Ether 11 — Faith

Moroni speaks about faith in verse 18, and his words struck me: they exercised faith by asking. Isn’t that true in almost every aspect of life? The brother of Jared simply asked the Lord to touch the stones. He believed—truly believed—that the Lord had a finger to touch them with. That small but certain act of faith opened the way for greater revelation. He acted, and the Lord showed him even more.

As I read this, I realized I’ve seen that same pattern in my own life.

My first real experience with exercising faith came long before I understood what faith really meant. I grew up knowing my parents prayed for me—7 a.m. before breakfast, and again at night in their private prayers. This wasn’t speculation; it was something I heard and witnessed throughout my childhood. And why would that change once I left home? They prayed for the people they loved, and I knew I was one of them.

So one night, completely worn out and heartsick from the life I was living, I fell to my knees. I asked the Lord to answer the prayers my parents were offering about me. I even said, “I’ll do whatever it takes to have their prayers answered.” I had reached the end of myself.

What happened next was simple but unmistakable—my phone rang. I’ll spare the details, but in that moment, I knew I had been spared. That was the beginning of my trust—the beginning of my faith that the Lord is real, and that He listens when we ask.

Verse 27 tells us that if we come unto Him, He will show us our weakness. In that answered prayer, the Lord showed me mine. I realized just how weak I was, and how desperately I needed strength beyond my own. He showed me that I needed my family—after all, the prayer I offered was answered because of their prayers. He also showed me that I needed a support system. My family, missionary friends at work, and ward family became my lifeline. They gathered around me and lifted me through the hardest trial of my life.

My faith in those early moments was tiny—fragile, really. I knew Heavenly Father loved me because my parents had always taught me that, but I didn’t yet understand the power behind their covenants. I only knew that I wanted it to be true, so I acted as if it was. And that was enough for the Lord to work with.

That small seed of faith has brought a calm into my life that truly passeth understanding. Every time I go to the temple and hear the words that make these blessings possible, I feel renewed strength. I come away comforted, steadied, and able to continue moving forward.

Ah, faith is a beautiful thing.
It grows as we grow.
We grow as it grows.