Faith

  The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What is faith? In Hebrews 11:1 we read, "faith is the substance (or assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. In the Book of Mormon, The prophet Alma similarly teaches us that "If ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true” (Alma 32:21). Faith is more than just merely believing in something. Faith an action word. If we truly have faith in something, then we will act upon it. For example, we have faith that God lives so we act upon that faith and pray to Him daily because we have hope that He hears and answers our prayers. Alma goes on to explain that faith is compared to a seed. When we plant a seed we must nourish it, water it, give it sunlight, and provide circumstances for it to grow. So it is with faith.. We grow our faith by reading the scriptures, saying our daily prayers, obeying God's commandments, and living Christ like lives. As we do these things, our faith in Jesus Christ and our testimonies will grow.

 Having faith in Christ includes having a firm belief that He is the Only Begotten Son of God and the Savior and Redeemer of the world. It also means that we rely completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. It includes believing in His teachings and commandments. We recognize that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father only by relying on His Son’s grace and mercy. When we have faith in Christ, we accept and apply His Atonement and His teachings. Because Christ has experienced all our pains, afflictions, and infirmities, He knows how to help us rise above our daily difficulties and trials. He has “overcome the world” (John 16:33) and prepared the way for us to receive eternal life. He is always ready to help us as we remember His plea: “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36).

 As I mentioned earlier, faith in Christ leads to action. It leads to the second principle of the gospel which is repentance. Having faith causes us to try as hard as we can to learn about and become more like our Savior. We believe in Christ, and we believe that He wants us to keep all His commandments. We want to show our faith my obeying Him. We can also develop faith in a particular principle or commandment, such as tithing or the law of chastity, by first believing in Jesus Christ strongly enough to obey his commandments. As we live a specific commandment, we learn the truthfulness of it by experience (John 7:17).

 Through our faith in Jesus Christ, He can heal us, both physically and spiritually. Faith is believing that all will work out for our good because we know that God is in control. One of my favorite quotes if from President Thomas S. Monson in which he said, "Your future is as bright as your faith."