Receiving Revelation

How grateful I am for the ability that we have to receive personal revelation from our Father in Heaven, specific to our needs. In the Bible Dictionary we learn the following about revelation.

“Divine revelation is one of the grandest concepts and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for without it, man could not know of the things of God and could not be saved with any degree of salvation in the eternities. Continuous revelation from God to His Saints…makes possible daily guidance along true paths and leads the faithful soul to complete and eternal salvation in the celestial kingdom. The principle of gaining knowledge by revelation…also consists of individual guidance for every person who seeks for it and follows the prescribed course of faith, repentance, and obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. ‘The Holy Ghost is a revelator,’ said Joseph Smith, and ‘no man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations’. Without revelation, all would be guesswork, darkness, and confusion” (link to definition).

Why would our Father in Heaven grant us access to such a great blessing? To me it is a testimony of His love for, and trust in, us. To receive revelation we must have faith—believe that we can receive it; repent—to open the channels to heaven; and be obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the Book of Mormon, Lehi and his family have followed revelation—from Lehi for his family—and moved from Jerusalem into the wilderness. Responding to revelation requires faith—great faith at times. Lehi then receives further revelation that requires his four sons to go back to Jerusalem to obtain sacred scripture. They do so and, in the process, bring back Zoram, Laban’s servant (see 1 Nephi 4:30-37).

Zoram was taken from his home, and all he knew, in response to someone else acting on revelation received from the prophet. What a challenge that must have been for him! I like how David Paxman gives this insight,

“He [Zoram] could see God’s providence or man’s manipulation. In conditions not of his choosing, he had to decide how to view himself and whether to nurse a justifiable grievance. He had to choose among the competing truths by which he could interpret his life. He had to decide whether to exercise faith and, in so doing, see his difficult, even unfair, circumstances as the very means by which God would bless him if he acted right. He had to decide whether to obey a commandment of God that at the time could be read as inappropriate and even unbelievable. His choice would influence his posterity far into the future. And he had to do all this without fully understanding the situation.” (link to talk).

One may look at the Lord sending Lehi’s sons back to Jerusalem and see error in His ways. Maybe he was forgetful of a few details—He could have easily had them grab the plates while they were living in Jerusalem, and spare them the extra traveling. I feel, however, that all of this was forseen by our Omniscient Lord, and was to be used as a test of faith for Lehi’s sons; similar to the a “Zion’s Camp” experience:

“Zion’s Camp chastened, polished, and spiritually refined many of the Lord’s servants. The observant and dedicated received invaluable practical training and spiritual experience that served them well in later struggles for the Church. The hardships and challenges experienced over its thousand miles provided invaluable training for [early leaders of the Church]. When a skeptic asked what he had gained from his journey, Brigham Young promptly replied, ‘I would not exchange the knowledge I have received this season for the whole of Geauga County.’” (link to lesson).

We know Laman and Lemuel’s response; “[they] murmur, saying it is a hard thing which [Lehi has] required of them” (1 Nephi 3:5). Nephi understanding that Lehi has received revelation from the Lord tells his father that he will do all the Lord commands, for he knows the Lord will prepare a way (see 1 Nephi 3:7). W. Vincent Wilding said the following about Nephi’s response:

“This  is a remarkable answer, and it warrants closer consideration. Where did Nephi come by this answer? Was he simply saying what he thought his father wanted to hear? Or, perhaps, was he merely repeating something that he had heard his father say? Most certainly not (for both questions). Nephi was a young man...,and he had undoubtedly already faced challenges through which he had experienced the Lord preparing a way for him to accomplish what was commanded. Nephi’s faith-filled response flowed from his own experience in relying on the Lord….

“Further in Nephi’s account, we see that after a failed attempt to get the plates, Nephi’s older brothers were ready to admit defeat and return to their camp in the wilderness. Nephi succeeded in convincing them to try again. This second attempt, in which the family’s wealth was offered to Laban, also failed, and Nephi’s older brothers were angry and started to take it out on Nephi and Sam. An angel of the Lord intervened, yet the older brothers murmured, asking, ‘How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands?’. Nephi counseled, ‘Let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?’” (link to talk).

