Faith is the first principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because it is the foundation upon which everything else rests. It’s important for us to understand what faith is because it is a multi-faceted concept that needs to be understood as a whole. Faith is not about believing without evidence. Faith is also not about hoping or wishing hard enough, just as a lack of faith isn’t a character flaw. The lack of faith is a lack of knowledge about what faith actually is and how it has power. Faith is a concept of divine law through which all things are possible. Knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can only make sense when it hinges on this one pivotal and crucial understanding.
Sometimes when people are struggling through trials, we hear people say that this individual “just doesn’t have enough faith,” implying that if they did their problems would no longer concern them, or that they would be blessed with the things that they are seeking if they just believed hard enough. Speaking this way oversimplifies the actual issues at play, disregarding the Lord’s timing, and making it sound as though faith were something easily acquired through determined wishing. It also seems to imply that a testimony of the restored Gospel or of Jesus Christ automatically generates faith, and that a lack of faith must signify a weak or non-existent testimony of the restored Gospel or Christ, neither of which is true.
We sometimes speak about faith as though it were a simple concept, easily attained. I believe that most of us think we have faith, until we consider that the Lord said that if we had the faith of a grain of mustard seed, we could tell a tree to pluck itself up by the root, and plant itself in the sea and it would do it (Luke 17:6). Can you do that? So far I haven’t been able to move any trees or any mountains with my faith.
In Lectures on Faith, we learn there are steps to truly understanding faith. First, we need to know what it is. Second, we need to know “the object upon which it rests” (Lecture 1:4), and third, we need to understand “the effects which flow from it” (Lecture 1:5).
Faith is defined as the “assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (JST Heb 11:1). This is further explained in Lectures on Faith as “the principle of action in all intelligent beings.” Faith is explained as the factor that motivates us to do anything, temporal or spiritual. It is by faith that we attain anything in this life. Whenever we don’t have something, we believe it is possible to attain, and we take action to make our belief a reality. “Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you’re right.” (attributed to Henry Ford)
In Lectures on Faith we are asked “was it not the hope which you had, in consequence of your belief in the existence of unseen things, which stimulated you to action and faith, or belief, for the acquisition of all knowledge, wisdom and intelligence unless you did believe that you could obtain them? In a word, is there anything that you would have done, either physical or mental, if you had not previously believed? Your food, your raiment, your lodgings—are they not all by reason of your faith?”
Faith is the sole factor that motivates us to action in all circumstances. We are hungry, we are assured that there is food in the fridge and it can become a sandwich, and we take action to make that sandwich become reality. We need a job, and that the possibility to be employed is possible, even though it does not exist yet. We are moved to action, applying for jobs and networking, taking steps to make our belief a reality. By taking these steps, the manifestation of our faith becomes a reality. We need money and have an assurance that we will get a paycheck, which motivates us to action and we go to work, and through our efforts the thing which we hoped for and believed was possible became reality. We hope there is a loving God in heaven and that he will manifest his will to us, which motivates us to the action of prayer, and through our efforts we receive an answer.
If faith is the principle of action and is of God, we can understand through opposition that the principle of inaction or stagnation is not of God. We are told that “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). This can be understood to mean that faith without obedience, or faith without continued effort and action is gone.
We are also taught that faith is the principle of power. It is the “principle of power in the Deity as well as in man.” (Lectures on Faith) Faith is the actual power through which miracles are wrought (Moroni 7). President Boyd K. Packer also expressed this sentiment in his talk entitled These Things I Know, when he said, “I have come to know that faith is a real power, not just an expression of belief.”
We also learn that “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” (Heb. 11:3: Lecture 1:14–16). This power of creation in God is the same power of creation in man. It helps me to think of faith as the spiritual creation that precedes temporal creation, as we understand that “the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth” (Moses 3:5). Lectures on Faith tells us “It was by faith that the worlds were framed—God spake, chaos heard, and worlds came unto order by reason of the faith there was in him” and faith “is the first great governing principles which has power, dominion, and authority over all things” (Lecture 1:24). “Without it there is no power” (Lecture 1:24).
Lecture two also teaches us that God “is the object in whom the faith of all other rational and accountable beings centers for life and salvation.” I postulate that the link which moves faith from being merely a belief and a principle of action to being a principle of power is a correct understanding of the object upon which it rests, or a clear understanding of God. “God is the only supreme governor and independent being in whom all fulness and perfection dwell. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, without beginning of days or end of life. In him every good gift and every good principle dwell, and he is the Father of lights. In him the principle of faith dwells independently, and he is the object in whom the faith of all other rational and accountable beings centers” (lecture 2.2). I believe that a correct understanding of the nature or character of God is crucial to giving beliefs power because of the evidence I have seen of this in my life and the lives of others. When someone believes in a higher power of goodness, be it God or the universe, they are using their agency to allow a higher power other than themselves to assist them in achieving their goals or their pursuit of good things—in essence they are giving God permission to work within their lives.
