A Dissertation on Faith

By Adam Luke

Nov ’08 – Feb ‘09

Faith is often known as an abstract concept in the church and thus is often very misunderstood. The purpose of writing this paper is to bring it to a simplified understanding. I will go through and identify each description of faith and how it fits in. Later on I will also attempt to give a general chronology of how faith works. I will also talk briefly about what faith is not. Faith is separated into 2 parts. Faith that saves, and faith in regards to temporal matters. Faith that saves will generally be the subject of this paper.

Faith is an assurance

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for...

Faith is the assurance we receive from God promising a future reception of blessing or a future event. The word assurance means "a positive declaration intended to give confidence". It comes from the word assure which means "to tell someone something positively or confidently so as to dispel any doubt ". Words spoken and written can be received in a way that doesn't dispel doubt. The only way man can receive knowledge that dispels doubt is by the Spirit. Thus we receive all assurances, in a gospel sense, by the Spirit, by personal revelation.The Spirit may be confirming scripture, or promises made by priesthood leaders, or in personal prayer, or in temple worship. The important thing is that the Spirit is the one who gives the assurance. Assurances are most commonly given as promises, admonitions, invitations, exhortations, commandments, warnings, directions and confirmations. Speaking of faith in regards to temporal matters these assurances can come from any source depending on what we are exercising faith in, but in regards to faith that saves, it will be from the Spirit.

Examples:

Moses parting the Red Sea.

In Moses 1:25 the Lord makes a promise to Moses. He says "Blessed art thou, Moses, for I, the Almighty , have chosen thee, and thou shalt be made stronger than many waters; for they shall obey they command as if thou wert God." Moses did not walk up to the waters and have a positive attitude, mental exertion and hope that the waters would move. He was promised, or given an assurance beforehand of his power over water and chose righteously when to exercise that power.

The Brother of Jared seeing Christ.

in Ether 3:26 it reads "For he had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto him all things-it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things." Before the Bro. of Jared was ever praying to the Lord that he would touch the rocks he was promised that if he was faithful then he would see the Lord. He didn't stand on the mountain and hope with a positive mental action that he would see the Lord. He received an assurance beforehand as to what would happen, then he acted on it.

Alma and Amulek in breaking the bands and the prison.

In Alma chapter 8 verse 31 it says "And they had power given unto them, insomuch that they could not be confined in dungeons; neither was it possible that ay man could slay them; nevertheless they did not exercise their power until they were bound in bands and cast into prison. Now, this was done that the Lord might show forth his power in them." Alma and Amulek knew the power they were given and what it would do. This is why Amulek says to Alma when the women and children are being burned for being believers "...let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames." But when God had given them the power it was given so that "the Lord might show forth his power." It was also because of the previous assurance that Alma, after being beaten and starved for a few days, was able to stand and cry to the Lord "'O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance.' And they broke the cords with which they were bound;" They had faith on the previous assurance that had been given. And thus were able to break the bands. (This example is also a great metaphor or type of Christ breaking the bands of death. Alma and Amulek were in the prison 3 days, had just suffered greatly, etc.)

Faith is to hope for things which are not seen and true

Alma 32:21 Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things, therefore, if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen which are true.

Ether 12:6 Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen.

It is important to note that no where (that I can find) does it say that faith is a hope, but it says that faith is to hope, or faith is things which are hoped for. A verb is a word used to describe an action, state or occurence. A noun is a word used to describe a thing. In other words, the hope spoken of is a verb, not a noun. The noun hope is something completely different than what we are asked to do as hoping relates to faith. Hoping comes after an assurance and is shown through our works. In True to the Faith it says "Whenever you work towards a worthy goal...you show your hope for something you cannot yet see." It seems when the scriptures talk about a hope they are talking about a higher assurance of personal salvation. When we talk about hope as it relates to faith, we are talking about showing our hope through action towards that end goal. Although because of personal experience I still believe this hope to be a gift from God, we then have to accept it and act upon it. Hope is sure and unwavering (True to the Faith). The assurance we receive allows us to hope without doubt or uncertainty because we have felt the truth. We know it is there by another sense besides touch or sight or sound. Doubt and fear or uncertainty are the opposites of faith and thus it makes no sense if we hope with uncertainty or doubt.

