Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

The topic of faith has been on my mind lately, and I started thinking about what it is, how we can develop it, and how we can act in faith. 


What is Faith?
In the scriptures we read that the first principle of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is, "faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" (Article of Faith 1:4).

Other scriptural definitions of faith include:

“I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen” (Ether 12:6).

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

I have also heard of faith being defined as believing in something that we can not see that is true. 

What faith is not is really, really hoping that something will happen, and that through the strength of our will power we can make it happen.

If we substitute the greek translation of substance with “assurance”, and evidence with “proof” in the scripture from Hebrews 11:1, we see that faith is the proof of things which we hope for, that are not seen, with the assurance that they are true (see Hebrews 11:1 footnotes 1b and 1d). The key word I want to point out is "assurance", and that assurance can only come from the Holy Ghost. 

Webster's Thesaurus explains that assurance is "a state of mind in which one is free from doubt" (Merriam-Webster.com: assurance). In my own life I have felt that assurance for brief moments while other times it seems to last longer. We have been counseled to write down spiritual impressions, and it might be because we may sometimes forget the assurance we once felt. Having it written down allows us to go back to it and reaffirm that assurance.


How Do We Develop Our Faith in Jesus Christ?

This brings us to the question of how to develop our faith, and I want to specifically think about faith in Jesus Christ; because that is where the power of faith germinates. As Sheri Dew wrote, “It is our willingness to believe in the Savior…that unleashes His power in our lives” (Sheri L. Dew, “God Wants a Powerful People”, p 178).

However, as with anything else of great worth, there is no shortcut to developing our faith.

Elder Robert D. Hales taught:

"Our society has developed a shortcut mentality. In a day of instant oatmeal, instant messaging, and instant credit, far too many have come to expect instant gratification in everything....The truth is that we cannot receive the greatest blessings Heavenly Father has in store for us without developing the patience and faith to wait....We wait upon the Lord when we walk in faith with a humble expectation that His promises are sure. We also wait upon the Lord when we obey a commandment before completely understanding the rationale behind it....There are no shortcuts to becoming powerful servants of the Lord. We must do it, with the Lord's help, in the practice of prayer and fasting, of scripture study and gospel living" (Robert D. Hales, "Return", p 204-205, 211).

If we look to the story of Nephi, in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, we find many examples of faith. In the first part of the story, while living in Jerusalem, the Lord asks Lehi (Nephi's father) to take his family, leave everything behind except what they will need to survive, and flee into the wilderness (see 1 Nephi 2:2-4). We learn a little later that Nephi may not have been as eager to leave as one might think, especially from the faith-filled stories that fill his record. He shares, "I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers" (1 Nephi 2:16, emphasis added). Nephi might have struggled with this decision, but he turned to the Lord for guidance. He had faith in the Lord, and he showed his faith by his action to follow his father -- uncomplainingly -- into the unknown wilderness.

There was a time in my life where things were very hard. There were several challenges that all seemed to come at once, and they seemed to never end. During this time I felt that the Lord was trying to teach me something, but I didn't know exactly what. I was trying to be patient, but it was really hard. I remember opening my scriptures to where I had been reading about the people of King Limhi, who were in bondage to the Lamanites. The verse that struck me at this time in my life is when King Limhi is speaking to his people and says, 

"But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage" (Mosiah 7:33). 

It was then that I realized that the Lord could deliver me out of the bondage I felt myself in, if I would turn more fully to him and put my trust in him. As I did that, the challenges didn't go away. It still took several years. But looking back now, I see the spiritual growth that I gained from turning to the Lord during those hard times.

We, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have been taught of the increased need for faith in these final days before the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

In 2011, President Russell M. Nelson prophesied of this need when he said, 

"Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord 'shall suffer persecution'" (Russell M. Nelson, "Face the Future With Faith", General Conference, April 2011).

In 2017, Robert D. Hales counseled, "The constellation of characteristics that result from faith in Christ...are all necessary to our standing strong in these last days" (Robert D. Hales, "Becoming a Disciple of Our Lord Jesus Christ, General Conference, April 2017).

In 2018 President Nelson prophesied, "Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost" He then pleads with us to "to increase [our] spiritual capacity to receive revelation" (Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church. Revelation for our Lives", General Conference, April 2018, emphasis added).