There are three elements that are essential for true faith: an assurance in things not seen, action, and power which comes from being centered upon correct understanding of the source (goodness) of that power. I think of it like a TV. The TV is faith, and pressing the remote to turn it on is the principle of action. You can push the remote all you want, but if the television isn’t plugged into the outlet or an understanding of the power of goodness that is available to help you, you’re on your own. Nothing much is going to happen. The more faith you have in the nature of God as he is, the more power you will have access to and the more you will be able to accomplish.
Friedrich Nietzsche, known for his philosophy and famous phrase that “God is Dead” said that “Faith means not wanting to know what is true.” If we only believe in God and Christ and His Gospel because, dogma, it’s what we’re supposed to believe and we are afraid to question it out of fear of heresy, then Nietzsche is right. However, this is not what true faith is.
Bertrand Russell also said, “We may define 'faith' as a firm belief in something for which there is no evidence. When there is evidence, no one speaks of 'faith.' We do not speak of faith that two and two are four or that the earth is round. We only speak of faith when we wish to substitute emotion for evidence.” Bertrand is mostly right. Faith is a belief or hope for something for which there is no initial evidence. When there is evidence, no one speaks of faith—they speak of knowledge, testimony, or conversion. Faith is only the first step. We must go by more than belief, hope, or emotion—we must also go by evidence, knowledge, and reason. We must not allow ourselves to substitute emotion or faith for the knowledge that it is our duty to attain.
In Mark 12:30, we are told that we should “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” The first commandment and the first principle of the Gospel are inseparably connected. These two things together, faith and love for the Lord, are the basis of our testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the foundation upon which we build all other gospel knowledge and principles.
Now, if you’re like most people, you might be resistant to this. You might not like the idea of being told what to do, much less being told who to love. Most people are going to want to know why. And if this was your first response, then you’re doing well. You’re ahead of the game. Just because we believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored doesn’t mean we know anything else. It doesn’t mean we automatically love God. It doesn’t even mean that we know why we’re supposed to love God. But if your first thought was to ask why, then you’re doing things right.
In Matthew 18:1-4, the disciples came to Jesus and asked him who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told a little kid to come over, and set the child in front of them and told them that unless they were converted, and were like little children, they wouldn’t make it into heaven. I believe that the disciples must have been perplexed by this answer, wondering what the heck that little kid had that they didn’t.
Jesus knew they were confused, and tried to explain it a little further for them, “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:4). But what does that mean? I believe that it means that we have to realize that we don’t know everything. In fact, we have to realize that we know almost nothing. If we realize that, and concede that their just might be a higher power that might know more than we do, then we’re on the right track. When we know that we don’t know everything, we can become great.
Little children know that they don’t know things, which is why they always are always asking everyone why. They ask “why” to an infuriating degree, because they genuinely want to understand. This necessity of using intellect and reason to understand the purpose of God and his nature is absolutely crucial. One argument that many people have against organized religion as a whole is that in many circumstances individuals are expected to accept the teachings of religion upon faith only, or a fear of hell, and that anything unexplainable is merely a mystery of God, and therefore unknowable.
An understanding of God, or religion, was never intended to be truths accepted merely by faith or antiquated customs for less enlightened people. Galileo stated, “I do not feel obliged to believe that same God who endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect had intended for us to forgo their use.” We are not intended to be merely “believers” based upon someone else’s word alone. Robert Ingersoll, known as The Great Agnostic said, “A believer is a bird in a cage. A freethinker is an eagle parting the clouds with tireless wing.” We are meant to be freethinkers, eagles soaring in the clouds of knowledge and reaching true conclusions about the existence and goodness of God, not based merely upon acceptance of doctrine or trust of leaders, but based upon evidence from our lives and personal experience.
Brigham Young said, “I am. . . afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence . . . Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves. . .” (Brigham Young, 9:150) Immanuel Kant a German philosopher and empiricist said, “Enlightenment is man's leaving his self-caused immaturity. Immaturity is the incapacity to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. Such immaturity is self-caused if its cause is not lack of intelligence, but by lack of determination and courage to use one's intelligence without being guided by another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own intelligence!”