The Lord could have made things work the first time, but I think He wanted Lehi and his sons not to have any doubt that it was the Lord who was directing this work. Nephi, already receptive to the Spirit, was able to gain greater faith and a greater witness of the Lord’s hand in his life as he was obedient and followed the revelation received by his father.

Throughout our lives the Lord will allow us opportunities to learn to trust in Him. He is looking for those who are committed to follow Him in order to move His work forward. With a word He could command destroying angels to wipe out all obstacles we may face, but to what avail? We will face trial and tribulation and by so doing it have the opportunity to increase our faith and trust in Him. We know that God’s word “shall all be fulfilled” (Doctrine & Covenants 1:38), that, “no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing” (History of the Church, 4:540), and “with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). The question to ask ourselves is whether or not we will be willing to assist Him in this work.

However, as Larry M. Gibson taught,

“We cannot accomplish this work without revelation from God…

“The Holy Ghost is necessary for revelation, and revelation is necessary for Father’s plan to be fulfilled for us. Having this divine companion bestowed upon us is not enough. We must learn to retain the Holy Ghost, rely on Him, and appropriately respond to His promptings” (link to article).

Learning how the Holy Ghost speaks to us individually is one of the great keys to receiving personal revelation. Some people may feel a burning in the bosom, others may have thoughts or ideas that come to their mind, and still others may have an over-abiding sense of peace. In the process of learning to recognize the Holy Ghost we have been counseled to search the scriptures, pray, take time to ponder, and record the thoughts and impressions that come to our minds. Elder Richard G. Scott gave further insight into the steps that he takes when trying to receive revelation, when he taught:

“We receive help from, our Father in Heaven in response to our faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency.

“One of the great lessons that each of us needs to learn is to ask. Why does the Lord want us to pray to Him and to ask? Because that is how revelation is received.

“When I am faced with a very difficult matter, this is how I try to understand what to do. I fast. I pray to find and understand scriptures that will be helpful. That process is cyclical. I start reading a passage of scripture; I ponder what the verse means and pray for inspiration. I then ponder and pray to know if I have captured all the Lord wants me to do. Often more impressions come with increased understanding of doctrine….

“One must be ever mentally and physically clean and have purity of intent so that the Lord can inspire. One who is obedient to His commandments is trusted of the Lord. That individual has success to His inspiration to know what to do and, as needed, the divine power to do it” (Richard G. Scott, 21 Principles: Divine Truths to Help you Live by the Spirit, p9-10).

Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught the following about the link between obedience and receiving revelation:

“In the final and all-comprehensive sense, the sole and only way to find and know God is to keep his commandments. As a result of such a course, knowledge and revelation will come in one way or another until man knows his Maker. The more obedient a person is, the clearer his views become, the nearer he approaches his God, and the more he comes to know those holy Beings whom to know is eternal life” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah, p18).

Our goal, in receiving revelation, is to come to know God and His plan for us in this life. By following the inspiration we receive we can know how we, and those over whom we have stewardship, can return back to His presence eternally.

At times we may receive revelation about something and may follow it thinking that we know what the end result will be. Things don’t always turn out as we expect. Let me share an example.

A while back I had a strong impression that it was time for my husband and I to look for a new job in a different state. When I talked to my husband he said he had similar feelings. We acted on those impressions and shortly thereafter had a job offer out-of-state. While talking and praying about whether or not to accept the job we felt that we should turn it down. We were both surprised, but followed that feeling. Once we turned the job down, however, the feeling we had of looking for a job completely vanished.

I talked to my husband about this—because the impression I had about moving had been stronger than any I could ever remember. He explained that sometimes the Lord may prompt you to go to the shed in your backyard. You stand up, go outside, and are instructed to go in a different direction. The Lord didn’t need you to go to the shed, He just needed you to be outside.

The Lord works in mysterious ways, but looking back on this experience both my husband and myself have found that we grew tremendously. It gave us a greater perspective on where we are right now, and how we can improve. It has been a great blessing to us.