So, how do we increase our capacity to receive revelation? Elder David A. Bednar gives us a clue. "Just as expressing gratitude more often in our prayers enlarges the conduit for revelation, so praying for others with all of the energy of our souls increases our capacity to hear and to heed the voice of the Lord" (David A. Bednar, "Pray Always", General Conference, October 2008, emphasis added). I wonder if this is one of the reasons that the Savior was able to be so close to the spirit. He served others, and prayed for them as well.


Acting in Faith
So, how does one act in faith?

The other morning as I was thinking about faith, this thought came to my mind:

Faith is an assurance, from the Spirit, that something is true, will happen, will turn out okay, or whatever the feeling is. My part is to act on that assurance to allow the Lord to make it happen. With this in mind, it seems that the way we do our part to act on our faith is to look forward to something with hope, and act on that assurance.

There was a time in my life when I found myself needing to find a new apartment, as my roommates were moving out. I had been looking for a while and had found nothing. It was nearing the end of the month when I would need to be out, and I still wasn't sure what to do. About this time I remember driving past a friend's apartment when the impression came to me "you will live there". My friends were moving soon, so I was thrilled at the prospect. Shortly after, I called the landlord, who met me at the apartment. I told him I was interested, and he said, "you are the one I want to have this apartment". It was a perfect fit.

It wasn't until a few weeks later that some of my other friends asked how I was able to get into that apartment. As it turns out, they had been on a waiting list for 6 months!

I have come to learn that acting in faith is a choice, and Elder Neil L. Andersen affirmed. "My dear friends, your faith did not begin at birth, and it will not end at death. Faith is a choice" (Neil L. Andersen, "Faith Is Not By Chance, But By Choice", Ensign, November 2015).

As the Lord tests our faith, however, we might not always have an assurance as we try to move forward in faith. If we read in Ether, Moroni teaches us, "wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." (Ether 12:6).

Faith isn't merely believing, it requires action. Bishop Richard C. Edgley instructs, 

"Because of the conflicts and challenges we face in today’s world, I wish to suggest a single choice—a choice of peace and protection and a choice that is appropriate for all. That choice is faith. Be aware that faith is not a free gift given without thought, desire, or effort. It does not come as the dew falls from heaven. The Savior said, 'Come unto me' and 'Knock, and it shall be [given] you'. These are action verbs—come, knock. They are choices. So I say, choose faith. Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism" (Richard C. Edgley, "Faith—the Choice Is Yours", General Conference, October 2010).

I love the thought of faith being like a muscle. Something that we must use in order for it to grow. But, in order to increase our faith, I like the words of Elder Juan Pablo Villar, "If we want to increase our faith, then let’s do things that require faith" (Juan Pablo Villar, "Exercising Our Spiritual Muscles", Ensign, April 2019).

And what do we do when there are setbacks? Life is full of setbacks. We have a choice to become discouraged by them, or trust in the goodness of God and believe that "all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (Doctrine & Covenants 122:7).

Elder David A. Bednar taught, 

"In many of the uncertainties and challenges we encounter in our lives, God requires us to do our best, to act and not be acted upon, and to trust in Him. We may not see angels, hear heavenly voices, or receive overwhelming spiritual impressions. We frequently may press forward hoping and praying—but without absolute assurance—that we are acting in accordance with God’s will. But as we honor our covenants and keep the commandments, as we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our steps" (David A. Bednar, "The Spirit of Revelation", Ensign, April 2011).

When thinking of ways to act on faith I thought of choosing to believe...

• that there is a God in heaven who knows you and loves you more than you can imagine
• You are a child of Heavenly Parents, of royal birth, with a purpose on this earth. 
• Challenges in this life are for a reason; and can help us become like our Heavenly Parents.
• The Lord has a prophet on the earth (and then act on his words) 

Some of the words from our current prophet, Russell M. Nelson, include:

"My dear brothers and sisters, I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions" (Russell M. Nelson, "The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?", General Conference, October 2017).

"[In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.

"My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. Let this Easter Sunday be a defining moment in your life. Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly" (Russell M. Nelson, " Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives", General Conference, April 2018).

It is our choice. We can choose to act in faith, allow the Spirit to penetrate our hearts, and teach us truth. Or we can choose not to.

9 Verses and Receiving Greater Revelation

President Russell M. Nelson made the following statement in the April 2018 General Conference. In the April 2019 General Conference this same statement was quoted three times.

