I am the oldest girl in my family, so what name could be more perfect than Faith? The fourth Article of Faith states that our first principle of the gospel is specifically, "faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." It is stated as such because it's impossible to do anything in or with the gospel unless you have faith in Jesus Christ.
Having this faith ultimately comes down to making two decisions; firstly to believe in him, and secondly to believe enough to do what he asks of us.
Teenagers, think about your relationship with your own parents. If they tell you not to do something because it is bad for you, like smoking or drinking, you may believe what they say but still not obey. You are only expressing faith in what they’ve said if you follow their instructions because this is the only way to demonstrate that you do have faith in what they say. It is the reason why, as James 2:17 says, “Faith without works is dead.”
Faith in Jesus Christ works the same way. If our belief is not followed by actions that express it, then how can He know that we truly believe in him?
But what do you do if you just can’t decide whether you believe or not? It’s a huge decision to make because it actually dictates the rest of your life and whether you are going to decide to be a servant of the Lord or not. There are two methods we are often told of that help increase our faith in Jesus Christ.
The first is to increase your knowledge of him. That means read your scriptures, general conference talks, and any other church writings you can get your hands on that talk of our savior. With every piece of knowledge you gain about Him you are painting an ever better picture of the person he is in your mind and your heart and he becomes more and more tangible. It’s far easier to trust and believe in somebody you know than somebody you don’t, making the choice to believe in Christ’s teachings easier.
The second is to follow these teachings. If you can keep the commandments and do the things we’ve been told will lead us to happiness, you will start to see them change your life and how you feel. From this pattern you will see that everything our savior has told us to do does invoke the spirit and bring peace to your life that passes all understanding.
This faith is necessary for the use of the atonement. In order to use the atonement to its fullest extent we must completely hand over our trials, doubts, and pain to our savior. We must believe that because he suffered for our sins he knows our struggles and because he is perfect he know show to help us through them. If we can hand over our troubles to him he will take the weight off of our shoulders so that we can stand tall as sons and daughters of god.
My favorite quote about faith expresses this idea perfectly. It comes from an October 2010 general conference talk by Richard C. Edgely about faith. He says,
So when I realized that she wasn't getting better I went to her crying, unable to fully explain because I didn't want to admit it. She understood, thought for a second, and pulled out her scriptures. She read to me 1 Nephi 3:7
I testify to you that Jesus Christ is our older brother. He knows each and every one of us and suffered for our sins so that we might have the gift of the atonement and be healed. He is the only way to true happiness, and it's up to us to choose to have faith.
Having this faith ultimately comes down to making two decisions; firstly to believe in him, and secondly to believe enough to do what he asks of us.
Teenagers, think about your relationship with your own parents. If they tell you not to do something because it is bad for you, like smoking or drinking, you may believe what they say but still not obey. You are only expressing faith in what they’ve said if you follow their instructions because this is the only way to demonstrate that you do have faith in what they say. It is the reason why, as James 2:17 says, “Faith without works is dead.”
Faith in Jesus Christ works the same way. If our belief is not followed by actions that express it, then how can He know that we truly believe in him?
But what do you do if you just can’t decide whether you believe or not? It’s a huge decision to make because it actually dictates the rest of your life and whether you are going to decide to be a servant of the Lord or not. There are two methods we are often told of that help increase our faith in Jesus Christ.
The first is to increase your knowledge of him. That means read your scriptures, general conference talks, and any other church writings you can get your hands on that talk of our savior. With every piece of knowledge you gain about Him you are painting an ever better picture of the person he is in your mind and your heart and he becomes more and more tangible. It’s far easier to trust and believe in somebody you know than somebody you don’t, making the choice to believe in Christ’s teachings easier.
The second is to follow these teachings. If you can keep the commandments and do the things we’ve been told will lead us to happiness, you will start to see them change your life and how you feel. From this pattern you will see that everything our savior has told us to do does invoke the spirit and bring peace to your life that passes all understanding.
This faith is necessary for the use of the atonement. In order to use the atonement to its fullest extent we must completely hand over our trials, doubts, and pain to our savior. We must believe that because he suffered for our sins he knows our struggles and because he is perfect he know show to help us through them. If we can hand over our troubles to him he will take the weight off of our shoulders so that we can stand tall as sons and daughters of god.
My favorite quote about faith expresses this idea perfectly. It comes from an October 2010 general conference talk by Richard C. Edgely about faith. He says,
“I have never witnessed the removal of an actual mountain. But because of faith I have seen a mountain of doubt and despair removed and replaced with hope and optimism. Because of faith I have personally witnessed a mountain of sin replaced with repentance and forgiveness. And because of faith I have personally witnessed a mountain of pain replaced with peace, hope, and gratitude. Yes, I have seen mountains removed.”I have witnessed this very thing in my life, and was taught about it at a very early age. My mom was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer when I was 10 years old, and I didn't realize how sick she was. I misunderstood, thinking that my parents' statements that “everything will be okay” meant “mom will get better.”
So when I realized that she wasn't getting better I went to her crying, unable to fully explain because I didn't want to admit it. She understood, thought for a second, and pulled out her scriptures. She read to me 1 Nephi 3:7
“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”She testified to me of her great faith in our father in heaven and in Jesus Christ, and that no matter what may happen, that he had a plan for us and through him we can be healed and get through any challenges in life as long as we have faith in him.
I testify to you that Jesus Christ is our older brother. He knows each and every one of us and suffered for our sins so that we might have the gift of the atonement and be healed. He is the only way to true happiness, and it's up to us to choose to have faith.