Empiricism is a philosophy that speculates that knowledge or understanding comes only or mostly from personal, sensory experience. Empiricism emphasizes evidence as a means to knowledge, especially through experimentation. “It is a fundamental part of the scientific method that all hypotheses and theories must be tested against observations of the natural world rather than resting solely on a prior reasoning, intuition, or revelation.” (Wikipedia Empiricism) The arguments for empiricism, indeed even atheism, is that the only way to discern absolute truth is from personal experience.
When we come into this world, the sole basis for our understanding of the world and absolute truth is our own mind and our own senses. Parents, teachers, and leaders can guide us in this endeavor, but ultimately, it is our own experience, or the evidence from our lives that allows us to discern truth from error. Will Durrant, a writer and philosopher said a very similar thing when he said that “The great snare of thought is uncritical acceptance of . . . assumptions.”
Bertrand Russell, a British philosopher and Nobel Prize award winner agreed with this statement when he wrote, “I wish to propose for the reader's favourable consideration a doctrine which may, I fear, appear wildly paradoxical and subversive. The doctrine in question is this: that it is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true.” I agree with him. I think that it is undesirable, illogical, and wrong to form our beliefs and opinions based upon insufficient evidence. William Kingdon Clifford, the man who suggested the geometric theory of gravity that Albert Einstein later developed agreed with me. He said, “It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.”
By learning from the individuals who we consider great—great philosophers, great artists, great mathematicians, great scientists, great political leaders, great writers,--we can begin to be convinced of the paramount importance of truth, or knowledge attained through the use of honest evaluation of evidence and careful use of reason. We can learn of the truths that they discovered, comparing them across time and fields of study to discern the lessons common to us all. The quest for truth and knowledge is of widespread importance. Philosophers, artists, writers, intellectuals, scientists, atheists, agnostics, and Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints all agree upon this, placing singular importance on the necessity of gathering evidence for oneself as a means of knowing truth.
An atheist writer online called Ignots Pistachio wrote, “The more evidence and reason that accrues in support of a particular viewpoint, the less real choice remains in "opting" to accept that position. Beyond a certain point, it becomes absurd to hold any other view; the evidence essentially forces one to "believe", regardless of what anyone has historically (or contemporaneously) believed. The only "alternative" to this is to choose a belief in conflict with the available evidence, which is equivalent to making a conscious decision to believe something false . . .” I love this statement—I wholeheartedly agree with it.
How would these great thinkers—philosophers, scientists, empiricists, rationalists—propose that we discern truth from error and provide evidence of natural law? I think that most of them would accept the scientific method as an acceptable technique for investigating and testing new knowledge. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the scientific method as: "a method or procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses."
The reason that the scientific method is so valued as a method of acquiring knowledge is because it seeks to let reality speak for itself, or when something is true the evidence will support and confirm a true theory. If a theory is incorrect, subjecting it to unbiased testing will reveal that when its predicted outcomes prove to be false. The steps to the scientific method are as follows: 1) Ask a question, 2) Do Background Research, 3) Construct a Hypothesis, 4) Test your Hypothesis by Conducting an Experiment, 5) Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusions, and 6) Communicate your results. It is important to note that the scientific method requires that test conditions be conducive to the experiment, or you may get skewed or incorrect results.
The steps to the experiment must be repeatable by other individuals to prove the hypothesis, rather than relying on any bias, confusion, or mistakes of one experimenter. Results from unrelated experiments can be put together in a coherent way to explain larger phenomenon or to support one another, giving context for groups of hypotheses. In this manner, knowledge obtained is meant to be as objective as possible in order to prevent biased interpretations of results.
Another expectation in the scientific method is to document, archive, and share all data and methodology Another basic expectation is to document, record, and share all data and experimental details so that they are available for other scientists and individuals to analyze. This way they can attempt to verify the results of the original experiment by trying to reproduce them. Fully disclosing all information related to the experiment allows the reliability of the data to be established.
Fortunately, the religion that I know doesn’t conflict with any of this. In fact, it is built upon the exact same principles. 1) We are supposed to ask or form a question in our mind. 2) We are supposed to do our research and try to figure things out for ourselves. God expects us to use the intellect he gave us: “7 Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. 8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right . . .” (D&C 9:7-8) 3) We are supposed to construct a hypothesis, or reach a conclusion or decision on our own about what is correct, right, true, or best. 4) We are supposed to test our hypothesis by conducting an experiment in our lives, or experimenting with application of Gospel principles. It is important to note that the scientific method requires that test conditions be conducive to the experiment, or you may get skewed or incorrect results. Likewise, spiritual experimentation requires favorable test conditions as well to achieve optimum and accurate results. 5) Following our experiment, we are supposed to analyze our data and draw conclusions. 6) After we experiment and reach a conclusion, we are supposed to communicate our results, or bear testimony.
