Author: saedgar

Faith is an action word.  It is not passive. It motivates us and gives us the confidence to act.  It is an important principle of daily activity.  You could say “we live by faith” because we exercise faith in much of what we do.  Faith encourages us to get up in the morning and allows us to live, progress and enjoy each day.  Examples of active faith include faith in ourselves and our abilities, faith in our plans, faith in our spouse, faith in our family and friends, faith in our old truck starting, faith to safely cross a busy street, faith to plant a seed, and much more.  Real faith motivates us to action.

When we act in faith, we act with confidence towards an object, an action, or an outcome.  However, while faith gives us the confidence to act, it does not guarantee a positive outcome.  The object of our faith may fail us.  For example, a faithful old truck may not start, a friend may disappoint, a crop may fail, or we ourselves may fail at a task.

However, there is one object of our faith that will never fail us.  That is, there is one person we can have faith in that will not fail us:  He is Jesus the Christ.  We can have Faith in Him, and we can trust Him.  He is who He said He is; and, He is full of light, honesty, and truth.  He is the Son of God, our Redeemer, and the Father of our salvation.  He has taught that: we are all spiritual off-spring of God the Father …spiritual children of a Heavenly Father who loves us; we can be forgiven of our transgressions; and, we can return to be with our Heavenly Father again in the Resurrection.  He speaks the truth!  We can trust Him and have Faith in Him.  If we exercise sincere faith in Jesus Christ, continue to learn of Him, obey His laws (as we understand them), and remain true and faithful to the truth we learn along the way, then we can change our lives and become more like Him.

In its infancy, our Faith in Christ starts and is based on just a correct idea that He exists …which is True!  When we act upon that “correct idea,” we gain a particle of faith.  If we seek confirmation, the Holy Spirit will confirm in our hearts and our minds that it is true.  And, we should naturally want to seek to know more.  Learning of Christ is key to our Salvation.  He is the perfect example.  As we learn of Him, we can exercise faith in what we are learning, and then know of its truth.  Learning of Christ, getting to know Him, and having Faith in Him, should motivates us to want to change and be better.  As we learn more about Him, we can more accurately model His life and become more like Him.  As we continue to study and learn more of the true nature of Jesus Christ, our knowledge of Him will grow, and we will have more information upon which to exercise faith.  All along the learning process, the Holy Spirit (the Revelator) will add (reveal) insight and will add additional confirmation of its truth.

This is the essence of the miracle of growing your Faith in Jesus Christ.  It is dynamic, growing and ultimately will lead you to Eternal Life (the Life that God the Eternal Father lives).

The Doctrine of Christ (see Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 31)

As we exercise “Faith in Jesus Christ” and earnestly seek to learn of Him by “…feasting upon the word of Christ” (see Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 31:20), we will come to know that in our current state, we are much different than He is.  He is perfect; we are imperfect.  Loving Him and wanting to follow Him, we will naturally want (and need) to change, adjust or align our lives to His example …to be more like Him.  Making these changes in our lives is called: “Repentance” or the repentance process.  Through repentance, we essentially acknowledge our transgressions and commit to live more like our Savior.  In addition to making these “adjustments” in our lives to becoming more like Him, we will want to express our commitment to Him.  “Baptism by Immersion” (performed by an authorized servant of God) is the prescribed ordinance, the gateway!  Symbolically, Baptism is a “rebirth” wherein we become a new person, a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ.

Following our Baptism, we are confirmed members of the Lord’s Church and Kingdom on the Earth, and are given “the Gift of the Holy Ghost.”  If we remain true and faithful to our covenants, this “Gift” is the promise of greater influence from the Holy Spirit (also known as the Revelator) in our lives.  Why is that important?  The primary mission of the Holy Ghost is to bear testimony of the Father and the Son.  So, with an increased influence of “the Revelator” in our lives (and with continued study, prayer, and obedience), we will gain additional knowledge and insight of the Lord.  We will increase our understanding of who He is, receive additional insight and confirmation from the Holy Spirit, and become increasingly motivated to modify or change our lives and become more like Him.

