Faith in Jesus Christ

[Tuly]

Some of my favorite chapters in the scriptures are found in Hebrews 11 and Ether 12. They are the faith scriptures . Both Moroni and Paul remind us through past incidents how the Lord saves us and blesses us by faith.

Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
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.

Ether 12: 5 And it came to pass that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they saw them not.
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.
7 For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world.
8 But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.
9 Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith.

I will now proceed to remind our family of how faith in Jesus Christ continues to be our strength and foundation in our lives. Obviously Moroni and Paul used prophets to remind them of faith. In all these cases there was much prayer and fasting before leaping towards faith. There are many more instances that I will add and you are welcome to add to this list.

It is by faith that my mother and I were converted in Arequipa, Peru to The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. We were the pioneers in the Arequipa , Peru Branch.

It is by faith that our little family of my mom, dad, Guido and I moved to Queens, NY and had the great opportunity to be pioneers in the Pan American Branch.


It is by faith that I went to BYU not really knowing what the west was like and that it would be such a cultural change for me, and was rewarded by meeting and getting sealed to my eternal companion.

It is by faith that John graduated from BYU, he being the first in his family to graduate from college.

It is by faith that we proceeded to be blessed with seven children that we yearned for from the day we were engaged.

It is by faith that we survived our six years in NY, in a one bedroom apartment with five children.

It is by faith that we moved to Mission Viejo, CA, without a job, a car , a home. Our ward members succored us.

It is by faith that we homeschooled all of our children and got to know them in a way we never thought would benefit our family.

It is by faith that mom had surgery to take a tumor out without insurance in 2010.

It is by faith that Dad is working as a professor in music at Saddleback College with a BA degree in Acting.

[Tuly]

I love this quote -

"Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light is discernible. Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it."
—Neil L. Andersen,
Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice - https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... e?lang=eng

[Ian]

perhaps the greatest statement of faith recorded in scripture was spoken by the brother of jared, immediately before he witnessed God: "we know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men."

mom lists blessings that were predicated on faith, but "look small" to our natural understanding. the only way to "know" the source of these blessings is by faith.

[Tuly]

I have been enjoying reading the Book of Mormon daily. I'm in the Enos chapter and have appreciated understanding the principle of faith in those verses.

4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.

6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.

7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?

8 And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.

So after much prayer and having a broken heart and a contrite spirit Enos exercised much faith in Christ and his sins were forgiven. Hence why faith is the first principle in the doctrine of Christ.

4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Having complete faith in Jesus Christ will make us whole. We turn to too many man made comforts and doctrines in our lives instead of applying faith in Jesus Christ - yes faith takes more work and it demands more of our relationship with Heavenly Father and His Son, nevertheless I promise you will never ever regret it. I love these verses in Enos.

11 And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith began to be unshaken in the Lord; and I prayed unto him with many long strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites.

12 And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith.

[Tuly]

I understand more the importance of faith in Jesus Christ to help us understand the atonement. In Mosiah chapter 3:2-23 , King Benjamin talks about an angel appearing to him and talks to him about Jesus Christ. This is a sampling of the angles words. King Benjamin also is an example of pure faith in Jesus Christ

3 And he said unto me: Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy.

4 For the Lord hath heard thy prayers, and hath judged of thy righteousness, and hath sent me to declare unto thee that thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people, that they may also be filled with joy.

5 For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.

6 And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men.
7 And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.

8 And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.

9 And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him.

10 And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men.

11 For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned.

[Tuly]

This post could go here and in the Book of Mormon thread. What the Book of Mormon Teaches about the Love of God - Ensign October 2011 - Elder Neil L. Andersen

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2011/10/what ... d?lang=eng

The Book of Mormon teaches that exercising faith in Christ and entering into a covenant with Him to keep His commandments is the key to being reborn spiritually. To Book of Mormon people who had made such a covenant, King Benjamin remarked, “And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters” (Mosiah 5:7).

[Tuly]

With all the evil and violence we are witnessing these latter days. My hope and prayer is that we (our family) will be first and above all, strengthening our faith in Jesus Christ. Anger over unresolved world issues will bring only heartache and a barrier with those who don't agree with us , I know this from personal experience. Possibly trust me on this one. Possibly don't repeat my same mistakes. If we feel the need to be healed from witnessing these terrible acts of violence, please read Elder Richard Scott's wisdom in healing. To Be Healed - Elder Richard G. Scott - General Conference April 1994 - https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... d?lang=eng

Challenge comes as testing from a wise, knowing Father to give experience, that we may be seasoned, mature, and grow in understanding and application of His truths. When you are worthy, a challenge becomes a contribution to growth, not a barrier to it. Yet no matter what the source of difficulty and no matter how you begin to obtain relief—through a qualified professional therapist, doctor, priesthood leader, friend, concerned parent, or loved one—no matter how you begin, those solutions will never provide a complete answer. The final healing comes through faith in Jesus Christ and His teachings, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and obedience to His commandments. That is why human reaction to challenge in life that engenders hatred, despondency, distrust, anger, or revenge must be supplanted by the tender mercies of a loving Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son.