As we attempt to learn how to receive revelation, we have been counseled to write down our impressions. I have a notebook where I write down questions that I have, so that I can remember them and refer to them when I say my prayers. I also write down the impressions I receive so that I can refer back to them.

I remember learning how our Stake President prepared himself for revelation–specifically for General Conference, in this case. He told us that he would write down any questions he had, and then pay close attention to the songs, music, and prayers. He said, “I had 37 questions, and 37 answers” by the end of General Conference.

Writing down thoughts and impressions can provide us an even greater benefit, as Elder Richard G. Scott taught,

“It is through the repeated process of feeling impressions, recording them, and obeying them that one learns to depend on the direction of the Spirit more than on communication through the five senses” (link to manual).

In order to receive revelation we need to use our agency to ask the Lord for the help or guidance that we need or desire. President Lorenzo Snow taught how we can prepare ourselves to receive revelation. He was specifically referring to General Conference, but I think the principle can be applied to finding answers anywhere:

“You should ask the Lord to let [the speakers] say something that you want to know, that they may suggest something to you that will be of some advantage. If you have any desire to know certain matters that you do not understand, pray that [they] may say something that shall enlighten your mind in reference to that which troubles you” (link to talk).

May we recognize the vast reservoir of help, knowledge, inspiration, and love that steadily flows to us down from heaven. As President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught, “Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt, and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us” (link to talk).

May we do all in our power to have faith that our Father in Heaven loves us, repent so that we may have the guidance of the Holy Ghost in our lives, and be obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we do so, the inspiration falling from heaven can help lead us more powerfully than ever to our Savior.

For more on the topic of Revelation see:

“Continuing Revelation” (Henry B. Eyring, Oct 2014)

Simply Deciding to Follow Jesus Christ

Making decisions is a part of life. Throughout life, and in the scriptures, we find many different people who face challenges and temptations—some that seem easy to overcome and others that are not so easy. It seems that determining in advance what your decision will be in any outcome makes the decision-making process, in the moment, simple—but, simple doesn’t always mean easy.

The word “simple” has a few definitions including: easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty; straightforward; uncomplicated; effortless and painless. The other definition, that I want to refer to, is: composed of a single element, pure, single, not elaborate or artificial (see definition).

In the Bible we read about Joseph—a man who had a lot of trials, and hence, a lot of decisions to make. His brothers hated him and sold him into slavery, he was bought by a man named Potiphar who eventually made Joseph a ruler in his house. At one point Joseph is approached by Potiphar’s wife.

“And it came to pass…that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

“But he refused, and said…how…can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:7-9).

In his mind he had decided that he would put the Lord first, above all else. The decision to refuse his employer’s wife was already made, despite the fact that he was putting his own position at stake.

“And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her” (Genesis 39:10). Then, one day, when all the men of the house were gone, “she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out” (Genesis 39:12).

It reminds me of an old adage, “when the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past.” Joseph did not have to decide in the moment how he would respond but acted on the decision he had previously made.

Where do we each stand on decisions of chastity, or any other commandment for that matter? What covenants have we made? If we have never thought about how we would handle different situations, now is the time to stop and decide. Elaine S. Dalton shared the following example from her life,

“When I was a young woman, I learned that some decisions need to be made only once. I wrote my list of things I would always do and things I would never do in a small tablet. It included things like obeying the Word of Wisdom, praying daily, paying my tithing, and committing to never miss church. I made those decisions once, and then in the moment of decision, I knew exactly what to do because I had decided beforehand. When my high school friends said, ‘Just one drink won’t hurt,’ I laughed and said, ‘I decided when I was 12 not to do that’” (link to talk).

Have we decided whether or not we will fully, and completely, follow the Savior throughout our lives? Are we acting in accordance with those decisions?

In the New Testament Jesus calls His apostles, and I find it rather telling about them by how quickly they followed when He called.

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

“And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

“And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

“And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-22).

These men had probably been learning of the coming of a Messiah throughout their lives. They had probably studied the scriptures to know how to recognize Him when He came. If they had taken the time to spiritually prepare themselves for His coming, and were waiting patiently for that day, then their decision to leave their nets isn’t quite as abrupt as it might originally seem.

