Faith & Knowledge
Posted on 28. Aug, 2010 by Lophofo in Featured
So the past couple of weeks I have been studying faith and trying to increase my faith. Faith is the first principle of the gospel. You could say it’s the foundation on which everything else rests. Right before waking up this morning, I had this come into my head:
“Knowledge is to me; once given
Direct all thy paths towards the Kingdom of Heaven”
I don’t remember reading that or hearing that anywhere. But, I thought it was something good to post about it since it came into my head when I was still half asleep, trying to wake up. After the trial of your faith comes the blessing and then the confirmation of the faith which you applied through your works. This gives you knowledge and increases your testimony.
Ether 12:6, 27-28
6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
28 Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness.
Hebrews 11:1, 3
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
So even this world was created through faith. Faith is not just a belief. Faith has power just as our thoughts have power. Our thoughts lead to our actions just like our beliefs dictate our actions.
Moroni 7:26
26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.
That’s a pretty powerful promise. That whatever good thing we ask of God in Christ’s name will be done unto us according to our faith. I guess the breakfast of champions is Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Doctrine & Covenants 63:9-10, 20, 47
9 But, behold, faith cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe.
10 Yea, signs come by faith, not by the will of men, nor as they please, but by the will of God.
20 Nevertheless, he that endureth in faith and doeth my will, the same shall overcome, and shall receive an inheritance upon the earth when the day of transfiguration shall come;
47 He that is faithful and endureth shall overcome the world.
We don’t know why we need to do or say something. We must exercise our faith first. We must put our trust in the Lord and believe. It’s not until after we exercise our faith that we are given a sign and receive that confirmation through the Holy Ghost that it was from God.
Have you ever had a friend or maybe even a family member that you’ve known for years…and you know this person so well that you know what they’re going to do or say in a given situation? You feel that you know them just as well as anyone else. Well, remember that God knows us better than anyone else. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our thoughts, our feelings, the intents of our heart. He knows how we will react in a certain situation. He knows our weaknesses and our strengths. He knows what we need in our lives at any given moment.
If we have faith in God and in Jesus Christ and Christ’s Atonement, we can have our paths directed for good. We can stay out of the briar pits of life…and if we happen to end up there because of our own choosing, God can help us find a way out without as much injury to our souls. I know that I need to listen to God and what He has in store for me. What paths he wants me to take in my life are to strengthen me for the better. We may not always think that His path is the best one…but remember, He can see further down the road than we can.
We must remember God first in all that we do. Give thanks unto him. Live righteously to be blessed with His Spirit and we will be directed. We will be directed in what to say, when to say it and when to do things and when to not do things. He will give us thoughts and ideas. We will be inspired and blessed. Our loved ones and angels on the other side will watch out for us, protect us, and show their love unto us, even through the whisperings of the Spirit. I know this to be true.
And when we test our faith, it will increase. This doesn’t mean we will then have a perfect knowledge of things. But, it will confirm to us that what we exercised our faith upon was indeed correct and something that needed to be done.
Keep a balance in life…but make things a priority. It’s alright to ask “The Man Who Knows Everything” when you need the right answers. And have faith that you will receive them. Then, live righteously so that you may receive them. If you don’t take time out for God, you will be too busy to ever hear Him or see His hand in your life.
Kira
Aug 29th, 2010
Thank You. I didn’t know how important faith really was, until i actually had to use it. Faith isn’t easy. Its not just believing, its acting on that belief and trusting it will work out. Faith is like a muscle, if we do not use it, it will become weak and useless, but if we use it we become strong and enabling. Thanks again. You always inspire me to be better.
Lophofo
Aug 31st, 2010
Kira, I had never thought about “exercise” that way when applied to faith. You hear people say “Exercise your right to vote.” or “Exercise your priesthood.” I always thought about the word exercise in that connotation as almost synonymous with the word use or apply. But, if I think about what you’re saying when comparing it to a muscle, then the term “exercise” sheds a whole new light and meaning on it. That means it has to have something that will test it and make it stronger. That’s why we have hard trials so that we can “exercise” our faith and become made stronger. That makes sense. You don’t just go to the gym and lift 5 pound dumbbells time and time again. You must have something that is more difficult. I believe the same to be true when it comes to what we must go through in life. So, exercising our faith isn’t just using it. It’s having it tested against something difficult so it can grow and we can become made stronger…just like a muscle. And like you said, if we don’t use it, it becomes weak. Wow, thanks for helping me understand things better with your analogy.