Skip to main content

What is Faith?

Faith is a step beyond belief.  Faith is belief and hope compounded together and increased.  When a person believes something they may or may not do something about it.  While faith is a positive power, it is not simply positive thinking. 

When a person has faith they will act on the belief that is present in their mind.  That is why faith is a saving power.  Not because in and of itself it saves but because when a person has faith in God and Christ they will follow the divine instructions given by them.   There are many examples of faith in the scriptures that indicate that power flows from it.  

Power flows when an individual or group takes action and that action is blessed by the powers of heaven.  The most important facet of our faith in God is that it produces actions that invoke the saving powers of Jesus Christ into our life and a willingness to follow his example.

There are also examples of belief that show that no power comes from simply acknowledging a fact. Increasing faith, and faith to perform miracles is a gift of the spirit given to those that covenant with God to follow in their own life and serve him in ministering to His sons and daughters.  Faith in the first instance is something we develop by exercising our agency or free will.  Increasing it on a constant basis is also our choice but is boosted through mercy and gifts of the spirit and our willingness to obey God.

Faith comes about by evidence of some principle or fact.  It can be true or false. Acting according to the evidence and seeing the result one can gain an increase in faith and prove the true or false nature of the evidence.  The scriptures are evidence of God's dealings with mankind.  They are the primary evidence for faith in Him and of his existence and power.  Doing what is contained in them is the result of our faith and continuing to study them will increase our faith.

One can only gain true faith in God by having a correct understanding of his character and attributes. Thus the statement in John 17 "And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." Any false notions or incorrect reasonings about who or what God is will reduce a persons opportunity to develop the full measure of faith that is available to us.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The King Follett Discourse-As Man Now is God Once Was

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded in 1830.  In 1820 14-year-old Joseph Smith declared that in search of the truth about God, he prayed in a secluded grove.  He testified of his experience in 1832 that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him in answer to that prayer.  Since that day additional claims of visitations from angels, including one that showed him where an ancient record was stored and that he would translate.   The Book of Mormon came forth as another testament of Jesus Christ. The Church of Jesus. In the next fourteen years until 1844, Joseph revealed doctrines that had been lost to Christendom after the death of Jesus and his apostles. As God's prophet he was called to restore authority to act in God's name and reestablish the Savior's church in preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In the process he revealed much about the order of heaven and eternal life with God. On April 7, 1844, a few months before ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Contrasting Philosophies

Two Basic Philosophies contrast each other Modern World The secular side of our society with the scientific method seeks to demonstrate that mankind ascended from some kind of slime or cell and therefore that amorality is a perfectly acceptable philosophy for worldly culture.  The philosophy of scientism, the idea that what science turns up is the sum of what there is doesn’t necessarily come from scientists, however.  It comes from amoral activists seeking to promote their philosophies.   What we get from science is the vastness of what we don’t know and these activists don’t care to acknowledge that their lack of knowledge might have some effect on the ideals it takes to have a cohesive and peaceful society. They basically promote the ideology that there is no God unless science can prove it and that will never happen because they ignore the evidence. The theistic side believes that we descended from the Gods or a God. The first seeks through its philosophy...
Post a Comment
Read more

God, The Godhead, Heavenly Parents and Eternal Families

After almost 50 years as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I am still amazed at the depth and simplicity of the doctrines of the Church. The Church is not a new religion, it is a reestablishment of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In 1830 the Church was organized, new scripture was introduced with the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon and the gospel was preached under the guidance of apostolic authority. This is a restoration of the work of Jesus Christ in the earth. It is a restoration of God’s authority to prophet servants in the earth.  Men and women that were chosen before they were born. (Jeremiah 1:15).  They were chosen to to stand as “watchmen on the tower” and organize the kingdom among all the people of the earth.  With this authority and direct connection with the God of Heaven, we now have greater understanding than ever before of the wonders of eternity and the mysteries of an endless cosmos.   God has g...
Post a Comment
Read more