When we have our lives focused on the Savior the decisions can be so simple. It is when our eyes stray, or we lose focus, or our lives become cumbered, that making decisions becomes more difficult. When in a situation that we are not prepared for we have many influences that may affect what we do in the moment: the expectations of others, our own inadequacies, our desire to fit in, or numerous other factors. But, if we have our “eye single to the glory of God” (Doctrine & Covenants 4:5) then the decision is clear.

I love Elder M. Russell Ballard’s counsel about keeping our eyes focused on the Lord, and on His chosen leaders. He was specifically speaking to mission presidents, but I have adjusted it a little because I feel that these same principles can be applied in our own lives and homes.

“'Keep [your] eyes…on the leaders of the Church.…We will not and…cannot lead [you] astray.

“And as you teach your [families] to focus their eyes on us, teach them to never follow those who think they know more about how to administer the affairs of the Church than…Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ do’ through the priesthood leaders who have the keys to preside.

“I have discovered in my ministry that those who have become lost [and] confused are typically those who have most often…forgotten that when the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve speak with a united voice, it is the voice of the Lord for that time. The Lord reminds us, ‘Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same’” (link totalk).

In looking for ways to keep our eyes focused on the Lord, another thing we can do is to take time to evaluate our lives. Where is it that we want to end up? We can then determine the path necessary to get there, and then make the decisions that will lead us where we want to be. If our end goal is to live with our Heavenly Father, then we can use the resources that He has given us to help us along the path such as, prayer, scripture study, temple attendance, and obedience to His commandments. 

Prayer

When we pray, we can come to know our Father in Heaven and His plan for us. We can approach Him with our hopes, and dreams, our fears and sorrows, our achievements and weaknesses. We can receive guidance in knowing how to get to where He knows we can be. 

We must first, however, decide that we will pray sincerely, and humbly, every morning and night no matter the hour or our circumstances. By doing so we can gain the spiritual strength needed to face the challenges of this life.

Scripture Study

If we want to get nearer to God, we need to decide now that we will read His holy writ, and apply it in our lives. As we study the scriptures we can try to emulate the values, virtues, and principles we read about. Elder Russell M. Nelson taught,

“Nephi said, ‘I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.’ He was advising us to weave the fiber of scriptural wisdom into the fabric of our own being” (Russell M. Nelson, The Power Within Us, p29).

Temple Attendance

When we attend the temple we make covenants with the Lord—covenants that can empower and protect us. Nephi saw our day, and the blessings that come to those who keep their covenants:

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Nephi 14:14).

Obedience

By deciding that we will always be obedient we can have the guidance of the Holy Ghost to strengthen, and remind, us during those times when it may be hard to do so. I have an example that might seem a little silly, but I feel that it illustrates the point.

A while back I determined that getting up early to exercise would work best with my circumstances and schedule. I set my alarm, and in the beginning it was challenging to get out of bed. As I lay there, thinking of how nice it would be to have just a few more minutes of sleep, I would get a gentle reminder—I had decided to exercise and to do so would need to get out of bed. Some days it was really hard and I would ignore the feeling and hit the snooze button. However, being determined to stick to my goal I got to the point where getting up became more of a habit, than a daily decision that I had to make.

So it is with the commandments. If we are just starting to be obedient we may get a lot of opposition—from within and without. As President Henry B. Eyring stated, “In the short run, there will be troubles and Satan will roar” (link to talk). But, as we listen to the promptings of the Spirit we can be helped to make our goals become habits. We just need to decide that we will act when we receive those spiritual reminders.

One thing that I need to remember now is to get to bed earlier, so that I can keep my goal of getting up early to exercise—otherwise I am technically only keeping half of my goal. So it is with the commandments. We need to decide that we will keep ALL the commandments, not just a selective few. Elder Russel M. Nelson taught,

“Teach of faith to keep all the commandments of God, knowing that they are given to bless His children and bring them joy. Warn them that they will encounter people who pick which commandments they will keep and ignore others that they choose to break. I call this the cafeteria approach to obedience. This practice of picking and choosing will not work. It will lead to misery. To prepare to meet God, one keeps all of His commandments. It takes faith to obey them, and keeping His commandments will strengthen that faith” (link to talk).