“[I]n coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost” (Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives”, General Conference, April 2018; see also the following from General Conference April 2019: Mathias Held, “Seeking Knowledge by the Spirit”; Takashi Wada, “Feasting upon the Words of Christ”; and Ronald A. Rasband, “Build a Fortress of Spirituality and Protection”).

If it is so crucial to our spiritual survival to know how to listen to, and recognize, the Holy Ghost how would one go about doing it? Answers can be found in the holy scriptures, in the words of our modern prophets and apostles, and through personal revelation.

Henry B. Eyring said the following, “The Prophet Joseph set an example for us of how to receive continual spiritual direction and comfort through the Holy Ghost" (Henry B. Eyring, "His Spirit to Be with You", General Conference, April 2018). President Eyring then explained the pattern. First, be humble before God. Second, pray with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Third, obey exactly. And fourth, "ask for inspiration, receive direction, and act on it" (ibid.).

Elder Richard G. Scott recounted a time when he was seeking for answers. He asked for help, received inspiration, expressed gratitude, and asked if there was any more. He received more. He repeated the cycle several times, and more was received each time. He then made this statement, "I believe that you can leave the most precious, personal direction of the Spirit unheard because you do not respond to, record, and apply the first promptings that come to you" (Richard G. Scott, "To Acquire Spiritual Guidance", General Conference, April 2009).

A few examples from the scriptures show how applying the pattern to receive revelation can work. One example is recounted in the book of First Nephi. Nephi's father, Lehi, had just shared an amazing dream that he had, and Nephi wanted to know more about it. The pattern that Nephi followed may be familiar to some: desire, believe that the Lord can make it known unto you, and ponder (see 1 Nephi 11:1). This same pattern was followed by President Joseph F. Smith when he received the vision on the Savior's visit to the deceased spirits in the spirit world while his body was lying in the tomb. President Smith pondered, reflected, and desired to know. His vision is recorded as Doctrine & Covenants section 138 (see Doctrine & Covenants 138). Another example from this dispensation is the story of a young boy who desired to know which church to join. He read the scriptures, pondered on them, prayed in faith, believed the Lord would answer him, and was given a glorious vision of the Father and the Son appearing to him in a quiet grove in upstate New York (see Joseph Smith—History 1:10-17).

If we explore the first of those scriptural examples, Nephi desiring to know for himself, Nephi followed the pattern of desiring, believing, and pondering. He was caught away in the Spirit and was asked what he wanted. He replied, "to behold the things which my father saw" (1 Nephi 11:3). The Spirit then showed him the tree, and within 9 verses Nephi had applied the pattern of revelation and received what he had asked for. 

Nephi, after receiving what he had asked for didn't say "amen" and stand up ready to move forward with his day. Nephi was listening.

I feel that the next verse is a key that can take us into a higher state of spiritual learning. A state where we can, "increase [our] spiritual capacity to receive revelation....[and] do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly" (Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives”, General Conference, April 2018)

The Spirit asked Nephi, "What desirest though?" (1 Nephi 11:10). Because Nephi was listening, he was able to respond to these gentle whisperings. By taking the time to listen when the Spirit spoke to him, he was able to receive much, much more than he had asked for. In fact, the information he had received in the first 9 verses where expanded to 122 additional verses including many things that Nephi "saw [which] are not written" (1 Nephi 14:30). 

What if each of our prayers were answered to such an extent? They can be, if we take the time to listen.

Elder David  A. Bednar taught, 

"The overarching purpose of Heavenly Father’s plan is for His children to become more like Him. Accordingly, He provides us with essential opportunities to grow and progress. Our commitment to learn and live according to truth is increasingly important in a world that is 'in commotion' and is ever more confused and wicked. We cannot expect simply to attend Church meetings and participate in programs and thereby receive all of the spiritual edification and protection that will enable us 'to withstand in the evil day'...

"If all you or I know about Jesus Christ and His restored gospel is what other people teach or tell us, then the foundation of our testimony of Him and His glorious latter-day work is built upon sand. We cannot rely exclusively upon or borrow gospel light and knowledge from other people—even those whom we love and trust" (David A. Bednar, "Prepared to Obtain Every Needful Thing, General Conference, April 2019).

We must come to know for ourselves.

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.