This principle remains somewhat abstract because it seems so natural for a person to hope in something that God has promised. It's a natural reaction to the promised blessing. Because of this it is easy to attribute to ourselves faith. Yet the commandment has been given to hope if we have faith in Alma 32. A commandment is proactive, not reactive. It's an action, not a reaction. A closer look at what it means to hope helps us understand that it is an action not a reaction. Men are to act, not to be acted upon (2 Ne 2).

President Uchtdorf said in Oct 2008 conference "The things we hope for lead us to faith," In this explanation President Uchtdorf implies that to hope precedes faith. In Moroni 7:40 it says "how can ye attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?" Hebrews 11:1 says "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for..." If hope precedes faith, that opens up the door for our personal opinions and desires to be assured to start the process of faith. If an assurance from God starts the process of faith, and hope precedes that process, are we to assume that sometimes we are assured those things that we have hoped for on our own accord? The hope that follows faith is clear to me and how it is shown and carried out makes sense. The hope that precedes faith is the part that can confuse me still.

Psalms 119:49 says "Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope." Perhaps then we originally hope for those things which are given to us through the scriptures of the words of our leaders. This would be a form of assurance. But maybe the assurance I am describing in this paper is limited more to personal revelation. An assurance could be 1. A personal confirmation of those things hoped for, and the things hoped for would be those things from the scriptures or from leaders, or 2. A personal revelation of a new assurance, something that we hadn't thought of before, but the Lord wants to promise. Maybe the assurance needs a tighter definition and the hope a broader definition. For example, our family has been asked to deliver a Book of Mormon to someone this year. We have received the commandment, or assurance, and should hope for that. We should then seek an assurance of who or how to deliver it, and then have hope on that assurance which leads us to action and the delivering of the book.

Maybe there are simply many ways for faith to manifest itself. Sometimes it starts with an assurance, sometimes with hope. Maybe the key then is to identify the different ways for faith to manifest itself rather than look for the one way that faith works in our lives.

Examples:

The widow of Zarapheth

1 Kings 17 The widow of Zarephath in this story is a great example of how we are to hope as it relates to faith. The widow is gathering sticks to make the last meal for her and her son. They only have food enough for one meal. Elijah comes and asks of her her last cake and says "For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth forth rain upon the earth." The woman then displays her hope through her actions. She hoped in a proactive manner. in verse 15 it says "And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days." She hoped through sacrifice. But this was not the end of her hoping. It carried on to other experiences. The widow's son died a short time later. The woman said to Elijah "art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?" I believe this to be a sincere question. The boy was already dead. She was hoping by asking. Elijah then took the son upstairs. The Lord did not ask a sacrifice from the woman this time. Elijah prayed over the child and administered to him as a prophet would to the sick. The child revived and Elijah presented him to the woman and said "see, thy son liveth." The woman replied "Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the world of the Lord in thy mouth is true." Her faith had been confirmed to knowledge, having faith no longer. But it was because of her hoping that she was able to receive such a blessing. Especially in the second instance, she actively hoped. Not just a secure feeling, but actively hoped by asking or acting.

Personal experience

I was in the Salt Lake Temple a couple years ago. I there received an assurance of a future blessing that I dearly wanted. The assurance simply stated that "in a time not far off" I would receive that blessing. There was no specific date or time set for my receiving that blessing. Here we are almost 20 months later and I haven't the slightest hint that I will receive the blessing in the near future. It has been frustrating. I have worked towards it and have done my part. I have done what I can to receive that blessing and after 20 months I have been drained of nearly all my hope. I returned to the Salt Lake Temple and spoke to God about it for some time. Since then I have been slowly filled with hope again. I have realized that if it's "a time not far off" in God's time, then it will be soon enough for me. This hope has now affected my actions, my attitude, my prayers, my study and even how I treat others. I am confident and calm because I am hoping. It's hard to say if this hope came as a gift. I feel it did and that I am showing that hope now by actions. I am doing my best to hope, and to hope actively.

Faith is a principle of action and is dead without works

James 2:14,17-26 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

The faith referred to in these verses is a direct reference to faith as an assurance, and perhaps as a hope. James then goes on to explain that we don't have works, then our faith is dead. By works James means actions, effort. In Lectures on Faith, lecture 1, Joseph Smith says that faith is "mental exertion". Exertion is simply the application of a force, or effort. This effort can be mental or physical. I don't see another application besides mental and physical but I believe there could be another. Thus, when we receive an assurance from God and hope for that assurance, our next step is to act upon that assurance, and do all in our power to help that assurance come to pass. Thus our personal effort is an expression of our faith. It is important to remember in this that "Faith is not a personal trait to be developed'-David A. Bednar". Because we act and do our part does not mean we have great faith. That is shown in form of gifts from God, AKA assurances. Our actions do not connote great faith or even faith itself. That can only be endowed upon us from on high. We do, however, need to cultivate the Christlike attributes of determination and patience through our actions. This is our part and only makes up a part of faith.