When anguish comes from evil acts of others, there should be punishment and corrective action taken, but the offended is not the one to initiate that action. Leave it to others who have that responsibility. Learn to forgive; though terribly hard, it will release you and open the way to a newness of life. Time devoted by one injured to ensure the offender is punished is time wasted in the healing process.

In summary, do what you can do a step at a time. Seek to understand the principles of healing from the scriptures and through prayer. Help others. Forgive. “Submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.” Above all, exercise faith in Jesus Christ.

I testify that the surest, most effective, and shortest path to healing comes through application of the teachings of Jesus Christ in your life. It begins with an understanding of and appreciation for the principles of moral agency and the atonement of Jesus Christ. It leads to faith in Him and obedience to His commandments, and that brings healing.

[Betsy]

My approach to the increasing world violence is a combination of increased faith in Christ (first!) AND a proactive spirit in government, which is another one of God's gifts to us. I have not made it a point to lose relationships over political issues, and even in the times that I have been angry and sad, I allow myself to feel these healthy emotions to motivate me to act. I have great hope for progress in the world, especially since all it takes is a majority vote for many acts of legislation to pass. Mom, it was never a mistake for you to have feelings. Faith exists to heal us from the hurt that will inevitably come. Do not be afraid of what the spirit motivates you to do in response to the world's problems. We all play a part, big or small, in the way our country handles its problems. God will never inspire us to sit idly by while the world rots into chaos.

[Ian]

faith is intertwined with hope. but what kind of hope? elder maxwell contrasted "proximate" hope with "real" hope. hope in gun control is proximate hope. hope in eternal life is real hope. moroni wrote: "what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise."

Life's disappointments often represent the debris of our failed, proximate hopes.... because proximate hopes are so vulnerable to irony and the unexpected, there is an increasing and profound sense of existential despair in the world. A grumpy cynicism now pervades politics. Many feel burdened by society’s other accumulating anxieties.... Real hope inspires quiet Christian service, not flashy public fanaticism.... The truly hopeful, for instance, work amid surrounding decay at having strong and happy families. Their response is the steady, Joshua response: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, October 1998 General Conference

[Betsy]

Real hope does not inspire flashy public fanaticism, but diligent obedience to the laws of the land, and thoughtful public and private activity.

[Steve]

Betsy: ...even in the times that I have been angry and sad, I allow myself to feel these healthy emotions to motivate me to act.

There are some practical principles that enhance revelation. First, yielding to emotions such as anger or hurt or defensiveness will drive away the Holy Ghost. Those emotions must be eliminated, or our chance for receiving revelation is slight.

(Elder Richard G. Scott, How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life, April 2012 General Conference) ↗

[Betsy]

Good grief Steve! I can not catch a break from you!

[Steve]

Sorry, Betsy! I'm just posting the words of apostles. Is he wrong? You talk about wanting to be inspired to take the appropriate actions, and Elder Scott suggests that you'll need to avoid driving away the Holy Ghost in order to receive revelation for these things. Part of that includes eliminating anger, hurt, or defensiveness. Hope that helps!

[Ian]

“healthy emotions to motivate” seems like psychobabble to me. real motivation is generated by faith (along with hope and charity).

If men were duly to consider themselves, and turn their thoughts and reflections to the operations of their own minds, they would readily discover that it is faith, and faith only, which is the moving cause of all action, in them; that without it, both mind and body, would be in a state of inactivity, and all their exertions would cease, both physical and mental.

Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith, 1.10

When I discuss faith, I do not mean it in an abstract sense. I mean it as a living, vital force with recognition of God as our Father and Jesus Christ as our Savior. When we accept this basic premise, there will come an acceptance of their teachings and an obedience which will bring peace and joy in this life and exaltation in the life to come.

Faith is not a theological platitude. It is a fact of life. Faith can become the very wellspring of purposeful living. There is no more compelling motivation to worthwhile endeavor than the knowledge that we are children of God, the Creator of the universe, our all-wise Heavenly Father!

President Gordon B. Hinckley, “With All Thy Getting Get Understanding”, August 1988 Ensign

[Betsy]

No, I'm sorry, it does not help. Just knowing that you actively scanned my post for something to disagree with, searched on LDS.org to find something - anything - that would invalidate my feelings, and then make a vain attempt an an appeal to authority, is just so unproductive and pointed. I simply do not understand this great need to shut down every single thought I have. Elder Scott's advice would actually be better suited to a gun rights activist (or a person who believes that fire should be fought with more fire), not a pacifist like me. My emotions surrounding tragedy are human and natural and I KNOW that if I were to suppress them then it would do unspeakable damage to my spirit. When I am angry, I will say I'm angry. When I'm sad, I will say I'm sad. Then I do something productive that builds instead of destroys.

I thought this was basic knowledge. Have we become so far gone that we need to over-analyze sadness: the most universal human experience? What is going on?