Another expectation in spiritual experimentation is to document and archive our beliefs or hypothesis and our conclusions or testimony, which is the result of experimentation and application. We are meant to share this data with others so that they may listen or read and seek to understand our experiences so that they can replicate the experiments, verifying their validity by their own duplication of the experiment. Spiritual experiments or applications must have repeatable results to prove the hypothesis (as are scientific experiments), for we are not meant to be merely believers and we must not rely on any one experimenter, in case of bias, confusion, or mistakes on their part.
Alma 32 explains the process and conditions required for spiritual experimentation, explaining in detail how we can test our hypothesis by conducting spiritual experiments which culminate in knowledge or testimony. I’ve most often heard this set of scriptures talked about in regards to faith, but these scriptures go beyond that, discussing the process from faith to knowledge and the conditions that must be present for this to occur.
We’ve all heard the comparison that faith is like a seed. If we expound upon this comparison in our mind, we can understand it to an even greater degree. Plants are interesting organisms. They require specific conditions to thrive. There are desert plants like succulents that grow in the desert and require lots of sun, very little humidity, and infrequent watering where the soil is allowed to dry out between watering.
On the other hand there are plants like the anthurium, a species of flowering plant that originates from very wet, humid rainforest environments. These plants require a lot of humidity and more frequent watering with well-draining soil. The funny thing is, if you tried to take care of a succulent like an Anthurium, it would suffer. It wouldn’t grow, and it would probably die. Plants require very specific conditions for them to flourish.
As in the scientific method, the conditions for the success of the experiment must be met before the results will be accurate and replicable. Alma explains to us the conditions that are required for us to nurture or cultivate faith and knowledge in ourselves. Two of the most necessary conditions are the desire to know and a willingness to believe. Saint Augustine taught us that we must “Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.” To gain faith in any concept, we have to experiment. All that is required of us initially is a desire and a willing heart and mind. If we allow the word or concept to have a place within us, we will feel it begin to enlighten our understanding. That will increase the faith that we exercised to begin the experiment. However, at this point it isn’t knowledge.
We know that it is good because we can feel it and it enlightens our understanding, but we still don’t have knowledge of the truthfulness of the concept. At this point, we have only exercised enough faith to know that the seed was good. If we continue choosing faith, it will grow to be a perfect knowledge, as long as we don’t abandon it. The Malaysian political leader Prince Tunku Putra Abdul Rahman said, “Some people think that as soon as you plant a tree, it must bear fruit. We must allow it to grow a bit.” Like plants, testimony just takes time to grow. Epictetus, an ancient Greek philosopher said, "No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen."
There might be things you can do to increase the rate of growth, but it just takes time. We must guard our faith, hopes, and dreams. They are delicate. Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States said, “You should nurse your dreams and protect them through bad times and tough times to the sunshine and light which always come.” I propose that we must also nurse our faith and protect it through bad and tough times to the sunshine and light which always come. As we care for our faith, hopes, and dreams and take appropriate action, they begin to bear fruit or produce evidence of their truthfulness. “And when we choose faith and then nurture that faith to a perfect knowledge of the things of the Lord, then we use the words “I testify” or “I know” (Faith—The Choice is Yours Oct 2010) Testimony is personal knowledge or conclusion reached through an accumulation of evidence gained through experimentation on faith.
When we experiment on God’s promises and have gotten results, then we have a testimony of the principle we have experimented upon. We also know that obedience to the principle results in a corresponding blessing. At that point we have testimony of that concept or that principle. Sam Harris, famous for writing An Atheist Manifesto, wrote “When we have reasons for what we believe, we have no need of faith. . . Atheism is nothing more than a commitment to the most basic standard of intellectual honesty: One’s convictions should be proportional to one’s evidence. Pretending to be certain when one isn’t--indeed, pretending to be certain about propositions for which no evidence is even conceivable--is both an intellectual and a moral failing.”
He is absolutely right. We need to have reasons for what we believe, beyond faith or belief. And when we have reasons for what we believe, this is called testimony or knowledge. I believe that religion should also be a commitment to a basic standard of intellectual honesty. Our convictions should be proportional to our evidence. We can’t be certain of something without evidence and we shouldn’t pretend that we are—to do so is hypocritical and wrong.