As we are obedient to the commandments the Lord has given to us we will be greatly blessed in all aspects of our lives. Elder Koichi Aoyagi reminded us, “when we rely on the Lord and keep His commandments, He helps us accomplish things we could not otherwise accomplish” (link to article).

We must have the faith to decide, and then continue in faith and patience as we endure to the end. However, despite whatever challenges we face we will not be left alone. President Ezra Taft Benson taught,

“We will all have disappointments and discouragements—that is part of life. But if we will have faith, our setbacks will be but a moment and success will come out of our seeming failures. Our Heavenly Father can accomplish miracles through each of us if we will but place our confidence and trust in Him” (link to manual).

While thinking of those who decide to follow the Lord, I was reminded of the scripture where Alma says,

“Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people… if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him” (Mosiah 18: 8, 10).

Entering into a covenant with the Lord is like coming into the fold of God. Along those lines I was impressed by an article that I read in the Ensign about sheepfolds.

“[A sheepfold is] a simple pen [or] walled enclosure…[made of] stones, usually with thorny brush often placed into the top of the walls….

“In Israel, wolves, hyenas, panthers, and jackals are among predators that would target sheep…

“A shepherd led his sheep to food and water during the day and back to the fold at night. The shepherd would count the sheep as they returned, searching for strays if any were missing. He would then lie in the doorway of the fold to protect them” (link to article).

A shepherd is one who would fight wild animals in an attempt to protect his flock, and if necessary he would die in the process. In a like manner, the Good Shepherd will lead us to living water, and will protect us as we stay in His fold. He gave His life for us that we may return to Him, if we will repent and be obedient. Whether or not we decide to stay in His fold is our decision.

Elder Dale G. Renlund taught,

“Obedience is our choice. The Savior made this clear. As stated in the Joseph Smith Translation of Luke 14:28, Jesus directed, ‘Wherefore, settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you.’

"It is that simple. Settle it. Decide now to be exactly obedient. As we do so, our spiritual stability will be greatly enhanced. We will avoid squandering God-given resources and making unproductive and destructive detours in our lives” (link to talk).

It is only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that all mankind may be saved, and only by our obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel (see Articles of Faith 1:3). May we decide to use the resources—including prayer, scriptures, temples, and obedience—that have been provided for us by the Lord to gain “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (Doctrine & Covenants 59:23). Now is the time to decide.

Building Faith in Jesus Christ

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe that “Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ” (Articles of Faith 1:1) is the first principle of the gospel. It is a foundation we must have in order to progress spiritually. Sheri L. Dew, former counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency taught, “There is nothing more important than actually knowing what we believe and what the gospel of Christ entails” (Sheri Dew, God Wants a Powerful People, p83-84).

With such a crucial foundation needed, what then is faith, and how can we obtain it?

Faith has been described in many ways. Faith is having an assurance (or promise) that there are things we cannot see that really do exist.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews11:1).

“that is, it is the assurance we have of the existence of unseen things” (Lectures on Faith, p10).

In other words faith is believing in something that exists that we can’t see with our natural eyes.

Faith has also been described as a power, and many examples of the power of faith can be found in the scriptures.

“It was by faith that the worlds were framed. God spake, chaos heard, and worlds came into order by reason of the faith there was in Him. So with man also; he spake by faith in the name of God, and the sun stood still, the moon obeyed, mountains removed, prisons fell, lions’ mouths were closed, the human heart lost its enmity, fire its violence, armies their power, the sword its terror, and death its dominion; and all this by reason of the faith which was in him…Faith…is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things” (Lectures on Faith, p9-10).

“Faith is of itself a principle of power; and by its presence or absence, by its fullness or paucity, even the Lord was and is influenced, and in great measure controlled, in the bestowal or withholding of blessings” (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p296).

Faith is also a principle of action—to access the power of faith we need to act. As we act in faith the Holy Ghost can bear witness to us of the truth; and thus we can have the glowing embers of what is known as a testimony.