As our knowledge of Jesus Christ (His character, perfection, and attributes) increases, so does our Faith in Him … because, we’ll have more information upon which to exercise our faith.  As we gain more knowledge of Him, we will more clearly see additional changes that must be made in our lives, so we will make additional adjustments, and because of that, the Lord will bless us with even greater influence of the Holy Spirit (see Pearl of Great Price, Moses 6:52).

This continuous process of becoming is often referring to as “Enduring” to the end, or “…endure to the end in righteousness” (see Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 15:9 and 2 Nephi 31:20).

This is the Cycle of Eternal Progression:

1. 1. Receiving a true idea about the Lord Jesus Christ,
   2. Exercising faith in that idea,
   3. Receiving inspiration or confirmation of it’s truth from the Holy Spirit,
   4. Gaining a desire to become more like Christ,
   5. Adjusting/repentance to become more like Him,
   6. Making or renewing a commitment to follow Him (Baptism/Sacrament),
   7. Receiving confirmation and increased inspiration from the Holy Spirit,
   8. Learning more of Christ and therefore being able to have more faith in Him, and
   9. Continuing  or “enduring” to the end in obedience to the principles you are learning and to your growing understanding of the true nature of Christ.

With increased inspiration and testimony of Jesus Christ, we will have more information about Him upon which to exercise faith.  As we exercise faith in the additional “true” information, our faith in Christ grows more, and the cycle continues.  Of course, all along the way the cycle must be fueled by:

1. 1. Greater study of the true nature of Jesus Christ,
   2. More effective personal prayers, and
   3. Faithful obedience to what we learn along the way …and know (see Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 15:9 and 2 Nephi 31:20).

Now, what of Hope and Charity?

Charity is defined as “the Pure Love of Christ,” or the pure love that Christ has.  In the above description of “the cycle of eternal progression,” Hope and Charity are byproducts of sincere Faith in Jesus Christ, and they increase proportionally as we become more “like” Christ.  As our Faith in Christ grows, so grows our Hope in the future, and so grows our Pure Love of God and all mankind (Charity).  I believe it is accurate to say, “the man or woman with Faith in Jesus Christ will also have hope in the future and charity for all.”   The man or woman with great faith in Jesus Christ will have great hope in this life, and above all will have great charity for all.  As the Apostle Paul taught: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (see 1 Corinthians 13:13).  Actually, I believe these three are inseparable.  They do not come alone.  The person who has Faith and Hope in Christ will have Charity.  The more Faith and Hope, the more Charity.  The Pure Love of Christ (Charity) is a more visible or outward manifestation of one’s Faith and Hope, and of being “Christ Like.”
(See also: Book of Mormon, Moroni 7:33-47)

(For additional thoughts on the above topic, please click on the following link and read the post or article on “The Doctrine of Christ.”)

Click HERE to read an excerpt from the book “Lectures on Faith” prepared by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

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The Lord’s instruction to “keep the commandments” (Alma 37:35) may seem old fashion to some, or unbecoming of a loving Heavenly Father to others.  Or, some may think the commandments just take away our moral agency.  But ask yourself, “What are the commandments of God?”  Are they just a set of arbitrary rules that test us, restrict us, and must be obeyed?  And in the end, if we obeyed them, are we to win the prize?  No, the commandments of God are the Laws of Heaven, or in other words, the Laws of God.  They are the same laws He lives by.  They are Eternal Laws.  Eternal Laws are God’s Laws.

In this life, we don’t fully understand all the laws of Heaven …not yet!   But, through prayerful study of the Holy Scripture (and the revelations of God), we can begin to better understand “His Laws and Commandments.”   Then, through obedience to His Commandments (and as we align ourselves with Him), we will begin to more fully understand …and to see more clearly.   The Apostle Paul wrote, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).  So for now, we are asked to live by faith and keep His commandments as we best understand them.  We learn more of the Laws of God by keeping and obeying them.  And, as we faithfully keep the commandments, we will begin to change and become …more like Him!