Fortunately for us it is possible to accumulate spiritual evidence for ourselves. The God that I know doesn’t get angry or offended if you question Him. In fact, He expects it. He would be disappointed if we didn’t question. The very best argument I have for believing in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that we are not asked to merely believe. In fact, we are urged not to. We are dared to experiment, urged to find out all things for ourselves. “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:4-5) We are taught to accumulate evidence for ourselves, until we reach the point where it would be absurd to hold any other view, based upon the evidence and reason that has accrued in support of our understanding of life and God. We are not meant to be merely believers—we are meant to be free thinkers.
I believe that this is why we are counseled to become as little children. We must realize how much we don’t know, and be humble enough to seek to understand, asking for answers to the things we don’t comprehend. We’re supposed to ask why—about everything. Atheist and writer H.P. Lovecraft understood this. He said, “If religion were true, its followers would not try to bludgeon their young into an artificial conformity; but would merely insist on their unbending quest for truth, irrespective of artificial backgrounds or practical consequences.”
Our beliefs and convictions should not be based solely on emotion or faith, nor should it be solely based in reason or evidence. Reason is required to test the congruence of our convictions with the evidence we have—we are intended to intellectually evaluate our beliefs and consciously make choices. The truest knowledge comes from a marriage of both reason and emotion, or mind and heart. Doctrine and Covenants 8 expounds upon this telling us that “…assuredly as the Lord liveth, who is your God and your Redeemer, even so surely shall you receive a knowledge of whatsoever things you shall ask in faith, with an honest heart, believing that you shall receive a knowledge . . . 2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. 3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation;”
The good part about faith, knowledge, and testimony is we don’t have to have anything but a desire to experiment. If we only desire knowledge regarding a principle or truth, God can work with that. We are expected to have doubts, but we are asked not to throw out the goodness of the truth just because of them. If our doubts are too great, we can do as the father of the child in Mark 9:24 who said, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” It only takes desire to change ourselves or a desire to believe. If we can’t even believe in the possibility of change but still wish it were possible, that desire is enough. God can work with that. If we don’t know how change is possible, that’s okay too. We don’t have to know how. He knows how.
William James, a philosopher and psychologist said, “To change one’s life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions.” It only takes the desire to choose happiness. We are only required to do what we can, and do in manageable steps, “for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength” (Mosiah 4:27). The choice is possible to make and we should start now.
When we consider it in its most basic sense, the concept of faith is simple. We believe something we can’t see, and we take action because of that belief. There is power when belief is centered on the correct object, or an understanding of power stemming from God as He is, a being who encompasses all qualities that are good. If faith really is that simple, why is it so hard to have? How do we get true faith? The answer lies not in belief or in action, but in a correct understanding of the source from which the power of faith stems.
Because God is the object upon which all faith rests, I believe the most important and crucial testimony we can ever gain is a testimony of a good and unconditionally loving God, for it is only through that lens that any principle of the Gospel will make sense. Only through that lens can we remain faithful amid trial and temptation. Only through that lens will we ever be able to do the things required of us. The crucial ingredient to our success on earth is a testimony of the true nature of God by learning of his character and attributes.
Sometimes we know all the right answers. We know what we are supposed to think and how we are supposed to feel, and things just don’t make sense. If this Gospel promises us happiness when we follow its principles and we’re doing the best we know how and we don’t feel happy, what does that mean? Does it mean that the Gospel isn’t true? Does it mean that we are wicked, damaged or somehow unworthy? What else can we possibly do more than believe and live the best way we know how? Are we just not trying hard enough? Or is our best simply not enough? How can we believe on a God who doesn’t keep his end of the promise?
If you are racked with turmoil, if you can hardly believe in goodness or God at all, remember the words of Alma:
“12 But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.
14 Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
15 Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.
16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am bin the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.” (Alma 36:12-21)
If you cannot believe in the goodness of God, or if you cannot believe in God at all, try to believe only that there must be opposition in all things (2 Nephi 2:11). Put your faith in the hope that if you can experience such pain, surely such joy exists. If you find it easier to believe in evil and pain, know that there must be good and happiness also. When you have a more firm belief in the existence of goodness, then seek to learn why you should love God and learn of his nature. It is enough to only want to believe. As negative as you feel about the world today, your life circumstance, or yourself know that there is opposition to this that can be yours.
In a Christmas Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes have the following conversation:
Calvin: Well, I've decided I DO believe in Santa Claus, no matter how preposterous he sounds.
Hobbes: What convinced you?
Calvin: A simple risk analysis. I want presents. LOTS of presents. Why risk not getting them over a matter of belief? Heck, I'll believe anything they want.
Hobbes: How cynically enterprising of you.