Finally, it is also important to note that in doing our part, we will see even greater the gifts of God through this process. God will bless us in getting over stumbling blocks and trials in our way of accomplishing his assurance. We will do all we can and when we simply can't get past something we will go forward trusting that He will present someway to remove it. Ether 2 is a great example of this as the Bro. of Jared had received the assurance that he was to build a boat to cross the sea to the promised land. He did all he could, then ran into 3 issues that he couldn't solve. Air, light, and propulsion. God solved propulsion by telling him not to worry, that it would be taken care of. Then he told the Bro. of Jared how to solve the air problem with holes and plugs. Finally, with the third issue, He told the Bro. of Jared that he (bro. of Jared) was to solve the issue and bring Him a response. We can see this pattern in our own lives. God will help us solve our issues that we face in completing his assurances in one of these three ways, but only if we supplicate to him through prayer.

Examples:

The example of the Brother of Jared has already been shown.

Nephi retrieving the gold plates.

Nephi recieved instruction from his father, the prophet, that he was to go down to Jerusalem to get the gold plates. This was an assurance, a commandment from God through his holy prophet. Nephi recognized this and ACTED. He did all he could. They cast lots and Laman went to Jerusalem and asked Laban for the plates. After this failed his brothers were ready to go home. Their faith was dead. Thankfully Nephi's wasn't. He said to his brothers in 1 Ne 3:15 "As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us." Then they gave up all their worldly possessions for the plates. This even failed. The brothers started to beat Nephi and Sam who are subsequently saved by an angel. Nephi then goes to Jerusalem relying solely on the Spirit, seeming to throw out all logic in preparation. It is important to note then, that the works that are spoken of in James are plural. This connotes a need for diligence in showing our faith. Our faith in completing an assurance is insufficient with a single act. And often insufficient with two or three, etc. We have to show our faith through diligence in completing those acts.

Faith comes by hearing the word of God

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Psalms 119:49 Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

Thus far we have looked at what faith is. The verse in Romans 10 is interesting because it talks about how faith comes. Faith is not hearing the word of God. Faith cometh by the hearing the word of God. The word come means to approach, to advance, to draw near. It may also mean to arrive. The archaic version is perhaps best applied in this instance, it means to draw nigh. So then faith draweth nigh by hearing the word of God. Hearing the word of God takes us a step closer to faith. It brings us or lifts us up to a position so that we can have the opportunity to blessed with faith.

The BD states "Faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of those who have faith." This is seen most prominently in the lives of Adam and Eve. They taught their children the Gospel as they learned it from the Lord himself. They then taught their children and that is what inspired them to seek the Lord. As their children learned of God and his goodness, they had hope in their finding him. Abel is the best example we have of this. He heard the gospel of Jesus Christ from righteous parents. This gave him a desire to obey and eventually he received an assurance of his sacrifice from the Lord, that his sacrifice was good. Cain chose to disobey and did not follow the same course. In Lectures on Faith, lecture second, verse 35 it says "previous to the time that any of Adam's posterity had obtained a manifestation of God to themselves, Adam, their common father, had testified unto them of the existence of God, and of his eternal power and Godhead." Vs. 36 "For instance, Abel, before he received the assurance from heaven that his offerings were acceptable unto God, had received the important information of his father that such a Being did exist, who had created and who did uphold all things."

In Moroni 7 it explains this process perfectly. In verse 27 Moroni asks the question "have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven?" He then goes on to explain in verse 29 "Nay, neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men." Then he explains the process of faith and how it works. Christ has ascended to heaven, he is no longer here so that we may see him face to face and know. Thus, the process of faith starts from angels "showing themselves unto them of strong faith...by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear the testimony of him. And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof." (Verse 30-32) We hear the word of God from our prophets. They are chosen vessels. The words of Joseph Smith still carry the power they had when they were spoken in his time, because it is by hearing those words that God has prepared the way that we may have faith in Christ. Thus our faith comes by hearing the word of God and we are prepared to be blessed with faith.