Faith seems to come so easily to some, but seems so difficult for others to obtain. To me it makes sense—if there is such great power that comes from faith, wouldn’t this be a prime target of the adversary?

In the Book of Mormon we read about the threat that faith poses to the adversary and his kingdom. Captain Moroni was,

“a man who was firm in the faith of Christ…

“Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.

“Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God” (Alma 48:13, 17-18).

Men and women of God who have faith can shake “the very powers of hell”. If this is the case I think that the adversary would do all in his power to minimize the importance of faith, or try to cause confusion in how to obtain it, or attempt to convince us that the simple steps the Lord requires to obtain faith will never get us there, that we don't have the time to put forth the effort, or trying to deceive us by saying “something that powerful could never be obtained by man”. But, he is a liar (see Moses 4:4). I love how President Ezra Taft Benson shows the stark difference between our adversary and our Father in Heaven:

“Your Father in heaven is mindful of you. He has given you commandments to guide you, to discipline you. He has also given you your agency—freedom of choice—‘to see if [you] will do all things whatsoever [He] shall command.’…

“Satan is also mindful of you. He is committed to your destruction. He does not discipline you with commandments, but offers instead a freedom to ‘do your own thing.’ … Satan’s program is ‘play now and pay later.’ He seeks for all to be miserable like unto himself. The Lord’s program is happiness now and joy forever through gospel living” (link to lesson).

If we want to gain faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the first step is to desire it. You have to want faith before you will ever find it. In Alma we read that the Lord works according to our desires,

“for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction” (Alma 29:4).

Jerald B. Johnson, in a BYU Devotional, stated, “What we righteously desire, we usually get. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true; what we unrighteously desire, we also usually get” (link to talk). To clarify the word desire Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained,

“Desire denotes a real longing or craving. Hence righteous desires are much more than passive preferences or fleeting feelings….

“Therefore, what we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive” (link to talk).

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said it this way,

“Those who do not wish to learn and change probably will not and most likely will begin to wonder whether the Church has anything to offer them.

“But those who want to improve and progress, those who learn of the Savior and desire to be like Him, those who humble themselves as a little child and seek to bring their thoughts and actions into harmony with our Father in Heaven—they will experience the miracle of the Savior’s Atonement. They will surely feel God’s resplendent Spirit. They will taste the indescribable joy that is the fruit of a meek and humble heart. They will be blessed with the desire and discipline to become true disciples of Jesus Christ” (link to talk).

What we desire, and are willing to work toward, we will most likely receive.

In Alma we learn that “even if ye can no more than desire to believe” (Alma 32:27) that is a good start. Alma teaches that the word of God is like a seed and “if ye will nourish the word” (Alma 32:41) it will bring forth fruit.

How exactly do you nourish a word? I had to stop and think about that one.

The word nourish has a few meanings including, to sustain with food, or whatever substance is needed for life, health and growth, but also “to strengthen [or] build up” (see definition). If we want to nourish the word, we need to take the words—or the teachings and impressions that we have received—and do what it takes to see if they will grow. We know that, “if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away” (Alma 32:32).

To make something grow takes time and effort—a tree doesn’t grow in a day. Just as plants need the right mixture of air, water, and sunlight, we need to give our faith (or desire to believe) the right nutrients. The Lord has outlined the steps we need to take for our faith to grow. As we follow the Lord’s plan (and not our own variation of that plan) we will discover for ourselves whether the word is good or not.

Building faith shouldn’t be approached like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. I am sure it was a whole lot easier to dig a foundation in sand than it was to dig a foundation in solid rock, but the outcome of the wise man was worth the extra time and effort he spent (see Matthew 7:24-27).

Building faith is a goal for the eternities. It is something that will take diligence and effort on our part. Desiring to gain faith—perhaps even like that of Moses, Elijah, or the sons of Mosiah—will take the desire and obedience that they demonstrated. This leads us to our next step.

The second step to gaining faith is our own personal preparation.

Oliver Cowdery had a righteous desire, but didn’t do all that was required. The Lord taught,

“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” (Doctrine & Covenants 9:7).