Calvin: It's the spirit of Christmas.
Now it may be blasphemous for me to compare God to a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip conversation, but I’m going to do it anyway.
Person 1: Well, I've decided I DO believe in a God who encompasses all that is good or at least a power of goodness in the universe, no matter how preposterous it sounds.
Person 2: What convinced you?
Person 1: A simple risk analysis. I want blessings. LOTS of blessings. Why risk not getting them over a matter of belief? Heck, I'll believe anything they want.
Person 2: How cynically enterprising of you.
If the possibility for good things in life, or blessings, exists if we merely tap into the power of goodness in the universe (which is God), then why wouldn’t we try it? If believing in a power of goodness really resulted in good things in our lives (or blessings, heck, even LOTS of blessings) why wouldn’t we try it out? People forward stupid emails and Facebook posts on the off chance they might get something free. Why wouldn’t we experiment with the belief of a God of Goodness on the off chance that he might actually exist and bless us?
In the book of Numbers when the Israelites are wandering in the wilderness and there’s a plague of fiery serpents biting people. People are dying from it and the Israelites ask Moses to ask the Lord to take the serpents away. Moses is told to put a brass serpent on pole and raise it up. The people who were bitten could be healed if they looked at the brass serpent. A lot of people refused to do it because they were stubborn and didn’t believe that it would work. They would rather die than just try it out, just in case it actually worked. 1 Nephi 17:41 said, “and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.” I propose that on the off-chance a truly good and loving God exists who is waiting and desiring to bless us and wants us to be happy, we ought to try to believe in Him. Just as an experiment, on the off chance that it might be true.
In our quest to discover the existence of God, we should consider the guidance he has given us. The first great commandment is to love the Lord our God. Why would this be the first commandment? And how can we love someone we don’t know? If we think about it, we’ll realize that we can’t truly love someone we don’t know, which is why we must come to know Him. How do we do this? How do we “get to know” someone we never meet in person, never really see? We learn about Him. We read about Him. We talk with Him. We try to understand why anyone would love Him. We try to figure out what would make us love someone, and try to see if He has those characteristics.
We’re not all on our own. We have some guidelines to help us figure out what he’s done for us—like the scriptures or the counsel to be grateful. Well, why be grateful? Why does God want us to be grateful? Is it because he is an egotistical maniac sitting in the sky, who wants to listen to praise all day from his loyal creations while he lounges on a cloud? Is it because He’s stingy with the gifts that He gives us, and wants to make sure we recognize each and every one? No, that can’t be it because that certainly doesn’t make us want to love Him.
Could it be that by recognizing the good things that we have, we will recognize even more good things that we have, and realize that we are very blessed people? Could it be that recognizing the good things we have makes us realize we are very lucky and it makes us happy? Could it be that by focusing on good things, we forget the bad things instead of the other way around? Could it possibly be, that doing the things that God has counseled us to do directly results in happiness? That he told us to do those things in an effort to make us happy? Could it be that He gave us all these lists of guidelines and counsel because it was for our own good? Or is it because He is so powerful that we have to follow His rules because He said it, or we will rot in hell?
It just might be possible that he gave us the guidelines (or counsel, or commandments) he did for our own good. Because they’d make us happy. And if that was true, then God wanted us to be happy. And if he wants us to be happy, then he must love us, he must be nice. If we can begin to recognize the nature of God as He is, it will be harder for us to be confused, hurt, or misled. I might go so far as to say that it might be impossible for us not to have true faith if the only thing we come to truly understand is the nature of God as he truly is. “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
That’s a really nice concept, but how can we really know of his nature? One example from the scriptures that illustrates the nature and goodness of God is found in Alma 26. I’m going to paraphrase portions of the chapter, putting through the lens of modern language to show how I understand it. Alma was talking to his brethren, and said, “Hey guys, do you realize how many reasons we have to be happy? When we left Zarahemla, could we even have imagined how many blessings God would give us? Our friends the Lamanites were sinning and miserable, but look at how many of them have come to know the goodness of God! That was the greatest blessing we’ve ever gotten! We got to be the instruments that God used to make that happen!
Literally thousands of people are happy and have come unto God. They were ready for the message, and we were blessed and worked with everything we had. Look at the great things that happened! We saved people! Now they won’t be tossed around in the storm and the whirlwinds of their circumstance. When bad things happen to them, they can stand together and help each other. They won’t be subject to the whims and influence of the devil and be led wherever he wants them to go.