Examples:

Enos seeks forgiveness

Enos is filled with a hunger in his soul. Because of the words of his father that he had been pondering. This causes him to seek for repentance and forgiveness. The interesting part that applies so much to this section, is the phrase that the Lord tells him after he had received a forgiveness according to his faith. The Lord says that he has received a remission of his sins because of his faith in Christ, then gives the commandment to "go to" and tells him "thy faith hath made thee whole." He says "when I had heard these words, I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren..." After hearing the word of the Lord, Enos grew in faith and his desire to help others. He subsequently receives assurances concerning the nephites and Lamanites.

Alma's repentance

Alma has just seen an angel, not because of his faith, but to call him to repentance because of the faith of his father. He is harrowed up in the memory of his sins. In verse 15, he wishes to "become extinct, both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds." When he is in this awful state, wishing to cease to exist, a previous experience saves him from destruction. He said in verse 17 " while I was harrowed up in the memory of my many sins, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world." By hearing his father teach and prophesy of Jesus Christ, Alma the younger was drawn nigh unto faith. He was prepared beforehand by his father, and when the time was appropriate, he was blessed with faith on his Savior and he chose to exercise that faith. Faith came by hearing the word of God. He then acted and exercised great faith the remainder of his life.

Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith

Ether 12:6 ...dispute not, because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith

Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold...

The trial of faith is spoken of in various parts of scripture. The main focus is that the word trial is always singular. This is implying that we will face a single trial that will define our faith, that will make it great. One trial that we will show unto the Lord who we are and what we have. Whether this is true or not will be yet examined.

A trial is a person, thing, or situation that tests a person's endurance or forbearance. Forbearance means patient self-control; restraint or tolerance...

In Mosiah 21-22 is the story of Limhi and his people who are seeking to be freed from the bondage of the Lamanites; a bondage which they brought upon themselves. This is a great representation of the difference of being freed from sin or trials we bring upon ourselves (People of Limhi), and being freed from our trials given by God (People of Alma). In contrast is the story following that in Mosiah 23-24. It is the story of Alma the Elder and his people. A righteous people who were living a happy life when they were taken over by the Lamanites and Priests of Noah and subsequently brought into bondage. They did not bring this upon themselves. They were asked to suffer this for the purposes of the Lord and afterward were taken to a better place in the land of Zarahemla. The differences between Limhi and Alma's people's experiences is important to note.

While both groups had to humble themselves, Limhi's group "prospered by degrees" (21:16). Their relief came slowly as they began a strong repentance. All the while enduring hopelessness. Their search group for Zarahemla had only found bones and they supposed they were all alone now, with no escape. Then Ammon came along, taking on the form of a savior. They then knew there was hope, but a great mental and physical effort had to be made, not just spiritual. It says in 21:36 "all the study of Ammon and his people, and king Limhi and his people, was to deliver themselves out of the hands of the Lamanites and from bondage." A long and difficult journey followed a well executed plan of escape. They finally were able to leave.

Alma and his people also endured suffering but it was different and for a different amount of time. Their trial came upon them suddenly after a period of prosperity. First, they "delivered themselves up" to the trial (23:29). They knew there was no avoiding it and knew that it was from the Lord. So they "hushed their fears" (23:28) and accepted the Lords will. When they began to suffer, the people began to pray. When they were no longer allowed to do that, they began to pray in their thoughts. After this, they received the following promise- "Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage..." (24:13-14). The Lord did this that they would "stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." (24:14) With this knowledge the people did "submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord." (24:15 italics added) Thus we see the key to finding our way through trials of faith. We are to submit cheerfully and with patience to what the Lord has in store for us. If we have a bad attitude, or begin to complain, we are not suffering in a way that will be for our benefit, a way that will bring us closer to the Lord. It's interesting to note that cheerful means "noticeably happy and optimistic." Are we noticeably happy and optimistic about our trials of faith?

It is amazing that the people were able to suffer like that, but the key comes in the verse following the description of their attitudes. In verse 16 it says "so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage." And being led by Alma, the people left, delivered by the hand of God. He prepared the way for them to leave. He caused a "profound sleep" to come upon the Lamanites and the people of Alma packed up and left. Their labor was mainly spiritual, in contrast to the people of Limhi, who's labor was also excessively physical and mental. The people of Alma enjoyed relief physically and mentally during their trial because of their willingness to suffer cheerfully and their decision to be comforted (24:13,15).