Nephi, on the other hand, “was desirous also that [he] might see, and hear, and know of these things” (1 Nephi 10:17). He then describes the process he used to obtain it:

“For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord” (1 Nephi 11:1,emphasis added).

Nephi prepared himself by taking the time to think about those things he desired. He  then knew what he was searching for, and he trusted in the Lord to guide him.

Joseph Smith desired to know which church to join. He recounts, “During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection” (Joseph Smith History 1:8). It was while he was “in the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions…[and] laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists” (Joseph Smith History 1:10-11) that he turned to the scriptures for guidance. He read James 1:5, the spirit caused him to stop and "[reflect] on it again and again” (Joseph Smith History 1:12). It wasn’t a quick thing, but “at length [he] came to the conclusion to ‘ask of God’” (Joseph Smith History 1:13). Elder Craig C. Christensen said,

“[Joseph Smith] acted for himself to find an answer. On a beautiful morning in the spring of 1820, he entered a grove of trees and knelt in prayer. Because of his faith and because God had a special work for him to do, Joseph received a glorious vision of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and learned for himself what he was to do” (link to talk).

Preparing ourselves spiritually will become a priority in our lives as we nourish the great desire we have to know the truth of these things for ourselves (see Alma 5:45-46). Sheri Dew taught that those who desire to develop faith are those who diligently seek Him. We can become true followers of Christ as we prepare ourselves by following the steps the Lord has outlined. Sheri Dew explains,

“True Followers pray. They have some kind of regular pattern of scripture study. They don’t ‘find time’ to go to the temple, they set it as a priority first and work other things around it. They welcome the opportunity to fast as a regular way of humbling themselves, putting God first, seeking answers to prayers, and strengthening their connection to the Lord. They do these things not to check them off some kind of forced obedience checklist, but because they have learned to find answers and peace in the temple, in the scriptures, and through prayer and fasting—and these elements of devotion are woven into the fabric of their daily life rather than something done on Sunday or sporadically as needed” (Sheri Dew, God Wants a Powerful People, p181).

These elements are the same ones that Alma and the sons of Mosiah followed. We learn that,

“they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.

“But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God” (Alma 17:2-3, emphasis added).

Prayer, scripture study, and fasting are key elements to obtaining faith.

Another key element of faith was shown by the 2000 stripling warriors, that fought with Helaman. He recorded “Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.” (Alma 57:27, emphasis added). Along those lines, David F. Evans said the following,

“So it must be with us. In life it is when the rains descend and the floods come and the winds blow and beat upon us and on our house that we determine whether our faith is strong and whether we put our trust in God continually. There simply is no test until there is adversity” (link to talk).

Elder David S. Baxter reminds us,

“life’s challenges befell the wise man too. The rains fell, the winds blew, the floods rose up. Yet he survived it all because he had built upon a sure foundation and, crucially, he stayed there when the storm came” (link to talk).

We build our faith when the sun shines, but we won’t know the true strength of our faith until the wind blows and the rains fall.

We will all struggle in this life because we are here on earth to learn. We will all make mistakes, be we are not left alone to flounder. We can have faith (and believe) that Jesus Christ died for us—and all our sins. I love how Dan Clark, in a BYU Devotional, explained it,

“because we are all human and are susceptible to the temptations of the world, God did not leave us on our own to face our challenges….

“Because Heavenly Father knew our agency would get us into trouble when we don’t follow our conscience, John 3:16 beautifully states: ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’

“I testify that Jesus is the Christ and that He died on the cross….I know He lives and was resurrected, which guarantees our immortality….

“Because of the infinite Atonement, the Lord is not disappointed when you fall or transgress. The Lord is only disappointed when you don’t learn the lesson and get back up and go again. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is continuous and real, which means that pain is a signal to grow, not to suffer. And once you learn the lesson the pain is teaching you, the pain goes away. In life there are no mistakes, only lessons” (link to talk).

If you can only hope to believe that there is a God who loves you, or that you have an eternally loving Savior who really died for you, hold onto that thought. Let those words work within you. Then, as you take the steps necessary to nourish that word, faith will come. It may take time, but it will come.