They’re under God’s influence now. They’re His, and He’ll make them enough. We should bless God—we should sing praises to Him. We should thank him forever because he is so good and so cool. If we hadn’t listened and left Zarahemla, our friends and brothers and sisters would still hate us and they wouldn’t have known God.”
Aaron, Ammon’s brother gets a little concerned hearing Ammon get so excited and he says, “Dude, Ammon, you’re getting carried away. I think you’re getting too excited and you’re bragging.”
Ammon responds, “I’m not bragging about myself or how smart I am. I’m bragging about God. He is so merciful and so kind and so good that I can hardly contain myself. I know I’m nothing. I’m weak. I know I have nothing to brag about, but I’ll brag about God. With Him, I can do anything! Miracles have happened here because of what we’ve done, and I’ll praise Him and brag about how cool God is forever.
Thousands of our friends and brothers and sisters have been freed from torment and anguish—from the pains of hell—through his word. They are freed from torment and now they understand His redeeming love. We did that! Don’t we have reason to get excited? We have a reason to get excited and praise him forever! And we were the instruments that made that happen. So let’s brag and give Him credit. We’ll rejoice, and praise God forever. Who can praise the Lord too much? Who can say too many good things about his power, and his mercy, and his patience toward us? I can’t even say the smallest part of what I feel.
Who could have thought that God would be so merciful as to snatch us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state? We were angry and determined to destroy his Church. Why didn’t he condemn us to misery and suffering? Why didn’t he let justice doom us to eternal despair when we deserved it? I’m terrified just thinking about it. But he didn’t exercise justice. He brought us out of death and misery because of his mercy. Not only did he not condemn us, he saved and redeemed our souls.
Do you remember that when we told everyone we were going to the land of Nephi to preach to the Lamanites how they laughed at us? They asked us if we really thought we could bring them to the knowledge of the truth. They asked if we really thought we could convince them of the wrongness of the things they’ve been taught their whole lives. They said we should go to war with them and kill them before they outnumbered us and destroyed us. But we didn’t come to kill them. We came hoping we might be able to save a few of their souls. And when we were discouraged and about to turn back, the Lord comforted us and told us that if we just had patience we would be successful.
We went into their homes and taught them. We taught them in the streets. We taught them outside. We taught them in temples and synagogues. They threw us out, mocked us, spit on us, hit us, and threw rocks at us. They tied us up and threw us in prison and through all of this the power and wisdom of God delivered us again. We suffered a lot hoping we might save someone’s soul—maybe more than one. Look at what we accomplished—we had a lot of success. We know they’re sincere because of the love they show to others and us. They would rather die than kill an enemy now—they buried their weapons so they couldn’t use them because they love their brethren so much.
We haven’t even seen love that great among our own people. We would go to war before we would allow ourselves to be killed. But look at how many of these people have died for what they believe. Don’t we have a reason to be happy and excited? There’s never been anyone who had more reason to be happy since the world began! I am so happy that I’m getting carried away. I’m bragging about my God because he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding. He knows everything, he is merciful, and he’ll save us if we just repent and believe in Him
If this is bragging, I’m going to brag. This is my life, my happiness, my salvation and my redemption. God is great! He’s been aware of his people, he’s been aware of us. God is concerned for and aware of all people, no matter where they are. He has mercy everywhere. This knowledge is my joy, it’s why I’m thankful, and I will thank my God forever.”
Wow. Ammon really was excited. Was he crazy? Or was he just that much better than us? He was so happy to be able to assist the God that he knew and loved. Could we ever be that way? Surely he’s an example of the exception and not the rule. He’s like our prophet today, right? He’s just better than us, right? It would take years, decades for us to ever develop that kind of faith. Right? Wrong. This Gospel is about the present. It’s about right now. Blessings right now, happiness right now, revelation right now, and miracles right now. We can all be great right now, “for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great” (Luke 9:48). Prophets, apostles, leaders, missionaries, and bishops are not better than us by virtue of their position. They aren’t entitled to blessings (aside from those pertaining to their stewardship), that we are not. We can be great like the men and women we read about. And not just someday in a few decades after we try really hard—we are supposed to choose to become great right now.
Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor, gave sound advice when he said, “Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will love on in the memories of your loved ones.” I would expound upon this by saying that it is our responsibility and duty to find out if God exists and if he is just. If he is just, we will want to be devout. We cannot try to live devoutly and worship a God that we do not love. To do so is the worst kind of hypocrisy. We are to reconcile ourselves unto God, or make peace with our God.