Consider the following from Elder Dallin H. Oaks, an Apostle of the Lord and now a member of the First Presidency: “The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done.  It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become.  It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions.  The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.   And what is it that we must become?  The Savior answered very simply: “Even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27).  He is the mark we must always look to. He is our supreme example. He was chosen as our Savior not just because of His perfect obedience but because of His perfect love—love that encompasses perfect knowledge and that motivates perfect obedience.”
[The Challenge to Become, LDS General Conference, October 2000]

I am convinced that the Laws and Commandments of God are good.  We still have our moral agency to choose to obey …or not.  But, as we do obey and keep the commandments, we will become more and more “Like Him!” (Matt 5:48).

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In the spring of 1975, Jenny and I were living with our three children (Heather, Melissa, and Scotty) among beautiful green forests and farmlands in the Rheinland-Pfalz area of West Germany. Driving home from church one late and rainy Sunday afternoon, we stopped to have a look at an automobile that had rolled off the road and onto its side in the wet roadbed at the edge of a forest. Inside the forest, it was already dark because of the thick canopy created by the trees and the oncoming night.

After inspecting the wrecked vehicle, we returned to our car and discovered we were stuck in the mud. I soon realized I couldn’t back up.  My wheels would just spin in the mud.  But, I could drive forward.  The wet and muddy forest road went down and into the forest. A few weeks before, we had driven down that road and through the forest.  In fact, we found that many forest roads were interconnected and would eventually lead back out onto pavement.  So, I decided to move forward down the muddy road and into the blackness.  Bad decision!

I quickly realized that I had made the wrong decision. The narrow, wet road was now filled with deep muddy ruts, and it just kept leading farther and farther down into the dark forest.  The ruts were so deep that the mud  was scrapping along the undercarriage of our car.  I tried to keep the speed up, fearing that if we stopped, we would become mired deep in the mud.  A little ahead of us, I saw a high spot that looked firm enough to support the weight of our car.  My plan was to get the car out of the mud and give us time to think. I turned sharply to the right and miraculously the car lunged up and out of the mud.

I turned off the car and climbed out to inspect our situation.  However, with the headlights off, I couldn’t see anything.  It was total darkness.  I turned the headlights back on, grabbed our flashlight, and climbed out of the car again.  After looking things over, I decided my best bet was to back slowly into an opening in the trees; and then, make a mad dash back out onto the forest road heading back up the same way we came in.

So, I backed as far into the forest as possible.  Outside the vehicle, my sweet Jenny held the flashlight and guided me as I backed up.  Once the car was in position, we climbed back in with the children.  I revved the engine a little, put it in gear, and lunged back onto the road …and, came to a full stop sinking even deeper into the mud. Now we were really in trouble.  Outside the car it was total darkness and raining.  Inside the car my wife and I sat with three terrified children (Note: I later learned that Jenny had recently read the story of Hansel and Gretel to the children).

Anyway, now we were seriously stuck in the mud, and I was out of ideas.  I turned Jenny and asked if she had any ideas.  After a brief moment, she said “Maybe we should pray?” Of course, that’s what we should do.  Why hadn’t I thought of that.  Amazingly, the children calmed down almost immediately. I offered a humble but desperate prayer for help.  As I prayed, a thought came clearly into my mind: “Put on the tire chains!”  I wasn’t even finished with my prayer yet, but I knew in my mind what I had to do!

Standing in 10 inches of mud in her Sunday dress, my dear wife stood in the pouring rain holding the flashlight.  In my best Sunday suit, I knelt in the cold mud, digging and clearing as much as I could with my bare hands from around the rear tires.  As best I could, I attached the chains on the rear wheels.  With faith and renewed confidence, we prayed again and then started the engine.  Slowly, the car began to move through the mud (trudge, trudge, trudge).  Slowly up the road we went and eventually back up and onto the roadway.  It was an exciting moment.  We were so relieved to be freed from the rain, the cold, and the muddy darkness.

In the excitement of being freed from the mud and the darkness, I almost forgot how we got out of the dark forest.  Our five-year-old daughter Heather reminded me when she said, “Daddy, Heavenly Father really does answer prayers, doesn’t He?”

(Note: An edited version of this article was published in the Ensign Magazine, April 2012 edition, page 73.)

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