From all my research on this so far, the trial of faith is always spoken of as singular. One event in the lifetime of a person. Abraham with Isaac, Zion's camp, the people of Alma leaving the land of Helam, etc. President James E. Faust said "The proving of one's faith goes before the witnessing...This trial of faith can become a priceless experience." (Ensign, Feb '06, italics added) In essence, we are all asked to pass through a trial of faith in our lifetime, an Abrahamic trial, equal to that of the ancient prophet. This is the refining experience in our faith. After such trial, the witness of our faith is made manifest.

Examples:

The People of Alma escape from the Land of Helam has already been shown

Hagar

A simple handmaiden of Abraham and Sarah. Hagar had a unique life and a unique trial. At this time Sarah was still known as Sarai and Abraham Abram. Sarai was still barren and finally offered to Abram Hagar as a way to have posterity. Hagar was soon pregnant and soon she was "despised in (Sarai's) eyes" (Gen 16:4). Sarai complained to Abram and Abram told her to do with Hagar as it pleased Sarai. She "dealt harshly" (16:6) with Hagar. Hagar became so distressed that she ran off. An angel visited her and told her "Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands... I will multiply thy seed exceedingly...and (you) shall call his name Ishmael" (16:9-11).

Hagar did as the angel instructed. She returned and bore the son, probably under great duress. But her trial of faith didn't stop there. Once Sarah bore Isaac the Lord told Abraham that his seed would be known through Isaac and not Ishmael. Hagar and Ishmael were subsequently asked to leave the next morning with nothing but bread and a jar of water (Gen 21). After they finished the water and were to die, Hagar placed Ishmael under a bush and went off a ways and said "Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept" (21:15-16). Hagar had lost hope and knew her son would die. Her trial continued even after she had obeyed the angel the first time. As she sat crying she heard the voice of the angel, the same that had visited her the first time. He said "What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, life up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation" (21:17-18).

Hagar and Ishmael lived, and he did become a great nation. Hagar paid a harsh price for obeying the Lord, but she did obey. Later in scripture she is used as an example of the covenant of bondage in contrast to Abraham's seed being the covenant of freedom (Gal. 4). This all though seems a small price to pay for eternal glory which would surely await someone as willing to sacrifice as Hagar is.

Christ's Atonement

In what I've studied of the words of the General Authorities, I don't believe the Atonement was an example of a trial of faith. It was much more. The differences, I think, are important to note and will do so here. A trial is unforeseen; we may have an impression, or a spiritual warning, but the trial, the timing, and the content of it is not seen until we are asked to pass through the trial. Christ knew before he started his ministry what his divine mission in life was.

Trials of faith also carry with them the unique opportunity to suffer cheerfully which has been a main point of this section. We may have difficult trials, but feeling comfort from God is a choice that we make. We are always eventually able to suffer cheerfully as we pass through these most difficult times. Christ did not have that option. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, mainly because of the Atonement. But in this moment, Christ was unable to feel anything close to cheerful, Matthew 26:38 says "my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." In the act of the Atonement Matthew continues to say he "fell on his face and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me..." This is much more than a trial of faith. It tried everything the Savior had. While we might often feel the same about our trials and should relate the best we can to the Savior (for it is through our trials that we come to know Him and the Atonement), what the Savior went through was more than a trial of faith. It was the Atonement, the power that allows us to receive mercy instead of justice, comfort instead of pain, and eventually return to God's presence. I don't believe this act qualifies as a trial of faith. It was much, much more.

Faith is simple and powerful when fully understood. It changes character, honor, and behavior. It is the first principle of the Gospel. As our assurances and hope are centered on Christ we see things differently. Things start to change in life. We become better, happier, and more successful. We will be more respected and are able to handle difficult situations often with surprising ease. The way to exact obedience will open up and we will reach a level of satisfaction in life we had never before imagined. I know this to be true. I've experienced this. Through this knowledge the Lord has molded me into a person that has exceeded any previous expectation or idea of who I could become. He is our savior. Faith on him will raise us to salvation.

Chronology:

1. Hearing - This will bring us to faith, or draw us near.

2. Hope - This is a preliminary hope, one that leads us to seek assurances.

3. Assurance

4. Action

5. Hope - This is a secondary hope, one born of the Spirit. This hope is more of a confidence of things to come.

6. Trial

7. Knowledge - Faith is dormant, for it has become knowledge. (Alma 32)