Because of trials and temptation, our true test in this life is to maintain our faith or belief in the goodness of God, in the midst of trial. If we can cling to our belief in the goodness and unconditionally loving nature of God, we will be comforted. If we falter, we will move away from the very source that could offer us comfort. If we doubt His goodness, we will lose our trust in Him. We will become miserable, amassing undesirable qualities like bitterness and resentment. As we allow those thoughts to dwell in our minds, we will believe that we are justified in feeling them.
Nephi tells us in 1 Nephi 19:23 that “I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.” We too can gain great insight by likening scriptures to ourselves. Consider the legendary examples of faith. One of the most obvious examples is Job. He was a good man. So good that he was afflicted with all sorts of trials. He had a hard time understanding what he had done wrong, wondering why he had even been born. Somehow he reached a point where, despite what he had gone through, he was able to say, “15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him”. Job had such faith in the goodness of God that he said the Lord could kill him and he would still trust him.
The people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi were so grateful that God had forgiven them of their grievous sins that they resolved not to commit the same mistakes again. Their commitment was irrevocable as they physically removed their temptation, burying their weapons so that they would not be able to use them. They explained their actions, “and our swords are made bright [through the atonement], let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.” (Alma 24:15)
They were willing to die before they would sin against the goodness and mercy that God had given to them. “23 Now when the Lamanites saw that their brethren would not flee from the sword, neither would they turn aside to the right hand or to the left, but that they would lie down and perish, and praised God even in the very act of perishing under the sword—” (Alma 24:23)
Are we so very different from these people? Could we possibly even hope to be like them? Can we comprehend being like them? What could make us willing to die for the Lord right now? What could make us willing to praise him no matter what? I believe that the answer must be that they learned of God. They saw evidence of his goodness in their lives, and at some point they made a choice. They made a choice to be happy and believe in His goodness no matter what evidence they might encounter in their lives that seemed to contradict that belief. They were committed, fully invested. They chose their side and from that point on never wavered. They were people just like us.
If we can believe in His goodness, we can trust in Him and have unwavering faith too. We can believe Him when he says:
“5 If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;
6 If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.” (Doctrine and Covenants 122:5-7)
If we knew who God is, we would not question his wisdom. We would trust that whatever we suffered, it was not needless. We would trust that there was a purpose. Though perhaps not all things happen for a reason, God could make reason out of all things. We would trust that no matter how horrible our experiences, God could take them and make us beautiful through them. I maintain that if we have a firm belief in the goodness and unconditionally loving nature of God, we will be able to believe that all things can be for our good. All of our suffering can have purpose. With God, all things can be transformed.
“1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)
In Matthew, we read about a man who brought his son to the apostles to be healed and the apostles couldn’t do it. The child was brought before Jesus, who healed the child from that moment on. The apostles were confused and they couldn’t figure it out. They were supposed to be able to do it. They had all the right answers. They knew everything they needed to know. They came to Jesus and said, “Why couldn’t we do it?”
And Jesus told them, “Because you didn’t believe. Because if you had even the faith of a grain of mustard seed, you could tell a mountain to move somewhere else and it would move, and nothing would be impossible unto you.” (Matthew 17:20) Have you seen a mustard seed? It’s really small.
We are taught that we for our benefit and education, we are to “liken all scriptures unto us” (1 Nephi 19:23). This means that we need to put ourselves in the position of the individuals in the scriptures, under the assumption that they weren’t so very different from us, and try to understand how and why they did what they did and felt what they felt. It also means that the scriptures and the lessons in them are applicable to us in our lives here and now. We are supposed to take the scriptures literally. When Jesus says that if we had true faith that nothing would be impossible to us, he means that literally. Nothing would be impossible.
Elder M. Russell Ballard said, “If any one of you feels your faith or your testimony of Heavenly Father’s plan is less than you know it should be, then turn more fully to the Savior. Let His light and His living water do for you and your family what a little water and light did in bringing life back to [a] weakened . . . plant.” (This is My Work and Glory)
Make a commitment now to be optimistic and cheerful no matter your circumstance. Make a commitment to believe firmly one way or the other whether or not God is good and just. What have you got to lose but happiness and enjoyment if you don’t? H. G. Wells said, “If at the end your cheerfulness is not justified, at any rate you will have been cheerful.”
President Nelson posted a “Message of Hope” this week. In it he reassured us that despite current events, he remains optimistic about the future. His message was brief and hopeful, but what stood out to me was the one scripture he chose to quote. He said we can find comfort in uncertain times when we remember the promise the savior made when he said, “I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say.” Why should this specific phrase give us comfort in times of trial or uncertainty? He is emphasizing that the Lord cannot lie (Enos 1:6) and keeps his promises to his saints.
