  Record your feelings about this scripture in your study journal.”

I’ve never really given this that much thought.  There are many experiences in the Book of Mormon that I could pull up immediately, but a scripture?  So I started walking through my Book of Mormon.  My time was gone before I had really zeroed in on a scripture.  I put it off for another time. 

I played the organ in the temple this morning, so afterward I sat in the Celestial Room and pondered and prayed.  I prayed I would know which scripture has really changed my life.  Helaman 5:12 came to mind.  I opened it up and read it.  I’ve memorized this scripture before and its reference, which is why it came to mind. 

“And now, my sons, remember.  Remember it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty wind, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fail.”

The interesting part of this exercise was my effort to re-memorize it as I sat in the temple.  I must confess as I typed it just now, I still needed to look.  This is too interesting.  I remembered writing something in the margin of my Book of Mormon somewhere that I wanted to quote just now.  Had I only gone to Helaman 5:12, I would have found it.  A teacher in a class I took put it like this:  “The main thing to remember is that the main thing is the main thing.”  Interesting that I turned every page in my book before I got to Helaman 5:12, which is where it was written.  Ugh!  We must remember that Jesus Christ is the main thing.  Nothing else really matters.  It is through his Atonement that everything we hope to achieve in this life or the next will come to pass.  We must build our foundation on Him – our Rock of Salvation.

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I still marvel at my own rescue and the fruits of repentance.  I marvel at the joy in my life from keeping the commandments.  Even when things get a little difficult – and they do for all of us at one time or another – I know my Savior is there for me, that he has suffered for me and that in the end, it will be okay.  I have full confidence when I speak these words to my children.  I know things will work out.  I worry for those who have not discovered this for themselves, but find great joy and comfort in the fact that miracle is there for them when they are ready to reach out and ask for it.  It is that simple; that powerful.  I’m so grateful for this miracle in my own life and look forward to it happening in the lives of those I teach when we serve our mission(s).  I look forward to it for my own daughter as well.